The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-07

~ INC bearer. ana L
Hoped Though valnly) that il would
PC trodden to tatters, us all such claimn
deserve.
JOHN w. Q. DAVIS.
Tho Vest Point Excursion.
Editor Of Tho Times ispatch.
Slr-Referrlng to your leader OF to.
day, giving Captain Westbury's ex-
plana1on bf tho treatment by tho
southern Railway Company OF the ex-
cursionists to Beach Park on the
Fourth do not consider 1t satisfao-
10y. .ory, ana desire to give q statement OF
what saw. and did not go to Beach
Park. but went to Sweet Hall. ar
rived at the Southern depot that morn
me Mt twenty-five minutes past g. The
train WAS announced to leave at half
past. There was long line of people
purchasing tickets. After purchasing.
went out on the platform. On one
| OF the other tracks there we're nine
coaches without any engine. completes
" iilled. i boarded tho train and COM
menced to walk through to SEQ If n
seat could be obtained. While passing
from one coach to another observed
that the tratnmen were opening up
three coaches on another track on the
other side OF the PLATFORM imme-
diately went over there and got a seat.
Ihere we sat until the accommodation
from Chase City came mat about
ten minutes to 8. The shifting engine
then.c came ana took the three coaches
and backed down on tho rear OF the
accommodation, and took two coaches
| It took the fivo coachoa and pulled out.
and tho engine came and tool, us down
the West Point track as far as Shockoo
Creek, where we waited until the nine
coached which were ,irst pulled up
were brought by the shifting engine
ana attached to us. During this time
they continued to sell tickets, as r
noticed ne ladies' and children come from
the depot and got on tho five cars.
| We finally started at ten minutes past
9-forty minutes after tho time ad-
I verrtsed The train was 60 heavy
that the engine had great difficulty
IN starting. At Sweet Hall. where I
got off, the storekeeper asked the
brakeman IL there was q second sec
tlon coming, and I heard him reply
No; but we are going back directly
4 we get down to West Point In order
to bring down the afternoon crowd.
/ In the afternoon at Sweet Hall my
| fricnds listened for the train to 20 by.
/ and IT did not pass Sweet Hail until
twenty minutes to Z. The Southern
Railway Company advertised two
trains to return--the FIRST at and
tho second at 10. They had no train
there at 7, ns the train only arrived
there at Z, and It did not leave until
q rev minutes 10 s. reaching Sweet
Hall about quarter past 8, where /
boarded II 1t was the same heavy
train. which the engine could only
i start after several Efforts ana we did
not arrive at Fourteenth Street un,;I
i a quarter past 40. I heard, !mme-
i dlately got on the train at Sweet
1 Kali, remarks that It would be very
4 late before those that were at Beach
Park could get home. as the train had
4 to go back for then.''
i Now, the Southern Railway had no
4 business to carry q crowd down that
Il they could not carry back. Two years
A ago went down to Sweet Hall on tho
4 Fourth. and my experience then was
exactly the same az this year After
4 got on the train in the morning
made q remark to a gentleman In front
Eof me about the delay in starting, and
his reply was: I'VE shall not start so
long as they can sell another ticket
4 Now, there is another matter l desire
to call attention to. With train OF
fourteen coaches. there was only u
/. conductor and one brakeman on the
Il train to! control the crowd--perfectly
Observation-Disclosures Mr.. Westbury.
4 claims three train crews. and it is
:. getting to be q general complaint about
, tlre Twilight excursion. An acquaint-.
!, ance OF mine invited Northern lady
!, to go to Beach Park on the Twilight
within the past two weeks, and said
that on the return there was a crowd
, of young toughs drunk and making
{ a disturbance all the way back, and
], the train crew. consisting OF tha con-
& ductor and brakeman. could do moth
ling with them. Ny friend said he
, would never invite g lady to 30 there
!, again. rs 1t was not fit to take a lady
: lon that train to render subject to
/ insult.
Mr.. Westbury excuses on account OF
the expedition, but the Southern here
is not affected by that travel. and also
!, Is running excursions to Beach Park
! every day and also on tho Fourth.
/ They should have limited the tickets
= IL they did not have accommodation,
t land more particularly they should have
,, stopped selling, TICKETS when the adj
: vertiscd time for leaving came. SO es
!. to allow the train TO leave and not
{ continue selling. OBSERVER.
Richmond. Va