Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-18
LETTER FROM NIB. C. s. MOVES
DICTATED FROM HIS SICK BED
AT PASADENA, CAL.
He Attributes His Illness to Neglect
of Passengers Comfort by the
Santa Fe Railroad Company.

The following letter. just received in
this city. was dictated last Wednesday.
February ~. by Mr.. Crosby s. Noyes
editor of The Star, from his sick bed at
Pasadena. Cal, in response to inquiries
from the east as to the health of his
party:
Through the injuries to health and
comfort received by our party by the in
competency and gross neglect Of the Santa
Fee railroad on our trip from Chicago to
southern California. commencing January
%, we have all suffered from a collapse
in which I am n victim of an aggravated
case of grip with extreme weakness.
1--WE left Chicago at pm on the Goth.
which. it will be remembered, was some
days before the blizzard swept across the
west, partly closing travel and giving
some excuse for bad service. AS soon as
we pulled out l discovered that there was
no heat in our compartments, while at
the same time the temperature was down
around zero. l Immediately applied to the
conductors. but they failed to take any
notice OF the appeal. and later when
sent my card to the chief conductor. ask
ing him to come and see me and see if
something could not be done, he treated
ence. and the conditions remained the
same clear across the continent. from
Wednesday evening until the following
Saturday. during all of which time the
weather was extremely cold.
Having hitherto considered the Santa
Fe road. besides being the most cOnven-
lent route to the coast. as one that was
well conducted and paid attention to the
health and comfort of its passengers.
was surprised at the attitude of the Off
Gals toward our party.
There was scarcely a vcstige of heat
in our compartments. and as we went on
even this little disappeared altogether.
At the same time it was represented
that the forward part of the car, at
times, was overheated, so that passen-
gers there objected to any further heat.
1t was also represented that the con-
ductors were interested in passengers
in the forward part of the car and gave
them much attention while neglecting us
entirely. 1t was stated that the car
Guiana. in which we were placed. was
old car borrowed from an
other road. and that the Santa Fee had
not given the slightest attention to Its
repair. but had sent it out of Chicago
with <all it's defects. The heating APP
paratus was not only completely out OF
order. but the condition Nof the roof OF
the car was so bad that not only cur
rents of cold air blew through the COM
partments, but the cracks gave free &C,
cess to large quantities of coal dust and
that spread over the heads and
Of the passengers.
I'VE were obliged to wrap ourselves IN
all the bedclothes, blankets. pillows, IN
fact in everything that could be awaited
of to prevent freezing. and were Dund!ed
up all the way. not for hours. but TOT
days. like so many mummies. but all this
did not preserve us from harm, and the
symptoms of grip: 36thma and severe
ranks. When we reached the Raymond
at Pasadena we were in bad shape.
The reason for this inexcusable treat
ment on the part of the railroad can
scarcely be imagined. 1t is not possible
that they want. in their crusade against
the press. to force the members or that
body to cease their criticisms: and again
if what seems more probable they are
seeking to put on a poor face before the
country seeming to have to reduce ex-
penditures by supplying cheap and dan-
gerous transportation. they make announcer
great mistake. In both cases they are at
fault. The press of the country will not
be cowed into any disposition to abandon
its fair and judicial attitude. On the
other hand. the public of the country
will not be imposed upon by any railroad
pretense that earnings compel retrench-
ment in the way of service or In common
civility to passengers =,
At this time after ten days serious Ill
ness we are still in hospital condition.
Mr. A. w. Hodgdon. SO favorably known
and esteemed as the manager OF the Kay
mond here and the Samoset at Rock
land, Me-, has given us unremitting atten-
ton as has all the Raymond corps. BY
the aid of capable doctors and nurses We
hope to pull through all right, although up
to the present there is no marked i'm
in our condition.
CROSBY s MOVES