The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-13
CMAiION's TRADE.
something About Ferries and Their Use-
ggImess and AecDmnsOdta tion.


ggIaess ana Accommodate
or late our people have found the way to the
ferries, and every afternoon "dime excursionisss"
are to be met with in numbers on board the
steamers plying between the left bank and Al-
giers and Gretns, In search OF breath of cool
air. 1t is. however, surprising that the number
Of excursionsis is not greater, for it Is very sci
dom that there Ia not at lehst light breeze on
the river, and MT time Ia IL 30 warm ON ferry
boat in tho walled thoroaghares OF the city.
We have endeavcred, several times, TO explain
why people will swelter for half an hour or more
in street Cur to reach some suburban resort,
there to swelter again for an hour or more, in
stead OF seeking the bosom OF the Mississippi for
refreshment II cannot be that the iare Of the
ferry 10 Objectionable for 1t is
Ftrry PER CENT cHEArEH THAN
that Of the lake or Carrollton cars. and for the
modicum Of ten cents person can ride all day
on any OF tho ferries il he choose. Perhaps the
delinquency is due to the fact that our people
have to be shown the way to the ferry landings.
and yet they find the way very readily to all new
resorts without being driven to them. As to the
ferries being easy Of access, that is established.
The street cars land passengers within fifty yards
OF the Esplanade, st. Ann or Jackson street fer
ries. and the distance to be walked to the Canal
street landing is only about 100 yards longer.
Being unable to satisfy ourselves on this point
we only report that it 10 singular that people
prefer q
sTIFLING RIDE i
in the street to cool aud roomy ferry boat.
We have raade the experiment.. and besides en-
i )ying ourselves have learned o few things con-
d. VI mt
Our experience being chiefly derived frona the
CANAL street ferry we shall taks it rs criterion
for our relation, the details being obtained in
conversation with Mr.. Tbos. Pickles. one Of the
lesBees. and his collector. Mr.. stewart.
1t is, or rather 1t used to be, ths almost uni
veraal impression that it took ferry from fifteen
to twenty minutes TO cross the river. SUCH ia not
the case, however, for they usually make
THREE ROUND TRIPS
within an hour, or six trips from shore to shore.
The DAY boat begins to run about C'cSck in the
morning, and does not stop until eight in the
evening, when the night ferry takes its place.
This makes ninety trips day for tho day boat
The night boat runs at the same Tate until 9
O'Clock, and thence every half hour unlii mid
night, when ii lies up subject to cali from some
belated traveller. Prom O'clock at nigh until
in the morning. however, the fare is ten cents
each way.
or course, says Mr.. Pickles, this night running,
especially after midnight, is done ut heavy ex-
pepse and is 3 dead loss to tho iessees In one
eense, but, besides accommodating and
ENCOURAGING vIs1Toxs
to Algiers and Gretna, it encourages people to
live ON right bank, and the profits OF the fer.
ries increase 10 proportion to tho increase Of
population. Singular that the street Car CON-
panies don't think as wisely as our ferrymen,
who say they understand their business, and that
their prosperity depends in greater pars upon
the amount OF accommodations they af-
they are 90 careful Ia obtaining frequent tests OF
the boilers OF their boats (which is done under q
pressure Of two hundred pounds OF steam) and
in keeping them scraped and clean. There are
at present only two night steamers running, one
at Canal street and the other at jackson street.
which are deemed sufficient to meet the demands
OF travel. They necessarily require an ex ra set
OF meD, consisting OF pilot, an engineer, 8 col
hector and fremeD.
Yet this is not all the accommodation which
these ferries afford. Bun by conscientious and
sensible men, they will frequently walt several
minutes for
A LABoEER OR MECHANIC.
in order to enable him to reach bis workshop in
time and cave him from quarter to half day,
which he might lose by getting there q
few minutes after the time prescribed by
the strictly observed rules or the shop
Then, again, teachers and school children
going to and returning from school are charged
only half fare. Very recently a pleasant occur
renee happened in this connection. passenger,
having claimed the privilege OF paying only five
cents for the round trip, was asked On what
grounds. He answered that he going to
school. His appearance indicating that his story
| was improbable, be was asked his age. Twenty
four, he said, and then explained that he had
been working all his life in Alglers until he had
| saved enough money to en- BILE him to
GET SOME SCHOOLING,
and had selected school in New Orleans for the
purpose. Every day now. his nickel pays for his
| round trip. like any other schoolboy. It is this
nickel business, although apparently very in
significant, which gives the collector of the
canal street boat the pleasant opportunity Of
walking up and down the staircase leading to the
upper deck, ninety times day, not to speak of
during the day to attend to the carts and wagons