Railroad Picnic

Employees of the Katy Railroad on the platform of the Freight Depot, circa 1920. (Photo in Author’s collection.)

The Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, better known as the Katy, arrived in Greenville in October 1880. Not only did it help develop Greenville as a market center, it became the final link in a network of transportation in Northeast Texas. Passengers traveled back and forth to all of the county seats as well as smaller towns along the route.

After the economic depression of 1893-1896, railways began to lure more passengers with events such as parades, baseball games, and picnics with a good deal. These events sold tickets for one-way price but actually covered the round-trip.

The Katy often gave employees company picnics with free tickets to and from the host town. Everyone associated with the Katy was welcomed unless needed for regular duties. These free entertainments lasted through the 1920s.

One such event occurred in Sulphur Springs on June 28, 1922. It included a most unusual event, a wedding starring two prominent young people of Hunt County. Pete Cain, president of the Katy Employees’ Association and the program planner for the event received a letter from a young man who proposed to marry his fiancé before the countless multitude on the picnic grounds, provided the young lady agreed, and provided, further, a significant purse was included.

The letter submitted to Mr. Cain was published in the Greenville Evening Banner of Monday, June 26, 1922 on the front page. The Banner was known as the social voice of Greenville and surrounding areas. Here is a copy of the letter. Before reading it, please note that there were no standards for spelling and grammar at that time.

“Peat Cane, MK&T Picnick Co., City. Dere Sir – I seed by the papers that you is agoin to have a picknick at Sulphur Spreengs June 28. On you bilposters I seen you is agoin to give lots of prizes and I want to ask you wun kwestyn. Me an’ my gal air agoin to git married sune and I thot you mite give us a good prize to git married at the picknick. She an’ me air agoin down on the fust trane and if you be agoin too I’ll make you ackwainted. I sure am glad it only costs wun price to go and cum cause I aint got much money. I want you to anser this letter rite away so I kin tell my gal what you say. If she be willin to git married at the picknick we can save lots of money, even if sum peepul will laff at us. I am a hard wurkin man and need the money. I ust to work for Bill Wise (Wyse) and John Middleton and Tom East and they kin giv me a good recommend. Ans. In gen. del. So I kin git it rite away. Hopin to see you nex Wendsay I am, Yours frend.
No signature

Now was this a real letter or was it a joke the newspaper cobbled up? In 1922 Greenville had many unemployed men, in fact, there was a Soup Kitchen in town in May of 1922. Poverty was no joke. Neither was poor grammar and spelling. Even Andrew Carnegie who funded the Greenville Public Library in 1913 was a notoriously poor speller.

But was this a cruel trick played on men and women with no money. The thing that makes me consider a trickster is the correct spelling of marriage and prize and money. But I must remember there was no Spell Check in 1922.