The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-05
Chattanooga Excursion
 Was Popular Lasf Week
By CHARLES FELL.

On the banks of the broad and peace ful Tennessee river, some 40 miles dis tant from a certain desert town known as Birmingham, there is an oasis lux uriant and well-wet place called Chatta- nooga Once upon a time, early in the week of June 2S, 1908, there was a vast pilgrimage to that Tennessee Mecca of Ye Thirsty. And did that vast number of pilgrims journey to the life-saying sta tion in vain? Nay, nay.
 That excursion to Chattanooga last Monday was no pink tea affair by any means. Neither did near beer or ''close beer" figure, but it was regular circus with substitute for the pink lemonade that proved to the pilgrims a very ac- ceptable one The 'deluged city re- ceived the crowd with open arms and truly showed the visitors good tlme such at least, is the indication from all accounts
 The road between Gate City and Iron dale presented a truly funny sight on the afternoon the train departed. city ordinance passed some time ago proh'D"s inc running of excursions out or 6lr1hlns- ham and consequently the train bound for Chattanooga roled on through the Magic City and made it's stop at iron dale. And there were 900 persons "lo tramned through the broiling hot midday e,,n from the end of the Gate city ''r ,;,o three-ouarters of a mile doWr the rat,road track to Irondale whese they waited nearly two hours oyerlme ~ 'iie foot of the coal chute fcs the tram VI oars which was to beel them 10 anolnei state. - .. inn ct,v of Irondale handled the l1n- .,.o oroua most admirably but for one .n,no a fact which is probably pnprece- aanted The crowd at the railroad statioh had money for more than the rallrodu had to sell. The ticket agent raked in tho money until he sold out of tickets and then slammed down his window ana an nounced shop closed. It IS uhoerstoou that he sold 700 tickets and turned away 200 persons.
 res+,ess crowd was there at lrondaie' Atleast the conversation which was heard would indicate as much:
 "John. where you going?
 ooh Pm just going up the road piece Ols III JNSN 6~o
 Where you going?'
 ..,,1.,, ,f that alarmed train ever gets here Pm going to Chattanooga, ana "hel get there I'm going down to the brew erv iump into vat and kick my Way out"
 And so those poor famished souls Wal'' ed until the train was due and then Wel' informed that she was two hours late'
 These two hours late afterWard caused .,,,o, anxietv. But after the much de s,rad train rounded the curve ana th' crowd boarded it, everything was al right for the time being Along the roAe the train picked up several hundred peo' ple at three or four prominent stations The train was repeatedly delayed, ahe it was getting pretty late by the time th' half-way mark between Birmingham ant Chattanooga was reached.
 s.Roys. they tell me the soft drinl nraces close at 10 o'clock up wonder wonder if we're go'ner get there in time,' said one fellow.
 ,.I don't know. Let me see if can put a bug in the engineers ear?"
 And so they worried about reaching Chattanooga after 10 o'clock until the! began to run up along the side of tn i7sk6nessee and around Lookout .mountain ylst where the railroad runs along righ akainst bluff on one side and the rive osHthe other there was presented yer, 6S6tty and unusual sight. Some distanc a6kad of the train there could be seel hdhdreds and hundreds of lightning bugs which struck fire every now and then