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About The Kennesaw gazette. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1886-189? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1887)
ft. Wk JJ ijH&amtOMCffiEj lIWIBM M O T >? AT vZ w* V^ =?: = ar —«-.. „ ’ Ui ’ ■* xiL—- “"'— (g> ALLE Ti N**Jy Vol. 11. —” jw WjW£ ~ Comic. The Grand Monkey Act ( ! ) against the Florida Short Line, ( i. e. the Florida Sure Lying.) The Spotted Steed, as usual, poking his nose into other people’s affairs. The New, Thrilling and Instructing Serio-comic Tragedy, entitled, THEY INWERNTA.VII IT; OR BITTEE RIRI>, COME AGAIN! In three acts, — each a good one. He Laughs Best who Laughs Last. One reason for the success of the W. & A., and its steering safely through the most serious difficulties, is work. There is scarcely a drone anywhere in its hive. They don’t talk much, but show a remarkable amount of tact and pru dence in not giving forth in the public press their programme for the conduct ing of competitive business. Their policy is emphatically that of the still hunt. This fact was never more decidedly demonstrated than in the freight war which they had with their chief com petitor in 1884-5, and in the passenger war which raged with such unprece dented fierceness between these two companies in the fall of 1885. For several months preceding the first, the newspapers bristled at times with notices of tjje_ readiness of their competitor for hostilities. All the world and his grandmother were put on notice that that self-styled “splen- THE “THEY UNDERSTAND IT” NUMBER. A humorous dare-devil—the very man. to suit my purpose. Bulwkr. did line” was in first-class condition for a rate war, and would cut local as well as through rates, etc., etc. On the contrary, there was an al most absolute absence of any counter blast, or even a whisper from the AV. &A.IL IL people. The public could not determine whether this was from indifference, or timidity; but subse quent developments indicated that this studied silence was for the purpose of letting their rivals believe they were afraid, and thus bringing about a feel ing of over-confidence which would meet its due reward at the proper time. We well remember the answer of one of the W. & A. officials to a very prom inent citizen of North Georgia, who had just stated to him that the other company was getting ready for the war which was inevitably to be fought some day between the two, and that in the meantime the W. A A. seemed to be resting on its oars. “Not resting so much as appears,” said he, with a smile, “when it comes, ATLANTA, CA., FEBRUARY I, 1887. AY Dramatic. Result: Poor Monkey ! Moral: Don’t monkey. Eh! wait and see. He thinks he’s “come the giraffe” on him. as it certainly will, they will find our decks cleared for action, and that ev ery gun has been loaded with ball cart ridges.’ “Well you are very quiet about it,” was the remark, “how are you man aging it?” “Wait and see,” was the response. Their rivals were “spilin’ for a fight” and a fight they must have, so the great freight war began in October, 1884. It ended in February, 1885, and, al though both companies and all others in the territory, lost tens of thousands of dollars, yet the AV. & A. came out holding possession of the field. The same circumstances attended the inauguration of the passenger warfare upon the AV. & A. during the fall of 1885. The provoking quietness of the AV. A A. was in striking contrast with the newspaper notices outlining the methods which would be adopted by their competitors, every movement of which was discounted by the AV. A A. before it was made, whereas nothing was known of its own intentions until WJr / ''' < X/w w Q J 1/ Tragic. “Please make him let go, Mister Monkey, I plead the baby act.” The Spotted Steed, as usual, gets the worst of the “deed was done” in each case. “You tell me what vou will do and everybody can tell you what I have done,” appeared to be the motto of the AV. A A. Everybody knows the result of the fight. The W. AA. folks laugh. One of the most remarkable features of both fights was the extraordinary zeal and devotion to the road which was shown by every employe of the AV. AA. No matter whether he was a brakeman or a car greaser, a con ductor or a blacksmith, an engineer or a baggage-master, each one seemed to not only perform his regular task but to transform himself into a voluntary soliciting agent for the road. AVith such devotion as this, and with the knowledge that their officers are proud of them, and constantly looking out for their physical protection and general welfare, it is no wonder that the AV. A A., with 140 miles of road, whipped a great system with over 1400 miles of road, whicti reached out far beyond it in all directions. NO. 3.
