The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1909-06-26
HOW 1T HAPPENED.
u. w. Jordan Tells why Excursion from
Crowley to Donaldsonviile Failed
TO Bring as Many People as
Had Been Expected.

Crowley to DOmaldSomVHlle Faile0
TO Bring as Many People as
Had b cen Expected.
The following correspondence is
self explanatory and will prove OF
much interest to many of our readers:
opelousas. La, June 8, 1903.
Mr.. G. A. Gondran, Donaldsonville. La.
Dear Sir:-Attached find copy of our dodger
for our excursion which we will run from Crow
ley and other o. G.. & N. e. stations Sunday,
june 90
Kindly arrange for baseball game and other
attractions as you promised to do. per our tele
phone conversation of the 9Th inst.
Please advertise this excursion in yenr town
papers so the people can entertain the visitors
with proper refreshments.
There will be 450 to 500 people on this excur-
sion.
With personal regards. am,
Yours truly,
j. W. JORDAN,
G.F.& PA.
Donaldsonville, La. June %, 1903.
Mr.. j. w. Jordan, Opelousas. La.
Dear Sir:-As numerous queries have been ex-
pressed concerning the reason for the failure of
the excursion operated by your road from Crow
ley to Donaldsonviile on Sunday last to bring as
many people to this city as had been advertised,
/ should like to have you state your opinion rel
alive to the matter.
Under date of June you wrote 20 Mr.. G. A.
Gondran, OF this city, that you expected to bring
to DonaldsonviIle 450 or 500 people on this ex-
cursien. understand that Mr.. Gondran spoke
to you over the long-distance telephone about Q
o'clock last Saturday night. and that you reit-
Grated this statement.
On this assurance elaborate preparations were
made here to receive and entertain the excur-
sionists. A brass band was engaged to meet the
train at the depot and escort the visitors to Lou
isiana Square, where facilities for their comfort
and convenience had been provided. A string
band was stationed in Ascension Hall, opposite
the Square to furnish dancing music throughout
the day. On the lower floor of this hall the la
dies of Hubert Treble Chapter. U. D. O., had in
stalled booths and tables and were prepared to
sell refreshments of Ysrious kinds, both solid
and liquid, at very reasonable prices. concert
was given in Louisiana Square by the Donald
sonville Concert Band at 4 O'Clock, and at the
same hour baseball game was pulled of at
Cleveland Park. The hotels and restaurants
had made extra preparations to accommodate
the crowd, and it is certain that not one of the
visitors need have gone hungry unless he cared
to do so.
am sending you under separate cover copies
of The Chief of June IL and 10. containing ar
ticles relative to this excursion and outlining
the preparations made to entertain the visitors.
Now, after all these arrangements had been
made on your assurance that the excursion
would bring 500 people to this city, you can
realize what severe disappointment it was to
our people when the tIain pulled in and bare
score of visitors alghted. say score without
being absolutely positive as to whether this
number is correct, since the estimates of the
size of the crowd run all the way from Is to Is.
At any rate, there was rather big difference
between the advertised figures and the actual
number who came, AID it is to ask you to adj
vance your explanation of the reason for this
difference that 1 am taking the liberty of adj
dressing you.
Donaldsonville regrets exceedingly that she
was deprived OF the opportunity to entertain a
larger crowd Of visitors on this occasion, and
trusts that she may have another chance in the
not too distant future to demonstrate to your
people the cordial character Of her hospitality
and welcome.
With kindest regards. am
Yours very truly.
I'D. BENTLEY.
Opelousas La. June d, 1909
G. D. Bentley, Editor Donaldsonville Chief Don
aldsonville, La.
Dear MIR. Bentley This Acknowledges receipt
of your letter of June 22nd. We were even more
disappointed in the excursion than the people
of Donaldsonyille, as We lost good money on the
deal. We advertised this excursion thoroughly
all along our line, and had the promise of at
least 100 people from Crowley, but only got 80
rs from Rayne and only got 25 so from Church
Point and only got 8; $50 from 0pelousas and
only got 80; 50 from Port Barre and only got 10.
Total on the excursion. 106. And we expected
to get Is more people from smaller stations from
which we did not even get one. The above
figures were conservative estimate after can
vassing the towns on our road of what we ex-
pected to get. We felt of at least $50 people.
The only way can account for the failure of
the excursion to your city: The Frisco people
put on an excursion over the same territory as
ours to Houston and Galveston for So for the
round trip. The Southern Pacific also had one
to Jennings that touched Crowley and Rayne on
our line. These, think, knocked Us out
regret Inc DISAPPOINTMENT very mucn TO the
people of Donaldsonville. as I know what good
people you have and what good town and coun-
try also is yours, and / wanted the people of
Southwest Louisiana to see what you have and
offered them an opportunity to visit your city
and people at small cost. They simply laid
down on the opportunity.
Again, l regret the disa 1pointrnent to the peo-
pie OF Donaldsonyille and later on will try an
other excursion with the hope of bringing you
a good crowd and making good for the disap-
pointment in the first.
can assure you I spared no pains or expense
trying to get the people to you, and appreciate
the efforts of your people in making arrange
ments to entertain them.
With best Wishes
Very truly yours.
j. w. JORDAN.
G.F.&P.A
Mr.. and Mrs. Felix Garcie and