Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-02

WACO. TEN, July = 1891.
To the Gazette.
Mr.. john Howard. in Sundays GAZETTE,
asks for some information. under the above
caption, relating TO the withdrawal OF the
announcement OF the series of hOme-seek-
Crs' excursions to Texas from the old states
for the summer months.
Who did II Is what the progressive peO-
pie would like to know. Members of Texas
real estate associations were very anxious
to know who did it, and by them more
than one hundred letters were written 10
The general passenger agents of various
trunk lines III Texas asking THAI the rates
he restored. Letters We're written the lat
ter part OF May 10 +. w. LaBeajme gen
erdl passenger agent Of the Cotton Belt
route: Castor MCslier, general passenger
agent OF the Missouri. kansas and Texas
system; Ii. Z. townsend. general passen-
ger agent of the Missouri Pacific system;
II. G. Thompson, general passenger agent
or the Gulf, colorado and Santa te system
and Is. W. Mccullough. general passenger
agent of the Texas and Pacific system
We know that the series Of rates had been
officially announced by the Cotton Belt
route, Missouri Pacific system and Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas railway FLYERS
had been printed and passenger agents nut
into the field working up the first excursion
for May 10. All at once the rates were
Withdrawn. and we all naturally asked
Who did itl'' We also know that the Cot
ton Belt sold the tickets as advertised al
their Memphis office on May - over the,
Little Rock and Memphis and Cotton Belt
route to many points in Texas, and that
slNty-nine tickets We're sold at that Office on
that day.
But returning to the letters that members
of the Texas real estate association received
IRON the general passenger agents, lets see
II we can lind out who did it." June
fHprH-T,-zy,I
and ticket agent Of the Missouri Pacific,
wrote as follows: Il am in receipt of your
favor OF the 3uth ut, asking If it win not
DC practicable 70 resume the sale of home
seekers excursion tickets to Texas. In re-
ply l would say that we tried to arrange
Tor series of these excursions for this
season. in fact had everything in readiness.
but on account Of the arbitrary action of
competing lines, we We're forced to with
draw our announcements of special rates.
much to our regret, assure YOU
Mr.. T. W. LaBeaume, general passenger
ana ticket agent Cotton Belt route. wrote
Juno as follows: Il have received nuluer-
Gus letters from various parties in Texas
relative 10 the excursions to all of which
have replied, that this company was very
much in favor OF excursions, but could not
DO SO, owing 10 the position taken by some
of the other Western lines"
Mr.. B. w. Mccullough. general passenger
ana ticket agent of Texas and Pacific rail
way company, wrote Junt /, as follows:
''Replylng 10 your favor of May 80, beg to
say that at present it seems almost impos-
slole to arrange for any excursion rates to
Texas. a short time since an excursion
from Memphis to points in Texas was ar
ranged for but OWN" 10 opposition met
with from lines interested we were COM
PEELED TO withdraw the rate
Again July !, Mr.. LaBaume Of the Cot
ton Belt route, wrote: I'VE are eudeay-
oripg, and have been for some time, to get
all the lines Interested to agree to a series
OF excursions. but up 10 the present time
nave been unable to DO so, some of the
lines objecting 10 putting in the rates. You
understand, Of course, we could do nothing
OF this kind without joint action
Mr.. Meslier of the Missouri. Kansas and
Texas railway wrote a long letter stating
that his road had worked for the home
seekers rates and regretted very much
that interested and competing lines forced
withdrawal of the same, but that his line
was still working TO secure the rates for
later dates
I have no replies from the santa Fe'' 10
these numerous letters. The company may
have replied TO some of the letters, but l
nave not heard Of such replies. In cOnclud-
ing this rather long letter, l want TO pub
Ilsh the following letter received by me
from Mr.. LaBeaume of the Cotton Belt
route, dated April Il. announcing the series
OF homeseekers' excursions: Il rave
yours OF the 18th, and in reply incloSe you
one OF our homeSeekers' excursion circu-
lars which announces rates and full condi-
tons under which tickets will be sold.
As yet we have been unable to get any
lines beyond Memphis to agree 10 put the
tickets on sale. l think. however, we may
be able to get some of them in before long.
You will note that the tickets are sold to al
points in Texas except points on the Hous-
ton and Texas Central railway They de-
cline TO participate in the excursions, and
We were therefore compelled TO leave them
out IN our arrangements"
This is a fine stand, you will say, for a
Texas road to take. So It is, and the sooner
the people Of Texas learn who are their
friends the better for them And still the
echo answers, 'Who did it, RespectfullS<i
c. SuHspl
Snnsct-;,, +.,,. D{sFv GAZETTE