The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-10
CAR SERVICE WAS BAD
LARGE CROWD LEFT AT PICK
 FITS SPRING.
Line of Traction Company Was Bloc
 kaded at Ball Ground and Three Hundred Passengers Walked a Mile.

Three hundred or more persons whose indigflnation was at the highest pitch re- mained at Picketts Spring until l O cloch yesterday morning and then walked to the ball grounds, nearly one mile distant, tc board the cars of the Montgomery Trac- ton Company. It was after 3 o'clock yes terday morning when the last carload ol passengers reached Montgomery.
 The delay of the cars and the practical embargo on the line of the Traction Com pany was due to the unloading of freight cars carrying the paraphernaiia or Fam Last Days of Pompeii'' at the ball park The railroad cars had been switched on to the tracks of the Traction Company and effectually blockaded the car tracks All street cars were on the Montgomery side of the blockade and the three hun dred or more passengers at the pleasure resort sat shivering in the morning at- mosphere nearly two hours awaiting transportation. At last in their despera- ton the indignant citizens walked from Picket's Spring to the ball park where they boarded the waiting cars.
 The indignation of the passengers was intensified by reason of the fact that there were scores of children at the park who had participated in an entertainment, in the summer theatre. They had been al Picket's Spring since the morning ,oi Monday and most of them were thlniy clad. After sleeping two hours in arms oi their parents while waiting for the cars if was necessary to awaken them and make them walk nearly mile to poaGo the cars.
 Officials of the Traction Company de- clare that they were powerless to over- come the annoying situation as much as it was regretted.
 An amateur minstrel performance al P.ckett's Spring Monday night, in wnlcn about 100 children participated attracteo a large crowd to the pleasure resort Ihe entertainment was over about Il ocioch and a break was made for the elgn' waiting cars. which were quickly nileo Parents of children who took part in the entertainment feeling sure the railway company would provide ample accommo- dation for its patrons, did not hurry from the dressing rooms of the theatre. other visitors to the park went to the pavilion. where an orchestra was playing, ana engaged in dancing. having been inform ed that the eight cars would return to the resort for passengers.
 The cars proceeded to the city, where the messengers were delivered. They be- gan the return trip to Picketts spring but got no further than the ball park The railroad freight cars were on the tracks and blocked the way.
 About 1 80 o'clocf the passengers who had waiting at Pickett Springs reached inc balit grounds. having. walked from the pleasure resort. Then began the tourney to the city. It is said that 1t took each car nearly forty minutes to cover the distance to town. less than three miles, owing to waits on side tracks for outgoing empty cars. At any rate, it was after o'clock when the last car reached the city.
 More than one passenger was compell- ed to walk from Pickett's Spring to Mont gomery, a distance tf four miles.
 The conduct of the management of the Traction Company was simply outra- geous," declared one prominent citizen who has been very friendly towards the c@,mpany. These people have been granted franchises by the city for the ac- commodation of the public Their lack of accommodation Monday night was iit- tie short of criminal. No sort of excuse could be put forward for such gross mistreatment of the people. The officials knew that there was a large crowd of passengers at the park and in the face of this knowledge allowed their tracks to be obstructed, leaving their patrons four miles in the country and In a helpless condition. It is no explanation to say that it was neces-
 
 concern Consideration of the public ought to be paramount with managers of public utilities. Besides this, 1t was plainly evident that the railroad cars could have been moved out of the way. An engine was there, and the General Manager of the Traction Company was there. He seemed to be needless of the annoyance to which patrons of the com pany had been subjected"
 My children" continued this citizen. had been at the park since the morn ing and 1t was a shame to keep the little ones out so late and then require them to tramp mile over a country road. also noticed a number of very old ladies in the crowd that waited and walked. '
 w. H. Ragland. Vice-President of the Traction Company. said he deeply re- gretted the inconvenience to which pat rons of the company had been subjected. He was not actually engaged in manag- ing the operation of the cars. he said, and referred a representative of The Ad- vertiser to Major E. E. Winters, Gen eral Manager of the company.
 "Of course I regret the delay to our cars" said Major Winters and the consequent annoyance to our patrons, but 1t could not be avoided, after we once got the railroad cars on our tracks at the ball grounds. confess to having made a mistake in allowing myself per suaded to put the railroad cars on our tracks before all the passengers had been hauled away from Pickett Springs. The fireworks people were anxious to unload their cars. and we thought 1t was pos sible to shift the cars out of the way. Scaffolding was placed at the sides of the cars for unloading wagons and it was next to impossible to move the cars until the unloading was completed.
 One of the wagons got stuck in the sand and delayed the work of unloading re- mained at the ball grounds until o'clock this morning and did the best could un- der the circumstances. Every five min utes the workmen assured me the unload ing would be finished and minutes grew into hours"
 We gave the people at the park ample notice that there would be a delay" Ma jor Winters continued. although we did not expect a delay of more than thirty minutes. We could have moved all of the