Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-07-30
A SPECIAL TRAIN.

adopted. The movement was started
by committee of young men who
the following petition;
1--WE, the undersigned business men
of the city of Mineral Point, hereby
agree to keep our business houses
closed on Thusrday, July 30, 1908,
provided special train can be pro-
cured for the purpose of an excursion
to the city of Madison"
The petition was soon signed by
representatives of nearly all the busi-
ness houses in the city, and the COM
mittee went to the depot and inquired
as to the terms upon which a special
train could be secured; and MIR. Snow
entered into correspondence with the
general passenger agent, and learned
that a guarantee of $500 would be
required to secure special train.
This requirement surprised the COM
mittee and they consulted with other
siguers Of the petition, and a meeting
of such signers was called for Thurs
day evening at city hall. The meeting
was called to order Thursday evening
and the matter was talked over; but it
was deemed advisable to adjourn un-
til Friday evening before taking any
action in the matter. On Friday eve-
ming there was further discussion, -
by E. G.. Fielder and John Dave on
behalf OF the business men, and by
MIR. Snow on behalf of the railway
company. Mr.. Snow stated that he
thought mistake had been made in
figuring the number of miles which
the train would have to run idle and
that the price should be somewhat
lower, but contended that a guarantee
was absolutely necessary The fol-
lowing resolutions were adopted
"That the offer of the railway com
pany to furnish a special train for
$500 be refused
"That Mr.. Mosely, secretary of the
Monona Lake Assembly, be informed
that the failure of the proposed ex-
cursion is due to the fact that a
special train could not be secured at
reasonable price,
"That as citizens of Mineral Point
in mass meeting assembled, we declare
IL to be our purpose to use our best
efforts to induce railway companies
other than the c., M. & ST. p to
build their lines into our city,"
THE TRIBUNE'S S REPORT.
The fever for IA days outing struck
our business men with full force one
day last week, which resulted in .
majority of them signing an agree
mant to close their places of business
on Thursday, July 30, and join in an
excursion to Monona Lake that day,
providing the G. M. d st. Paul rail
way company could furnish a train
on acceptable terms. The reply to
the application for terms was $3.50
per ticket with guarantee of $500
to the company This proved "A
handicapper, creating disappoint-
ment and arousing considerable agi-
tation. 1t loomed up as eXorbi-
tant in view of the fact that here
tOfOre trains have been furnished
Sunday schools for an excursion
from here to Madison for much less.
The reasons given by th" railroad
company for naming such a high
figure were: dead mileage. and the
scarcity of coaches and other equip
ments for such train at this partic-
ular time.
1t is the prevailing custom of the
present age for the people in general
to be antagonistic toward railroads
and other corporations. Hence, con
sidering this fact and the conditions
cited, would IL not have been the
better policy for the railroad COM
pany to have informed our people
that it was next to an impossibility
to furnish train, at the time speci-
fed, on such terms as would be reas-
enable for all concerned, than by
placing the price out Of reach, and
thus soaring them off, as has been
the result, and which some are in.
clined to think was the intent?
At meeting Of citizens held Fri
day evening to discuss the matter,
resolution declining the offer and
expressive of a willingness to en-
courage some other railway com
pany to construct "A line to this city
was passed. Mr.. Snow, the local
agent, attended the meeting, and
while he showed up with reasonable
clearness that the st. Paul company
did the fair thing with Mineral Point
on the whole, Notwithstanding there
was no competition, he was free to
admit that $500 was pretty high, and
regarded it as the result Of an over
sight somewhere. This he proved
by correspondence with head off.
cials, who on Monday informed Mr..
Snow that a mistake was made in
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