The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1900-12-07


t)the crowd of idlers who throng
the platform, and interfere with the
coming aud going Of travellers. and
suggests that the municipal authori
ties pass dead line" ordinance,
forbidding the crowd to go closer
than a certain number Of feet to the
train. unless they have purchased
tickets to leave thereon. The sug-
gestiOn is "A good one, IL the gentle
man will only suggest how to induce
the municipal authorities to act.
The HERALD has been after them
to do something ever since they
were elected; but If they have done
anything yet Except to grant the
l.. ~ N. road the right TO blockade
High street) we have not heard Of
1t. Replying to this indictment
Major Geddes says that he "cannot
control the crowd" That Is ridicu-
lous, and Major Geddes knows it,.
How does his company control the
crowds at Nashville?
Another serious complaint against
the Railroad Companies is the back
ing Of the Lewisburg train in the
way Of passengers, compelling them
to wait out in the rain and cold, or
climb over the car steps, ladies as
well as meE. This is an indictable
offense; not only indictable, but
actionable in damages. The reason
it has been allowed so long Is be-
cause the Railroad has no respect
for the convenience and rights of the
public, and no individual citizen has
had time to enforce his rights. But
this citizen, the complainant above
mentioned, says he will "take the
time;' that hi! wife has climbed
over that car the last time; the
next time she will wait upon her
rights and an Indictment and action
for damages will follow. Upon this
point Maj. Geddes suavely remarks
lit is the intention of the Railroad
Company to erect new passenger
depot at Columbia" That is the
same old put off excuse. The L. 6
N. officials have that "intention'
always with them. They not only
use it for matters defensive but
offensive; they have blockadeC
High street for the last year with
that "intention.
But even If that intention is good
and even if necessity compels then
sometime in the future to carry /
into execution, that is no reason TO
the further tolerance of the presen
filthy, cold, inconvenient, climbing
over arrangement they now have.
Mr.. Thos. l.. Williams, Railroad
Commissioner Democrat, recent,
elected) says, 1--WE find that section
1866 to 3068 of Shannon's Code, seen
to have been violated. If you desir
the Railroad Commission to act il
this matter we will take it up at once
Will wait reply to this letter from
you" How puerile his answer
Hasn't the complaint already bee
made? Hasn't the law been vic
lated? What does he want to wal
for? If there ever were three me
who drew salary for doing nothing
the three Railroad Commissioner
of this State are the men. We ar
. in favor of stopping this expense b
' abolishing their offices.
This is the beginning of the figh
: for better depot facilities at Colum
: bia. We shall see what we sha
see. We do not expect any accom-
; mediation from the Railroad the la
y does not compel them to. We d
. not expect any more from the Raj
s. road Com mission than from til
S Railroad Company. But the ma
: whose patience has been exhauste
) and whose ire has been aroused, is
: good fighter, and we have some fat
g and hope that he will kick tt
!. goal"