The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-08-07
THE EXCURSION.
One who Went Tells Something AbOut
the Trip to Atlanta.

ILL LAW LsNAS+st
One who Went Tells Something About
the Trip TO Atlanta.
Jthought I would write something about
the trip took to Atlanta the other day.
I am very fond Of travelling, and also very
fond OF children, but not fond OF children
like the people thought Mr.: 81 Smiths sa @ bull dog @
story, but still IL will bear repeating. Mr..
smith had for sale large, fierce bull dog. SO
he put this ad. in the paper: '"For sale-A
necsietlv fond Of fchildren." Mr.. Smith is won.
derlpg to this day why some loving mother or
atfectlonate father did not come and purchase
his dog for family pet. If he had but exam
the WORDING be Sod tbs
reason why. Don't you? But have gotten
off from the subject.
started out TO write about the excursion
to Atlanta AS said, l am very fond OF trav-
cling. But dn account OF the station police
and other employees OF the railroad keeping
such q close watch over the trains these days
1t IL almost impossible to beat. excepting
under many difficulties; and on account OF the
extreme depletion ofmy finances 1t Is impossi-
BILE TO find the wherewithal To pay the three
cents mile. So, under these circumstances.
II allow myself to indulge In the pleasure OF
travelling at all, II must be on the Sl.2o round
trip excursion. -
The excursion train was due to arrive here
two o'clock in the afternoon. having started
from Monroe at eight in the morning. Long
Before two there was a mo tley crowd OF about
five hundred negroes and hundf ed and fifty
whites gathered about the s. A. l.. depot,
baSkIng themselves In the rays OF the July
sun. with the mercury dancing around at 9S'
went, but no excursion train; but Instead
two coaches were backed down by switch.
engine from the shops. one tor the whites and
one for the negroes. In au ipcredioly short
time, about a hundred whites had crowded
Into one of the coaches and about a hundred
and forty negroes in the other. AS coach
will com fotably seat only about sixty people
1t can be easily seen that both we're somewhat
crowded Time grew apace, with the occu.
pants OF the coaches patiently waiting, and
also protuSely neutrality-suspicious. the
latter. But all things come TO those who
wait.
About $50 the engine hove In sight. puffing
and blowing as 1t pulled the "skussion" train
OF eleven we'll filled coaches up the grade
from down towards McMillan's brickyard:
We were soon coupled on to the front end OF
the white coaches and the rear end OF the ne
gro coaches, and the train without any fur
Their delay pulled out for Atlanta, and the
shouts and hurrahs Of the four hundred "cul-
led" populace what would have liked to have
gone but could not because OF the lack OF Sl.25
and also because OF no friends or kindred TO
stop "wid in 'Lanta." We went on our way
rejoicing till we reached the shops, when the
train sidetracked for an hour and half
principally to give the passengers q rest and
TO allow them to get good view of the beau.
tiful scenery surrounding the shops, but also
incidentally TO let the 4.38 vestibule pass
Man has made a rapid advancement In scien.
tific inventions during the past century, but
have not yet found a way for two passenger
trains to pass each other on the same track
Another coach was coupled on to the rear
end for the benefit of the whites, and at five
o'clock we pulled out "happy on the way
A few got on at Watts and quite number
at Calhoun Falls; after which stop engineer
steady run to Elberton, from there to Athens
and then on TO Winder, which place We
reached about sundown. A stop was made
there Of about q half hour to let the passen
stretch ssT sT Iena eES and Ee Ss dTnk s
on the train. think the passengers had
drunk the tanks in the coaches dry bv time
the train had gotten across the Savannah
river.
After the passengers had gotten their goo
zels wet at the spring, and the soda fountain
and some of them elsewhere. the train pulled
out at q little after eight for a steady run u
Atlanta. We went on without any specia
mishap and rolled into the magnificent {?
un ion station Of the Gate City at ten o'clock
In few moments all the fourteen coaches
were emptied OF about $50 negroes and 35t
whites, and all scattered over the city ir
lodging houses and hotels, and In the hospit
able homes OF their friends, relatives and ac
quaintances. The next morning these 9O(
South Carolina eXcursionists we're but 8
drop In the bucket among Atlenta's l25 00
Inhabitants, but still, as you walked abou
The streets, or loitered in the hotel lobbies
you would meet up with familiar face now
and then.
"Great is Atlanta" that is, when you com
pare her with other cities OF this section o
the United States, such as Mobile, Montgom
cry. Chattanooga, Jacksonville, Savannah
Augusta, Charleston, Columbia, Charlotte
etc., and she will even stand good showinl
In "get up and'git" with Memphis, Nashville
z 81 nd Nt,fo
But she certainly makes g. terrible brst
through her newspapers. That Whitehall
Street viaduct that IL now being built, for In
stance. The papers GLOW over 1t like 1t wa,
the only viaduct In the city. 1t is not I'm
ished yet, but to me 1t did not look as II Il
would be any different when completed thar
the Broad, Forsyth, or West Mitchell stree
visducts. If Atlanta had viaduct like
Cleveland, Ohio, nearly mile long and near
ly 800 feet high in the centre, she would swell
UP ABOUT 1t Till she would nearly bust Tht
writer has either lived in or visited nearly
every city Of any size in the United States
and he can truthfully say that Atlanta Ia 6
pretty, attractive, hustling little city, and Alb
oeville citizens might TO advantage take
some profitable lessons from It's progressive
go.ahead people. II is equally true of cities
as of individuals, that If you don't blow your
own horn, no one else will blow IT for you.
think all who went on the excursion bad
q good time, especially those from Abbeville
The writer did. The only thing to mar the
3
and the sudden and violent down-pour OF raiI
in the afternoon, accompanied by many
flashes Of lightning and peals OF thunder
The suddenness OF the rain caught many D
the excursionists out at the parks and various
suburban resorts and gave them good
drenching.
The train was to have left the Union sta
tion, returning, at 9.l5 p. M, but did not ge
away with its load of tired and wornout hu
man freight till 9.45 p. m. The trip back wal
made without any special incident, arrivinl
in Abbeville at Is q. M, where the Abbevillt
crowd got of, tired and sleepy. all glad thai
they went and all glad to get back again
Truly, there is no place like home.
Though such large number OF negroes or
the excursion, everything went through
without any trouble or disturbance OF any
kind, and the managers fulfilled their prom
ise In giving every body q seat.
The crops to be seen from the car Window
on the =. A. L. between here and Winder, Ga.
are very fine, especially after you CROSS the
Savannah river.
know all will agree with me that there Ii
not better city TO go to on an excursion
than Atlanta, and there is not better roac
to 60 on than the 8. A. l.. w. H. NJ.
Abbeville, S. c., Aug. 8, 1901.
n mT1N