The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1911-08-31
THE JEFFERSONIAN

they find on The railroads Of Georgia It would
seem that we have one of the very worst sys-
TENS In the Union. Apparently the passenger
has no rights which the transportation COM
pany is bound to respect.
Last year / boarded a train on the 6. S. & F.
Railroad at Ashburn on my way to Macon.
1t was about forty minutes late That time
could have easily been made up before reach
ing Macon, had the conductor cut short the
dinner hour at Cordele, and made as brief as
possible the stops at the stations between Cor
dele and Macon. Instead of doing this, the
train was stopped to the full limit at Cordele,
and there were prolonged stops, altogether
more than was necessary, at every intervening
station. On board the train was Mr. Newell
of the Brookzya Eagle, son of the late Major,
Newell of Milledgeville He took the matter
up with the conductor, urging him to at least
endeavor to make up the lost time. The pro-
test was unavailing. Instead of trying to get
to Macon on time, it actually seemed that the
conductor delighted in loafing away his time,
both at Cordele and at all the stations be-
tween there and Macon. The consequence
was, that all of us, who were expecting to
make connections in Macon, failed to do so.
Much against our will we had to spend the
night In that city The Fair was being held.
the hotels were crowded; it was extremely diff
fcult to get accommodations for the night,
and of course, the lay-over added considerably
to our expenses. Although I have been stop
ping at the Brown hotel every since was a
student at Mercer University, and asked for
a separate room on that score, it was impos-
slble for me to get one The manager assured
me that the very best he could do would be to-
give me a bed in a small room with two others.
Would it not be possible, in the interest Of
the suffering public, to enact general rule
applying a remedy to an evil of this sort
In the first place, could it not be made the du-
ty OF the conductor to shorten his stops at such
eating places as COrdee, or to cut out the eat
ing places entirely, and to shorten stops at
stations intervening between the delayed
train and it's terminal? In case through pas
sengers failed of their connection by reason
of the fault of the train crew, would it be
unreasonable to require this company to COM
ply with their contract by furnishing special
which would carry the passengers on to their
destination! Would not rule of this kind
be matter of simple justice to the passengers,
who have paid their money to be carried to
certain place within a certain time? Would
not the passage of such a rule make the rail-
roads sit up and take notice, and would they
not themselves apply the remedy, which local
agents and conductors of trains so badly
need?
[ feel that this matter is one of very great
Importance to millions of our people, and I
shall lay it before the public through the col
umns of my paper, the Jeffersonian. It will
give me great pleasure to publish, with equal
prominence such answer as you may see fit to
make to this communication.
Very respectfully yours,
THOS. E. WATSON.
P. S. In this connection, it is we'll to re-
member that your body granted the GEORGIA