The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-21
OFF FOR RESORTS
HUNDREDS LEFT SAVANNAH ON
EXCURSION TRIPS.
BY RAIL AND BY WATER.
PASSENGERS GONE FOR REST AND
FOR RECREATION.

Low Rates Mnde by All the Trans
pOrtatiOn L1nes-HOw the Mer-
chants and Miners Steamship Line
Jumped in and CorralIed the Bus
mess by Naming Rates AstOnish-
ingIy LOw-Stenmships Got Crowds.
Morning News Special Left Last
Night With 40 Passengers for Old
Point, Norfolk, Ocean view and
Virginia Neutrality-suspicious. Also
Run by other Lines-Southern Took
Many to the Mountains.
Savannah has seldom seen such ac-
tivity among the transportation lines
in excursions as has been shown with
in the last two days. Every rail line
entering the city and one of the steam
ship lines put on extremely low rates,
and each got some of the business.
The Merchants and Miners Trans
portation Company is a sort of free
lance among the transportation lines.
1t cuts in when it lists, doing as it
pleases about fixing rates. The Off
Gals of other lines, rail and water,
fume and fret, but they can't help II.
The rates the Merchants and Miners
names prevail, and the others are left
to make the best they can of the sit
uation.
Some weeks ago all of the general
passenger agents of the Southeastern
Passenger Association got together
and fixed up a schedule of rates. They
agreed upon rates that were a distinct
concession to the public, but which yet
left the lines offering them a chance
to make something. There was every
prospect for a good business, and gen.
eral passenger agents were regarding
it with satisfaction.
The NJ. d NJ. Took a Hand.
Then the Merchants and Miners
Transportation Company took hand.
The Seaboard Air Line, the Southern
Railway and the Atlantic Coast Line
had all offered rates of $40 for the
round trip to Old Point Comfort, Va,
and return. Through the efforts of the
Morning News a concession was Sc
cured that was never before granted.
The Morning News was offered the
privilege of running an excursion
special by the Seaboard, and it ac-
cepted with the understanding that not
a ten-day limit, but one of fifteen days,
should prevail Heretofore, the limit
has been ten days.
The several lines began advertising
the cheap trip, and there were many
inquiries, indicating that there would
be well-filled trains. Then came the an
nouncement of the Merchants and
Miners Transportation Company that
1t would sail a steamer from SaVan-
nah for Baltimore on Aug. 10. with $40
as the round trip rate, and three weeks
as the limit; and that on Aug - it
would sail a steamer from Savannah
to Philadelphia with the rate Of S14
for the round trip. At once there was
a great revolution, and people f1ocked
from railroad offices to those OF The
Merchants and Miners Company.
A Hotel Rate.
The steamship line offered a s2-a-lay
hotel rate. That is about what 1t Zig
ures out. With meals and berths rep
resented at so cents each, the cost OF
the trip would be just about taken Np,
so that the transportation would ~be
gratis.
ed for Baltimore, with 1877 passengers
aboard. Yesterday the Allegheny sail
ed for Philadelphia with 70 passengers.
Yesterday afternoon the Atlantic
Coast Line sent off two special sleep
ers, a coach and a dining car for Old
Point. For this trip fifteen tickets
from Savannah were sold, the rest of
the passengers being secured from
along the line of the road to the south
and west. The Southern Railway sold
ten tickets to Old Point from Savannah,
but its mountain excursion business
was heavy. BY the day train there
were 10 passengers, and last night
there were thirty more.
The Morning News Special.
The Morning News Special for Old
Point, Ocean View, Virginia Beach and
| Norfolk left last night at Has o'clock.
1t consisted of four sleepers, two
coaches and baggage car. There
| were ITO passengers aboard, the ma
! jority of whom were from Savannah
| Others were from Brunswick, whence
one of the special sleepers came, and
| from points westward on the Seaboard
Air Line and from along the Central
| Railway. Assistant General Passen-
! ger Agent C. B. Walworth of the
| Seaboard was in personal charge of the
| excursion, which was also accompa-
MED by representative of the Morning
| News.