The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-13
GOT TOURIST RATES At LAST.
SAVANNAH SECURES WHAT 1T HAS
SOUGHT FOR TEN YEARS.

! senger Association AT las Meeting
i'm New York ACCOMPLISHMENTS
From the North and East Can Now
! buy Round Trip Tickets 10 savnn-
/ nah-This VIII Advertise the city
a "A Winter Resort and Bring Hun
drcds OF Visitors Here.
Savannah has been made a tourist point
by the Southern States Passenger Associ-
alton. and like the seven cities which
claimed TO be the birthplace Of the an
cient Homer. leaving the place Of his or
igin matter Of doubt to his many adj
mirers. there are plenty OF claimants Tor
the honor Of having secured for Savan-
nah a boon that has 50 long been sought
According to the point Of view the credit
would seem 10 fall 10 Commissioner D. q.
Purse of the freight bureau. or TO the
Plant system ana Passenger Traffic Man
ager B. ". Wrenn. OF TO the Florida Cen
trail and Peninsular and its general pas
senger agent. Mr.. A. O.. MacDonel.
The people of Savannah are always
ready to give credit 10 whom it is due,
but the important feature is that the rates
have been secured. and that Is what Sa-
vannah wanted. That the railroads have
settled the matter so far is sufficient evil
dence Of their interest in it. Col Wrenn
of the Plant system took an interest in
securing tourist rates the day he entered
upon the duties of his Office.
The action fixing the rate was taken at
a meeting Of the association held yester-
day in New York. News of the action
was received here as quick as the wires
could bring it from New York after the
meeting. adjourned.
The Morning News received telegram
from Assistant General Passenger Agent
h. c. McFadden of the Plant system.
which says:
"A resolution was passed by the rate
committee of the Southern States Pas
senger Association at a meeting held in
New York to-day providing for the sale
Of winter excursion tickets to Savannah
from Washington at the rate of thirty
two dollars. No doubt lines beyond Wash
ington will participate by adding arbitra-
ries which would make the rate from
New York to Savannah and return for
ty-two dollars, and a proportionate rate
from other eastern cities. 1 believe the
situation is fully covered by the action
taken to-day"
This appears to undoubtedly settle the
matter and Savannah at last has what
its citizens have been struggling for, for
ten years or more. 1t means great deal
more for the city than is apparent At
casual glance. 1t means the advent
yearly of hundreds of tourists who would
not otherwise stop here, or who might
perhaps only take advantage of a day or
two within the transit limit of their ticket.
instead of remaining in the city for weeks
or months
Capt. D. c. Purse, the commissioner of
the Savannah freight bureau, calls this
the bureaus first dividend. He received
the following telegram announcing the
action taken:
New York, Sept. r. 1Ss5.-Capt. d. c.
Purse, Savannah, Ca. l take pleasure
in advising in behalf of Southern States
Passenger Association that Savannah,
Ca, will be Incorporated in winter tour
list rate sheets as a winter tourist point
w. w. Finley Commissioner.
Capt. Purse replied at once to Commits
sioner Finleys telegram, saying;
THE people of Savannah fully appre-
ciate and thank the Southern States Pas
senger Association for their generous
recognition in according Savannah full
tourist rates, and feel confident that 1t
will result in mutual benefit to the rail-
roads and to the city,
Perhaps the principal advantage to Sa-
vannah from being made a tourist point
will arise from the fact that it will be
advertised as such throughout the north
and east In this connection Savannan's
/ advantages as a winter resort will be
clearly set forth, and this, il is believed,
| viii attract many who would not other
/ wise come. Then, too, tourist going to
/ a ticket office, can purchase round-trip
/ ticket TO Savannah, whereas this was not
! the case before, and many Will be attract
/ ed by reason of this fact alone, as tour
! list naturally desires to purchase all of
/ his transportation at once, and be done
/ with it. 1t makes IL more attractive and
! convenient for the tourist all around, and
this has great deal to do with iniiu-
encing travel.
| Mr.. 1. NJ. Fleming, district freight and
passenger agent of the Florida Central
/ and Peninsular railroad here, received a
| telegram from General Passenger Agent
! A. o. MacDonell announcing the action
/ of the association. Mr. MacDorell, he
says, has always been ready and willing
to do all in his power and has done
much toward getting tourist rate for Sa-
vannah, and voted for the resolution
granting IL at the meeting.
The resolution allowing the tourist rate
was introduced at the meeting by Assist
ant General Passenger Agent H. c. Me-
Fadden of the Plant system, Passenger
Traffic Manager b. w. Wreen says, I'M
der his instructions.
When Col. Wrenn was first appointed
| passenger traffic manager of the Plant
system he received a telegram asking MIN
| to do what he could toward securing
tourist rate for Savannah. He replied
| to that telegram, stating mat he would
do all in his power to accomplish the end
| in view, and since he has been in that
! position he says he has done everything
he possibly could do to bring about the re-
| suit desired. Tourist rates from the
west to Savannah were first
! put on when Col. Wrenn
was with the Western and Atlantic rail-
road, and Col. Wadley was president of
the Central 1t was by a conference
between them that 1t was brought about
! a. that time. The Plant system, he
| states, has been WORKING for them in
! season ana out and he instructed Mr..
| McFadden to introduce the resolution
providing for tourist tickets from the
| east.
Commissioner Purse of the freight
! bureau took the matter of tour
/ list rates up with the railroads as
soon as he went into office. He wrote let
ters on the matter arguing the question
with President Samuel Spencer of the