The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-02
CROOKS BRoTHERs' BAD BREAK.
story of the Legislative Committees
Trip RetOId.


Wayeross. Ga. Jan. 1.-Representative
c.. c. Thomas returned home to-day from
Atlanta and viii apply himself assiduously
to his law practice until the next meeting
of the legislature.
Asked what his experience was with the
subcommittee on the notorious visit to
the Chattahoochee Brick Company camp
at Maxwell a month ago, he said he was
quoted as being with the committee,
though he was not. He was a member Of
the committee and went TO Jacksonville
Withs them and arranged transportation
over Oval &, Upchurch's road from Craw
ford to camp Maxwell, returning direct to
Atlanta from Jacksonville, on account of
an important bill he had introucod requir-
ing his attention Immediately in the
House Of Representaiv He was not with
the committee when the trouble occurred
on Brooks Bros. & Co.'S railroad about
fares Had he been along he thinks his
acquaintance with the firm would have
enabled him to have persuaded them not
to charge fares, as the train was provided
for the committee at the instance of Capt.
Maxwell of the Chattahoochee Brick Com
pany. aud was accepted by the committee
in good faith as a courtesy usually shown
members of the legislature, whether as in
dividuals or committeeman by all the rail-
roads in the state.
Representative Robert G. Dickerson of
CHnch was chairman of the committee,
and being local counsel of the Plant sys-
tenn at bonneville he had no trouble in
getting the fast mail from Jacksonville to
put the committee off at BoulOgne, Capt.
Maxwell having notified him that a special
train had been provided 10 take the COM
mittee 10 Capt. Maxwelrs end back. The
trip over the OVAL e Upchurch road was
accordingly preclUded, much to the dsap-
pointment of that firm, who intended to
show every possible courtesy TO the COM
miJtoe on a Florida railroad.
Rcpresentative Thomas remarked that
some o. the best men in Georgia compos-
ed the committee and he positively refused
10 credit the stories against the commit
tee which have been circulated by Brooks
Bros, & Co. The firm, he said only
few weeks prior to the committees visit.
notified the Georgia railroad commission
that thev We're not charging any fares a
All and were not operating q railroad for
the public, but for private purposes. The
railroad is under the Georgia commission
by charter to the Brooks Lumber Com
pany. and Brooks Bros. 4 Co are oper-
ating ii as lessees. There is no law, he
saws for the firm to collect fares from
anybody and they will be held responsible
for the iiegahty Of collecting from the
comm Tee by the Georgia railroad COM
mission As a matter of fact, he said,
the gentlemen composing the committee
were Justly surprised and indignant when
they We're halted on their return 60 Bou-
lo1eo and told TO pay Sl50 each or the
train would not move until the money was
collected. The fares were an paid. said
1ir. IT omas. and the conductor counted
the money and said there was q discrepan-
ey of $50, which must be raised before
the train would go Judge Bovnton, of
the committee, seeing that further delay
L.. A.
Bouionge for Atlanta, donated the amount
of the discrepancy to the conductor and
settled the squabbe
Brooks Bros. & Co., say that the COM
mttee excepting four or five members.
were hilarious and conducted themselves
uubecomingiy before their families while
3t Toledo They say some hard things
against the committee ana are very sore
over the criticism of the committee and
the press.