The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-09-07
FREE PASSES ON
THE RAARoADS.
Hest Railroads Have Complied With
Rate Law Thda Passed Daring
Last SsSsien Of Congress.
Railroads Pest Notices.

Railroads Pest Notices.
"For it's forty miles from Schenectady
to Troy,
You want to keep tab on that, my boy;
And when you get TO Troy it's a dsTned
long walk
To the gay RialtO in New York"
The half forgotten chorus of "Put
Me OF at Buffalo" came back Monday
TO many man who had planned rail-
way journey to seashore and mountains.
Many weary worker who had post
poned his vacation trip to the tail of
the season learned with horror that if
he must ride he must pay.
For there are no more passes. The
edict has gone forth. The blow fell on
Monday, and after midnight the mile
age book will be no more than an ex-
exhausted meal ticket. The annual card
will be even as a greasy deuce in dirty
deck.
Congress did it. The interstate COM
meIce act, known Familiarity as the rate
bill, filled the newspapers for weeks,
but the public needed not, or, needing,
failed to realize its awful possibilities
While rejoicing in the confusion of the
railroads, shorn of their rebates and
held up to scorn, the army of deadheads
forgot their own impending disaster.
For the rate bill cut off all passes be-
tween states and armed the passenger
agent with a new excuse for refusing
the little bit of blue paper.
Most Of the roads are complying with
this provision, while some claim that it
is not operative until the LIST of jan
uary.
PAY, PAY, PAY"
It's all off. The Woodworking law
maker may ride IL he will between the
confines Of his constituency and the city
Of the State house, but If his soul yearns |
for journey TO Wrightsville Beach or
to gay New York, he must dig deep into |
his jeans or content his soulwith yearn-
ing. The heavy shipper, in whose pocket
has reposed the annual over many roads, |
must HE him to the ticket seller and |
deliver up his purse. The ward heller |
and the councilman, even while remem-
bering franchises given without price to |
this octopus or that, must stay at home |
to gaze upon the destruction he has |
wrought or seek out the little ticket
window and pay, pay, pay.
The newspaper mani All, there was
the most unkindest cut of all Many a
pusher of the pen retired to his sane
tum Monday, and taking out his we'll
worn annual pass gazed fondly and re-
gretfully as upon the cold corpse of a
departed friend. MANY a reporter who
had nursed the hope of q vacation well
earned, journey TO some well-stocke ed
stream away from births and deaths
and all that makes the deadly dull rou-
tine went hopefully TO the boss, to learn
that even hustlers on the street were
not beneath the notice of the great.
Whether to ride and leave no cash for
IOod, or stay at home with cash but no
7acatiOn-thAt Is the question which
must be confronted.
The edIct reaches further. The adj
vance agent of the show, bediamonded,
Vordy, promising much splendor, must
)ay his coin for fare like the lowliest
,horus girl. The clerks in railroad of
ices, whose weekly trips 70 springs
md sister cities have made them the
,nvy of their fellows, must spend their
sundays where the soda splinters in the
!, lass or HE them 20 the zOof tor enter.
ainment. The mandate of the law
makers in Congress assembled has for
,otten no one. Only the officials of
common carriers may journey from
state to State and heed not the voice
II the conductor crying Tickets
RAILROADS POST NOTICES.
Those in Atlanta, says the Georgian
4 that city, who had forgotten were
eminded forcibly on Monday. On the
walls and pillars at the railway stations
we're posted notices warning passengers
o present no interstate mileage books
Tor passes after midnight or in the days
o follow Accompanying the warning
vas the reminder that such q crime was !
by fine, and both the railroad
nd the passenger were liable. Con-
uctors were ordered TO take up such
and collect full fare.
Even tickets in exchange for adver- I
lslng are abolished Monday morning
he business managers in many cities
eceived circulars from the various
Dads, ordering all contracts cancelled ,
nd warning the papers TO use no mileage :
r other transportation after midnight.
was stated that new advertising con- J
racts would be arranged in a short !
ime
There is but one ray Of light in the !
loomy horizon for the pass user. The :
lterstate law takes no cognizance Of a
rip within the boundaries of State !
nd the roads are free TO use their own !
secretion in such matters. Whether !
he roads will evade the spirit Of the
ct by issuing passes 10 the State line
nd from State line 10 Other Doinfs I