St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-12
WISCONSIN CENTRAL JOINS THE
GREAT WESTERN IN THE ONE.
CENT RATE.
SECURES G. A. R. CONVENTION.
RESULT OF THE MEETING OF THtl
WESTERN PASSENGER AsSO-
CIATION YESTERDAY,
GEN. MASON ON THE sITUATIoNs
With Two Roads in Line He Thinks
the City VIII Come ont All
Right.

The national G. A. r. encampment IS
now assured to st. Paul practically be.
yond all question. The G. o b has all
along maintained that the Sanity city
would finally get what it wanted in
the way of rates to secure the encamp,
ment, and telegram to the G. lobe
1rom Albert Scheffer, who is now in Chi.
cago, conveyed the information that it's
predictions have been verified This
telegram read as follows:
Western Passenger association adjourned
without action on McGill-Scheffer PROPOSE
ton. Wisconsin Central gave notice OF in
tention of individual action same as Chicago
Great Western on same terms. Have wired
Commander-in-Chief at Rutland VT This
secures us the encampment"
The telegram was shown to Gen Ma
son, chairman of the general committee
on arrangements, and he was asked to
explain just what the McGill-Scheffer
proposition was. You see," replied
Gen. Mason, when we went to Chi
cago some time ago to urge the West
erl, Passenger association to make the
l-cent rate good for thirty days, | ex-
piained that unless the city of St Paul
and vicinity could derive the full meas
ure of the benefit from the encamp-
ment, 1t did not want it at ALL We did
not want to go to all the expense of
providing for it without deriving a.
beneht commensurate with the outlay,
This could only be secured by giving.
the people who come here time enough
to go out and see the surrounding
country after the encampment, IL they
desire to do so. Many of them will, Of
course, return home Immediately, while
others would be glad to remain a few
days longer if allowed to do so without
extra expense for railroad fare. There
rore, II we could not get a thirty-day
rate we did not want the ancampmentI
at all, and would notify Gen. Walker
that we had given up all claim upon it
The association refused to grant the
extension OF time, and then the Chicago
Great Western gave notice of its inten-
ton to stick to the proposition it had
made, guaranteeing the 1-cent rate
over its line for the period asked for,
1t was understood that some of the
other roads would also grant the re-
quest of the committee, and Mr.. Schef-
fer and McGill remained there to see
the officials of these roads. while Gen.
Flower and came home. We had pre-
viously considered the advisability of
| asking for fifteen days limit with the
right to remain fifteen days longer il
desired on the payment of the differ
ence between l cent nile and the half
fare rate to Chicago. This difference
was so small that anybody desiring to
remain longer would not hesitate to
pay it; SO Mr. McGill and Scheffer sub
mitted that proposition to the various
roads after we came away, and that is
what is known as the McGill-S -Scheffer
proposition.
Il felt sure the association would ac-
cept that proposition, and feel some-
what disappointed that ii did not
There was also another proposition to
grant ten-day extension provided we
would have all those desiring to stop
over deposit their tickets on their ar
rival here so as to prevent scalpers
from securing this advantage for any
tickets sold to them This would
necessitate our establishing an Office
here to receive those tickets and re-
turn them again when called for, but
we were willing to do that and
answered to that effect at once when
the proposition was suggested by some
one In Chicago, who said that il would
be acceptable to the roads. But 1t
seems that the association has taken
no action ON this either
well, with the Great Western and
Wisconsin Central granting our re-
quest for a thirty-day limit, I have
strong hopes that we will come out all
right l am not familiar with the IA
cilities Of these roads to handle such a
large number Of people, but L have
strong hopes that they are ample. Be-
sides there is but little doubt now Of
the surrender ultimately of the other
lines. On the whole, / think that all
doubt of the encampment's coming hera
is now removed"
The Associated Press report on the
matter from Chicago is:
General passenger agents Of the Western
roads decided again today that for the pres
ent, at least, they would make no change In
the rates and limitations originally agreed to
for Grand Army tickets to st. Paul next Sep
tember. On this decision being arrived at the
Wisconsin Central Immediately gave notice OF
it's intention to take individual action in the
matter and to extend the Limitation of its
tickets to fifteen days from date of sale, hold
ers to have the option of having them extended
to thirty days paying the difference be-
tween a 1-cent per mile rate and a one fare
for the round trip rate. The other roads then
agreed among themselves to ignore the inde-
pendent action of the Chicago Great Western
and the Wisconsin Central and to take no
further action in the matter for thirty days.
at least.