The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-05
500 HAS NEW PLAN
FOR HANDLING
IMMIGRANTS
Settlers Specials" Composed
Of Stock Cars and Disman-
tied Tourists Will Be Run
Limited to North Dakota
and Canada Homeseekers'
Rates Announced.

The 500 Line has taken the initia-
tive in announcing that it will during
the coming summer give round trip
homeSeekerS excursion rates. The
tariff covering the rates was issued
yesterday and provides for rate of
one fare plus 81 the excursions to be
given beginning March and every
second Tuesday thereafter till Novem-
ber
The Western Passenger association
lines have agreed to give excursions
on the same dates to the same terri
tory from Chicago, Kansas City and
intermediate points, using the one fare
round-trip rate as basis.
The Great Northern and Northern
Pacific have not yet announced what
action they will take in the matter of
homeseekers' excursions during the
coming summer, and it is not known
definitely whether either road will give
the excursions. Indeed it is question
able, from the expressions of the of
ficials of the company, whether any
roundtrip hOmeseekers' rates will be
put in.
That the two north Pacific roads
will put in low one way rates when
the landseekers' rates, which go into
effect Feb. Is, expire April 80, is pos
sible. The officials say that it is doubt
full whether the homeSeekerS' eXcur-
siOns on the basis used last summer
are profitable. They realize that it is
necessary to sell the round-trip tickets
to all who desire them, and that they
cannot discriminate between prospec-
tive settlers and persons merely TAX
ing trips. In other words, an open rate
must be established which has an eff
feet on the regular passenger business
of the company.
The 500 is, in addition to the land
seekers rates, which go in Feb. Is and
continue till April 80, and the home
seekers rates, which become effective
March 3, to give a series of settlers
excursions in March and April to
points in North and South Dakota at
a $6 rate.
The 500 has devised an innovation
in the handling of immigrant traffic
and will each Tuesday during March
and April run a series of Settlers
specials" leaving the Minnesota Trans
fer at O'Clock and running limited to
points in North Dakota and Canada
These trains will be composed of
freight cars, stock cars and dismantled
tourist cars, and will be provided with
out extra charge. The dismantled
tourist cars will be given the immi-
grants without bedding and without
reservation, the purpose being to al
low the immigrants the privilege of
without the charges required for reg
ular tourist cars. Arrangements will
be made beforehand to have enough of
these dismantled tourists on each spe-
cial to accommodate comfortably the
immigrants who will travel.
Another feature of these Settlers
specials" will be the attachment OF
stock cars to the train so that the
farmers who are to locate in a new
country may take right with them
their stock and household effects, do
Ing away with the delay in transporta-
ton ordinarily incurred on the regular
freight service. The trains will be, In
effect, freight and stock trains with
dismantled tourist cars attached.
Each settlers special will be ac-
companied by an agent who will look
after the passengers and their effects
Arrangements will be made for pro-
ylding water and feeding stations fol
stock. Each settler will be allowed
to take animals, household effects
farm implements, lumber not to ex-
coed $500 feet in all, seed grain, poultry
and sufficient food to feed stock.