Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-14
.OLDDEPOT TROUBLES
BRING ON SUFFERING
LADIES AND cHILREN WADE MUD
AND GREASE WHILE ESCORTS
ARE BARRED.

Atlanta is again the subject of unfa-
vorable criticism at the hands of the
thousands of visitors who are daily COM
ing to the city. and again, as usual, the
miserable conditions at the union passen-
ger station are the cause. The first ex-
perience of the visitor to Atlanta is that
resulting from the incommodious and
ridiculous old shed that is called a depot,
and the last thing that occurs to the wish
tor before he leaves Atlanta is the worry
and trouble resulting from the inconven-
fences of the rattletrap.
1t is safe to say that nothing the wish
tor sees in Atlanta, nothing that is said
or done in his presence, leaves so bad an
impression Of this city and all its people
as the union passenger station.
For long time the condition of the
union depot and the manner in which IL
was handled caused complaint from all
sections from all who had occasion to en-
ter the place. Then the complaints became
so frequent that the matter became hu-
NOR. and more humor was extracted from
the depot situation at the expense of At
lanta. Now, however, that humor no
longer exists. 1t is serious matter, and
unless the railroads take some Kind Of ac-
ton the situation win become still more
serious.
The appearance of the depot, its foul
odors. the countless germs that it harbors
and the diseases that it spreads are bad
enough. but not so bad as the inconven-
fence that is being caused the travelling
public, the dangers to which they are ex-
posed. the manner in which they are
treated and the total disregard of their
comfort.
So crowded is the depot that many Of
the trains are unable to enter II, and con-
sequently the passengers are dumped out,
no matter what the weather is. where
there is no shelter, to make their way
as best they can to the waiting room. II
they escape being run down by the shout
ing truckmen with mail sacks and trunks.
These trains use the tracks that are
Immediately south of the depot. There
is no shelter of any kind and none is at
tempted. If il chances to be cold and
raining, or sleeting. the passenger is
forced to get out as best he can. He is
not even allowed the privilege Of walt
ing inside the car until the weather i'm
proves, because the train that he has
come on must hurry out of the way TO
make room for another
Omcials at the station declare that there
are fifteen or twenty trains every day
that stop outside of the depot. and as
many start from the same tracks. No list
can be obtained of these trains. as they
are different, say the officials, almost ev-
cry day. The trains are allowed to enter
and leave the city inside the depot If 1t
is possible but when the depot becomes
crowded the trains are switched to the
outside.
At night the depot is not so crowded.
and practically the same TT ms use the
outside tracks every night. they are the
Seaboard, which arrives at o'clock at
night; the West Point from Montgomery,
which arrives at 1880 o'clock at night; the
West Point from College Park. which ar
rives at o'clock at night; the Southern
from Birmingham, which arrives at 1918
- - III bo T0ofrf from Cal
lege Park which arrives at 1875 at night;
the West Point from College Park, which
arrives at midnight: the Southern for
Jacksonville, which leaves at $50 o'clock
in the morning and the Georgia Pacific
division of the Southern, which leaves at
6 o'clock in the morning.
Another cause for complaint is the fact
that trains stop in the block beyond the
depot, across Lloyd street. It is usually
the Pullman cars that are stopped there.
In the case of at least two trains this is
necessitated by the fact that the depot is
so small that when the engines are at
the Pryor street crossing the Pullman
cars are beyond Lloyd street. This is nee
essary because of the fact that IL the
Pullmans were placed inside the depot
the transferring of mails from one train
to another could only be accomplished by
carrying the mail sacks an entire block.
The trains that stop in this section Of
the city are the Southern from Washing
ton at $40 o'clock in the morning; the
Southern from Washington at 1856 o'clock
in the afternoon, and the Georgia road
accommodation, which reaches here in
the afternoon.
Ladies' and children who come to the
city without escorts are prevented from
seeing relatives or friends until they pass
through the gates that shut the trains
in the depot Gentlemen of Atlanta who
Hafr Ia fxyoo mr. for0od
to wait either in the crowded and foul
smelling waiting room or in the equally
as crowded, equally as foul smelling and
cold passageway Immediately in front OF
the gates
OF late there have been several cases
in which prominent gentlemen Of Atlanta
have been kept from meeting relatives
who have been passengers on trains COM
ing into Atlanta. Because of foolish
rule for the government of the state de-
pot women and children are compelled to
alight from the trains and hurry as best
they can through the crowds, the shouting
truckmen and = the moving trains to the
waiting room.
The rule which covers this phase of
the situation at the depot is as follows:
mo one will be allowed TO pass through
the gates while the trains are in the
station unless provided with a ticket or
pass, except on discretion Of the station
master"
This means that IL the station master
cannot be found the person who is not
provided with a ticket or pass, but who
has business in the station. will not be
allowed to enter the gates. Sometimes
there are at the gates men who know
nothing except that the station master
is the only man who can give permission
to pass through the gates When such
man is at the gates there is nothing to
do except to see the station master and
argue II out with him.
IL Ne Is himself inside the station there
is nothing to do except wait on the out