The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-31
RAILROAD NEWS.
Are Mexican Tours Losing in
Popularity2
Claimed That Patronage Is
Rapidly Falling OFF.
SANTA FE DENIES 1T.
Admitted That More Private
Cars Are Being Used.
Tours of 1902 will Soon Pass
Through Topeka.

Tt is claimed by railway officials in
Mexico and at FL Paso that the Mexi-
can tours which are conducted by var
ious agencies, are being less patronized
year by year, and that the present sea-
son may be the last for several of these
important excursions.
This claim is vigorously denied by the
Santa F'e passenger officials located in
Topeka The Santa Fe takes care of
several of these excursions from the
east, and does much to advertise them.
1t is too early now to say what the
patronage of these excursions will be
this year., said one Santa Fe passen-
ger official yesterday, but we have
reason to believe that it will be as
heavy as last. Last year the excursions
We're well patronized. The managers
of the excursion do not attempt to I'LL
up the upper berthS in the cars. Their
effort is to give the people en- the trains
the very best of everything.
1t is true that there are more private
car parties going to Mexico now than
in the past. We frequently sell Is tick
cts to one party, and give them a pri-
vate car. But there is not any falling
off in the patronage Of the regular
Mexican tours
According to the Mexican Herald,
experience shows that year by year
the big excursion parties are becoming
less and less patroniZed, as the average
sightseeing individual would rather
- N7--~-~-~
of particular friends These people dc
not travel in special trains and their
coming is not heralded throughout the
land, but as a rule they stay longer
and take their own time at seeing what
is to be seem
And that is very true says an Ell
Paso passenger official 1T is shown
especially at this point by the growth
of the tourist sleeper business. The big
excursions go right through, and our
only benefit is the good impression the
town produces after a weary two weeks
in Mexico or a tiresome trip across the
desert AS Mexico arranges better ac-
commodations for travellers the special
excursion trains fall away in pOpulari-
ty, and the individual traveller finds it
convenient to travel as his fancy die
tateS.'
W. r. Pagan, of the Southern Pacific
passenger department says:
Our tourist car traffic is increasing.
The gain over last year is great, and
the number stopping Off at FL Paso is
increasing in still greater ratio. We now
have two tourist cars here from Gin
Washington Friday, Sunday and Tues
day, from Chicago Thursday and Sat
urday, and from Minneapolis on Fri
days The t. & p. turns over to US two
cars from the Rock Island and the Iron
Mountain The Ell Paso travel on all
these cars is heavy
There are a. dozen different tours
managed by excursion companies, which
offer various kinds of tours of Mexico
at from $500 to $500 per tourist. These
rates include railway fare, meals, lodg-
ing and everything complete.
Several years ago when the accommo-
dations of Mexico were of the most
primitive kind. it was a great conven-
fence to a tourist to have the RESPONSE
bility of securing accommodations at
each stopping place taken from his
mind. Now, however, it is not difficult
to be well provided for almost any
where in Mexico, and many independ-
ent tourists, or parties of two or three,
are taking advantage of this condition
to visit the old republic of Diaz-
The first of the special trains bearing
tourist parties will pass through To-
peka on February Z. Others will follow
of February 20. February 81, and March
81