The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-03
FOR THE RAILROADS TOSAY
Whether Savannah Shall Have Cheap
Excursions or Not.

A Committee Appointed to Confer
With the Roads and to Arrange
For the First Excursion, if Prac-
ticable, From Southwest Georgia
and Florida AS Soon AS the
Quarantine is Lifted.
Savannah will have cheap excursions
this winter if the railroads are willing,
and the country merchants will be given
opportunities to do their trading here.
The meeting of business men at the De
Soto last night to discuss the best means
of bringing people to Savannah to trade
came to this decision. The only
question now is, what arrangements can
be made with the railroads.
The meeting was not large, but it was
satisfactory. A great many business men
had given assurances of their sym
pathy with the movement who were not
present.
Mr.. S. Krouskoff, who originated the
movement, presided. He stated that he
had made a general canvass of the
retail business section and found a
general interest in the movement. The
idea was new to a great many, but when
1t was explained interest was aroused at
once, and with very few exceptions all the
retail dealers whom he had seen heartily
approved of the idea and are ready to aid
IN carrying it out.
TWO THINGS TO CONSIDER.
Mr.. Krouskoff said the first thing to do
is to get the means with which to inaug-
urate and carry on the work, and the sec
ond is to enter into satisfactory arrange
ments with the railroads. The most feast
BILE plan that suggested itself to
him was to secure a monthly
subscription from all the business
men interested, each to agree to pay so
much monthly, according TO the charac-
ter of his business and the benefit it was
likely to receive from the movement BY
this means he thought about 1000 a
month could be raised, which would be
used in interesting railroads in behalf of
cheap rates, or in charterng special
trains for the same purpose. With this
amount Mr.. KrOuskoff thought arrange
ments could be made for three or more
monthly excursions.
Mr.. Max Robinson agreed with Mr.
Krouskoff as to the benefits to be derived
from the movement and as to the plans
suggested. Mr.. Robinson said it was de-
sired to have one excursion a month on
each of the railroads leading into Savan-
nah, including the Savannah, Americas
and Montgomery.
THE RAILROADS OBJECTION.
He had conferred with some of the rail
road men, he said and found them rather
coldly disposed toward the project They
claimed that cheap excursions would
break into their rates and disarrange the
passenger traffic; that people who
would come to Savannah anyway
would wait for these trains, and that
the regular travel would suffer by it. He
told them that what the business men
wanted was to bring people to Savannah
who were not in the habit of coming here,
and to do this the business men were
willing to charter trains and make their
own rates il the railroads were lndisposed
to break their rates This latter plan
MIR. Robinson said, he thought would be
more satisfactory, both to the railroads
and to the business men, than any other
A train could be chartered on one of the
lines, a very cheap rate agreed
upon, and the day upon which
it was to run thoroughly
advertised along the line Trains, he
thought, should be run from as far as AL
bany, Ca, and Gainesville, Fla, on the
Savannah, Florida and Western railway;
from Macon or Tennille on the Central;
from Americas or Cordele on the SAM
road, and from Columbia on the South
Bound.
AS only one excursion a month would be
run on each road, and perhaps not that
often, he thought the railroads could al
ford to make the experiment. The special
excursions would not occur often
enough to interfere with the regular
traffic on The roads, and thousands of peo-
pie would be brought to Savannah who
would not come unless some such induce
ment were offered.
CHEAP RATES ALL THAT IS WANTED.
Make the rates cheap enough" said
Mr.. Robinson. land we will have no difi-
Guilty in getting the people to Savannah"
His experience as secretary of the Mer-
chants Week Association enabled him to
give the meeting a great deal of informa-
tion on the question of railroad rates.
Mr.. w. j. Lindsay said he thought the
meeting was on the right line and he be-
lieved the scheme could be success |
fully carried out if the rail
roads would meet the business
men half way. r. Lindsay opposed the
suggestion OF referring the matter to the
Commercial Club or the Merchants AS
ISOLATION. The retailers would have to
work it out themselves, he said, if it were
to be made a success. The first excur-
sion, Mr.. Lindsay said, would decide the
question. iii proved a success then others
would follow. The business men who
entered into the arrangement proposed
would not be bound to any losing game.
Unless the first months excursions were
SuCCSSSlu VI 1nSy WOulu uO6 De called upon
for any further contributions
The list of those merchants who had
given assurances of their cooperation
was canvassed, and it was found that
about $1,000 a month could be secured bv
each firm contributing its due proportion.
This, it was agreed, would be sufficient
fora starter. Committees were appointed
to canvass the business section in the in
terest of the plan. Mr. Robinson was an
pointed committee of one to confer with
the railroads.
a meeting will be held at the De Soto
Monday night to receive the reports of
the committees. If the reports are favor
able, arrangements viii be made to RIM
the first excursion from Gainesville. Fla.
as soon as tLe quarantine is lifted.
Anothtr Cold Wave
viii make the public realize how very
warm and cheaI those boys and child