The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-10-28
Stokes and the Railroad Men

An attempt is being made to create
sentiment against former Governor
Stokes among the railroad men by the
circulation of story that he entered
complaint against train crew because q
train left a station ahead of time, leay.
ing MIR. Stokes and some friends stand.
ing on the platform. The facts in this
case, which may easily be verified, are as
follows:
Away back in January, 1909, Mr..
Stokes and several others were left stand
ing on the station platform at Millyille
because the train they had expected to
catch had left the station about two
minutes ahead of time. When the fact
was made known to the station agent
the train was run back from Vineland
to pick up the passengers at Millville.
Some of the newspapers heard of the in
cident and printed highly colored stories
about 1t, in which it was made to appear
that former Governor Stokes had in
dulged in unnecessary complaints
against the train crew concerned. These
reports SO vexed Mr.. Stokes that he took
occasion to write to two of the railroad
officials, and his friend, who was investi-
eating the incident, has obtained copies
of these letters from him. One of the
letters was addressed to +. H. Lowell
superintendent of the West JERSEY q
Seashore Railroad Company, and was as
follows:
The train leaving MillVille this
morning at 6.25 started out by mis-
take two minutes ahead of time and
left number of us in the ticket office
buying tickets. The road very kindly.
though | thought unnecessarily, ran
the train back from Vineland and took
the passengers who would otherwise
have been left. 1t seems that the con.
ductor's watch was two minutes ahead
of time. The conductor on this train
is most courteous and obliging and, SO
far as my experience goes, efficient. /
have, of course, no right to interfere
with the discipline of your road, but,
SO far as | am concerned, trust that
no censure or punishment will be
visited on the conductor or train crew
for mishap that is liable to any of us
in the course of lifetime. Indeed, l
should greatly appreciate it if the con-
ductor's explanation was accepted as
sufficient for the delay
On the 5th of January, or two DAYS af-
ter the incident occurred, Mr.. Stokes
wrote about it to w. A. Patton, an of
fetal of the Pennsylvania Railroad in
Philadelphia. In the meantime the I'M
truthful reports of the incident had been
published and the former Governor did
his best to correct the false impressions
they must have made. After reviewing
the details of the trains DELAY to Mr.. |
Patton, the Governor said in his letter:
"A vast amount of publicity and
sensationalism has been given to this
incident. 1t was matter in which / |
was simply an unoffending party. | |
wish you would see that the officials of |
the road understand that / had and |
have no complaint concerning the in |
cident whatever. | am not RESPONSE
bic for the news items that have APP |
peared in connection Herewith and |
am very much annoyed by them. | |
wrote personal letter to Mr. Lowell, |
asking him to overlook the matter en-
tirely, so far as | was concerned, and |
not to discipline the conductor or crew;
as it was a mere accident that might |
occur to any of us in the course of a
lifetime"