The morning news., 1899-02-12
SAND FLYS MULE IN DANGER.
GEORGIA RAILROAD COMMISSION TO
PASS ON HIS MERITS.


Complaints of Montgomery Resi-
dents Against the Savannah, Thun-
derbOIt and Isle of Hope Railways
| Antiquated Suburban Service to BE
Heard Feb. 2S-COmplaints to BE
Backed Up by Amdavits of Patrons
| of the Road and Photographic
Views of the Facilities for Travel.
Some of the Things objected tO-A
Director of the Road Thinks There
May De an Improvement Some
| Time.
| The anxiety that the residents of Mont
gomery and the people living beyond Sand
! Fly station have been under, pending a
hearing of their grievances against the
service of the Savannah, Thunderbolt and
Isle of Hope Railway, promises TO be re-
lleved at an early day. This will be
glad news TO the people about Sand Fly
and Montgomery, as they have suffered
for long time.
Commissioner D. G. Purse of the Bureau
of Freight and Transportation received a
| letter from the secretary OF the Georgia
Railroad Commission yesterday stating
that a hearing had been set for Feb. 2S,
and that the railroad had been notified
to that effect. The people confidently ex-
pect the result of the hearing win be an
order requiring an improvement in the
service, such as will be in a measure IN
keeping with conveniences on other
branches of the line.
| The complaint, signed by a large num-
ber of people, is backed up by a strong
/ Lac g1ar a1 ST,g.,
affidavits form part of the specifications
on which the argument will be based for
an improved service.
THE car used most of the time" the
| complaint says, lis a small closed car
| cold and leaky. We are forced to ride in
this car during the warmest weather, and
when it rains we are compelled to move
from place to place to avoid getting wet.
| THE car is often filled with negro pas
sengers carrying fish. crabs and shrimp 10
market. and this disagreeable freight is
! put on the ends of the car as long as there
s room for it, and the balance in the CEN
ter of the car, making it disagreeable to
| passengers.
The midday car is also old and unfit
for passengers. Thene is no way to shut
out the wind and weather. 1t is so ar
ranged that a small space is left in the
center for freight, with two seats In the
| front and two in the rear for passengers,
and often that space is filed with kero-
| sene, hay, pipe and other disagreed be
freight Boisterous, drinking negroes otter
fill the cars. The road is not in keeping
with the spirit of the times"
Since the complaint was fled the COM
pany has made some changes, but in no
way has it satisfied the complainants
! for proper service. Another
car has been added, but the complaints
say it is a re-hash of an Old edition. A
new mule, said to be thigh priced"
has also been added to the service. This
change in the motive power has not been
such as to enable the company to put
on a better schedule. The cars move
along at the same old trot. and while it
is probable the company will urge che
change in mules as an improvement in
the service, the people say the present
standard is far from what they expect.
one of the main objections that will be
made against the service as it now exists
is the hauling Of freight and passengers in
the same cars. The odor from fish and
other freight jammed alongside passeng-
/ ers is unendurable. Those who were COM
PEELED TO put up with this and other in
/ conveniences complained TO the company.
until it was seen there was no chance for
an improvement a petition was then pre-
/ Sented to Commiss sioner Purse requesting
that he bring the matter to the attention
OF the Railroad Commission, which was
done some time ago. On account of other
matters the commission has yet been una
bic to get its attention to it,, but now that
the day for the hearing has been set, it is
expected an early decision viii be render
ed
In connection with the argument num-
Der of Photographic views will be submit
ted to the commission as exhibits. Among
these is view of the Montgomery depot
which gives an idea of the terminal facili-
ties. Between the depot and the track is
a platform from which passengers are ex-
pected to board the cars. A number of
planks removed from the platform show
the danger in passing over it. especially
where belated patron finds ii necessary
to rush" for departing car. Another
view shows a car used for both freight
and passengers. 1t has two seats at each
end, while in the center IS space for
freight. There are several other views
which will be submitted. none of which re-
hect credit on the rolling stock Of the
company One of them is a view of the
delapidated depot at Montgomery.
Speaking of the Montgomery line yes-
terday a director of the railroad said he
realized that the service is not what n
should be- IL is the intention of the com
pany to gradually improve it, he said. but
the travel as not sufficient to justify the
| expenditure of any large sum for this pur
pose.
The carrying of white and colored pas
sengers in car the size of those in use
on this line, he said, is more than the
people should be expected to tolerate, to
say nothing of the freight at times piled
INTO them. lie admitted an Improvement
was needed, and did not think there was
any doubt that it will come sooner or
later. What the people will ask the Rail
road Commission to order is separate ac-
commodations for white and colored mas
sengers, separate cars for freight. and an
Improvement in the motive power