The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-08-10
WAS BLEASE IHPOLITE?
Governor Said to Have Offended
Lady Ticket Agent at Bolton.

following:
"The Blue Ridge railways train
comes into Belton in the afternoon at
5:25, just 10 minutes before the
train coming from Columbia gets in
to the station here. At $3.50 the
Anderson trolley car comes in. Both
the Blue Ridge railways train and
the Anderson trolleys always bring
greater or smaller number Of people
who want to buy their tickets and
board the train from Columbia going
towards Greenville, and when the
number is unusually large, as it was
Saturday afternoon, Miss Rogers, the
ticket agent, has difficulty. in selling
tickets to all who apply for them.
The train going to Columbia from
Greenville gets here at 6:20 in the
afternoon, and passengers who come
over on the Blue Ridge have IS min
utes in which to buy their tickets.
Saturday afternoon when the Blue
Ridge train pulled in at 5:25 and
the trolley car followed at $3.50,
something like a hundred people,
men and women, rushed into the sta
tion to get tickets for points up the
road. There were numbers of ladies
standing around waiting their turn
to get a ticket for some point north
of Bolton. A tall, black-haired man
walked up to the window, handed
Miss Rogers, the accommodating tick
ct agent, two mileage books that
were nearly used up, and asked for
ticket to Columbia There was not
enough mileage in the two books
combined to buy the ticket; so he
asked her to tear the mileage out of
both books, subtract it from the
number of miles to Columbia and he
would pay the difference In cash.
Miss Rogers very kindly asked him
if he wouldn't wait until she had
sold the tickets for those ladies and
gentlemen who were going to catch
the north-bound train. She explain
ed to him that he had until 500 to
get his ticket.
Instead of giving place to those
who ought certainly to have been
given place at the window, the man
Strengthened himself, and in a most
insulting manner informed Miss
Rogers that she must not know who
she was talking to- He further in
formed her that 4 am Cole Blease,
the governor Of South Carolina; I've
got a right to buy ticket any time
I call for it, and you've got to sell
it to me- He took occasion to tell
her that If he didn't have to, he
would never have ridden on her old
Southern road He also Informed
Miss Rogers that he was going to
write her up to her superintendent.
.The Southern's agent here, Mr..
Harper, was not in the Office when
Mr.. Blease called for his ticket, or
we imagine the governor would never
have taken the advantage which he
took of the lady at the window. He
was asked in the most kindly way ii
he would give place for few min
utes to the ladies and gentlemen who
wanted to- catch a train almost an
hour earlier than the train on which
the governor was going to Columbia.
And as a matter of fact, tickets are
not supposed to be placed on sale for
any train until 80 minutes before the
train arrives. Gov. Blease had no
more right to demand ticket for
Columbia at the time that he did
than did any other man in the crowd.
Just because he is Cole Blease, the
governor of South Carolina, is no
reason why he should have demand
ed the ticket at the time that he did
and especia''y in the manner that he
used in demanding it. 1t was abso-
lutely unfair to the agent and to the
people who were waiting to catch the
northbound train. The real crime
which the governor committed was
not in calling for the ticket at the
time he did, but it was in his failure
to show the young lady the courtesy
that any gentleman would have felt
it necessary to show her. 1t was the
insulting manner in which he talked
to her, after she had asked him to
wait until she had sold the tickets
for the train that was about to come