The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-08-15
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
SATURDAY MIGHT EXTRA CARS

BARRAcKvILLE. Aug. 15.-[Ed.
itor The West Virginian. Satur.
day night was sultry. AT s o'clock
there was u large crowd waiting
for the Warrington car. AS usual
the Maple Point extra, or "tripper,'
to use traction parlance, pulled up
to the Jefferson street station Just
/ ahead of the regular Warrington
car, and the conductor shouted to
the people, who wildly stampeded
the four open entrances to the car
In their accustomed scramble for
seats, that the car would not so
out,
The extra did not go out at s
O'Clock, as It had been doing all
afternoon and evening since
O'Clock. One man, who madc some
remark concerning the extra car to
the conductor as the latter boarded
the regular car, was inclvilIy snap.
ped short with III you want to 90
and sit in that car till It goes, you
can, but II you want to go now,
shut up"
Yet the same wonder was in the
minds Of every hot, uncomfortable
passenger aboard as in the mind
of the man who had the temeri.y
to make the inquiry, why they were
herded up worse than slaughter
cattle for shipment: standing,
swaying and shaken around with
out support, some holding babies
baskets, baggage, sitting, squeezed
together and smothered up, some
holding others on their knees,
more standing than there were
straps and handholds; more sitting
than there were seats; whites, ne
groes, foreigners, alto classes and
conditions Of society, ladies of deli
cate health, children OF tender age
infants In arms, old folks. invalids
kcripples, all tightly packed in one
promiscuous, sweltering mass-a
damnable outrage on human IN
stincts OF decency, while an extra
car manned and in running order
stood empty ut the station!
The conductor without knowing
what he was doing really gave us
a cue to the solution Of overcrowd
ed Saturday night cars. If every
passenger on the Warrington car
who did not have seat, had JUS
gotten off and gone and sat ii
that (other) car" 1t would hayC
gone out at 8 o'clock. The con
ductor's idea is worth an expert
ment on the first similar occasion
Try It..
Barrackvllle has been fighting
Is still fighting. and is going t
keep right on fighting the Monon
gahela Power & Railway company'l
practice Of overlooking cars, ant
the "rublic be damned" spirit o
It's management that turns a dea
ear to all our appeals for a change
The WRITER is IN receipt of a copy
of letter written by Mr.. George
| NJ. Alexander, president of the NJ
| P. & r. company to. the State Pub
lie Service commission at Charles
ton. in answer to the. petition tol
4 period morning and evening half
hour weekday traction service
which bore the signatures OF 81;
bona fide patron residents of Bar
rackville and vicinity. lncidently
a reply to Mr.. Alexander's will sooI
be forwarded to the commission.
Touching the point under discus
/ elm namely. oyercroWdlng lis car
insteadfo running extra cars to &C
commodate the overload, the presl
Il dent OF the company officiall!
above his own signature, writes a
II follows: 1.-THE company operate
trinper extra carl service out Q
4 Faffmont at 4, 5, 6,9 and 10 p. m
4 on Saturdays and special days
!. These trippers operate to Mapll
\ Point and back to Fairmot1t. max
ing the round trip In one hour"
ut might be commended that
], trippar should be operated out 0
IFairmont at 5 p. m. every day, bu
Il IL that were done the car would re
turn at 8 p. m. empty as the peal
load on the car arriving In Fair
,E-mont ct 6 p. m. Is only IS passen
\ gers. "
ut might also be commended tina
lltripper service should be operates
arriving in Fairmoht at 4 q. m. AMI
at s a. nj, but to do this these car
would have to leave Falrmont at
and 4 q. nj. and the average peal
load on the s a, m. car out Of Fair