New-York tribune., 1873-05-14
A CITY ON WHEELS.

The street cars OF this city move ooJ,VVV per
sons every day In the year, and employ 500 men ana
1900 horses Compared with this system, 'e .,
passenger traffic in London or Paris and tho means OF
Recommendation supped are as Insignificant ~ tho Old
fashioned carrier oltng along the country lane ~ ne
modest rate OF two miles hour appears WIN
the modern express company, with us tra'"' VI Ho'
ohandise, travelling 900 miles IN ~ houfS' III ~"
don seven cents are charged for journey Of three miles,
Passengers content 10 oiter 10 or 80 minutes ~ @
street for omnibus trayersing popuouS oS
riet and all public conveyances except cabs are WIN
drawn from the at about II p. M An American
becomes frantic II he has TO waitye minutes TOT morse
car, and though tho vehicle may bo inconyenlehty
crowded before he complains he stOutly resss an at
tempts 10 charge than the contemned nickel Iius
the demands in city dfr 10 such an extent rom
those other that comparisons OF the results are
useless. The defects OF the sroecar system could not
exist in the London omnibus nos and the merits do not
THE PREVENTION OF OyBRCROwDtSG.
The worst abuse Of the domestic system IS said to be
oyercro wdng. Questioned by TRIBUNE reporter. the
Presdent OF street railway company affirmed
recently that roads could not possibly carry passengers
four miles for ye cents and give each seat at all hours
OF the day The remedy In the addition OF ono cent
10 the fare He did not consider that fault could be
reasonably found with the condition of the cars or the
sneeo NJ which they travelled and the dissatisfied per
sons placed their trust erection OF or all three
rapid transit roads authorized they would be hnay ds
appointed. Steam roads, whether underground msn
level or surface, could not be operated as cheapy
as horse-cars and they could never be madc acceloe
at every street corner, the horsecars are "ilmh
the city limits they woud divert few persons from the
sreetcars but their value relieving the latter or dis
tant suburban travel could be deprecated These
views were offered az based upon thought and expert
ence carbuilder was asked by the reporter II OUT
aide seats on the cars would not be an Improvement
He replied that they nterered with the proper Vehta-
ton Of the interior and that the extra stoppages re-
auired for passengers to get on Doard anu ahEho
counterbalanced the value Of the Increased NUMBER OF
seats That the system has advantages as well as
abuses seems be proved inasmuch as horsecars OF
New-York build are exported In large numbers TO En-
gland France, Spain. Portugal, West and Eass lndia
and all tho cities South America. In no other city -
the test the system severe as In this Ihe numbers
of passengers carried in proportion to the population
and the distances are much less elsewhere "hie
the fares from to so per cent higher The panacea
for defects whether extant already or yet 10 DC de
vised therefore, must be sought at home.
THE FIRST HORSE CAR
The history OF the hOrse-car encourages hope OF I'M
provement but promises little to the managers. In
embryo and nearly every stage Of its progress 1t was
met by hostility and considered In the light OF an in
fringement on municipal rights The vicssltudes
through which Fourhave line, the first in this city
passed are almost pathetic 1t chartered in 1881
and was the first practical street railway established
although horse power rails had been used previously
on country roads 1t put in operation in 1892 the
route beng from Princest. and the Bowery to Four
teenth-st and Fourth-aye. The car was invented By
John Stephenson, and the patent Issued upon u was
signed BY President Andrew Jackson. IL was divided
INTO three separate compartments, like the railway car
riages now in Great Britain, and seated 30 passen
gers inside and 10 outside The omnibus made better
time and competed so successfully in other respects
with the railway that the latter was serious
loss to It's II had no privileges, not even the
right of way and vehicles of every kind were driven
over the tracks. Occasionally two playful Bowery
butcher boys driving their trucks in opposite directions
would meet ana neither would move to let the other
pass Throwing themselves comfortably back in their
sears they lighted their cigars and determined literally
to smoke one another out. Meantime the old John
Mason" as the street named, came rumbhng
and creaking along, with is small load of passengers
The driver might entreat and the conductor storm, but
the truokmen were obdurate Thus tho car was often
delayed two hours, the passengers being obliged
TO aght and walk away amid the eers OF people in the
more Trustworthy omnibus. In 1851 the road was
worked through Murray Hill 10 Harlem, and from the
old depot springst through the Bowery TO Walker
4. locomotive then brought trains from Harlem to
Fourteenthst, from which point horsepower was used
Tor the rest Of the distance The through reduced
by both railway and omnibus lines from % cents 10 Is
cents but the latter still the quicker and pop
uaretranspOrts. The trains stopped at any point to
allow passengers to aght get on board, and much
time was thus consumed. modification was presently
made in the establishment OF stations at which alone
stoppages made but the omnbuses were still vic
torous this time account OF the Inconvenience, as
ravelers complained Of going to and from the railway
stations So dlsheartenlng the fortunes Of the
Fourh-ave line that for many years subsequently
was merged into line exclusively for suburban
travel but about 1843 the lower division again fulfilled
the requirements of street railway. car closely re-
semblng those in use, with platforms at either
end vas adopted, but it cumbrous, weighing four
TONS as compared with the OF to-day which weighs
only two TONS The second era in the history Of
railways WAS marked in 1855 by the opening Of the Sec
ond. Third, Sixth, and Eghthave llnes, when We're
rapidly supplemented by branches and extensions. IDe
passenger traffic to Harlem through Thrd-ave. had
heretofore been accommodated by 20 small Omnibuses
and an Illustration of the growth OF the system the
fact that 25 ears are required for the service.
specimen of used 20 years back may e seen on
has low roof, ventilation. ana ttle light The cars
now building for city lines are eighteen inches OF TWO
feet wider are lofty lighted from above and below and
upholstered with taste that would satisfy an artist
ACCOMMODATIONS COMPARED WITH PROFITS.
While 1t is that the earnings OF some roads justify
better accommodations than others, it is an equally
sured fact that others either do not pay at all or are
worked with small profits TO the stockholders. AT the
office OF tie Sxth-ave. Railroad Company a TRIBUNE
reporter permitted to inspect the books in order
that Presidents assertion that the average dividend
for 90 wears had been only per cent might be fully
proved on the line to Vesey-st the number OF trips
made between February, 1872 and February, 1873 was
1851 and the total receipts s599,SJ6 75 The
receipts per trip 50 o. and the expenses 81 H. leay
ing profit OF 80 cents per trip. On the CnaIst line,
in the sqe period the number Of trips $780,
and the total rece pts s3O6O 81. The receipts
trip were s. 81 aud the expenses s. H. causing loss OF
"a cents per trip or s. 70 each worked during
the day The actual earnings Of the road would not
afford the dividend named but the Company were foru
nate real estate investment The 80 lots at Forty
fourth-st and Sxave, covered by their stables, were
purchased steps OF the City Hail. AT Sheriff sale
In 1850 for SIS each The present valuation is between
SOS 600 and $50 900 eacn The Thrdaye. Railroad is the
most profitable OF ALL aud mas lately paid dividends or
IL per ceut upon lts stock Tue Fourth-aVe hoau mas
seyenth-ave and Unverstyplace line has oub paid
nnr rnux Mnrth morn Lhnn 81 OOnOl unless lhe sworn