The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-22
RAPID TRANSIT.

Although toe opening OF the Third Avenue Elevated
Railway 10 Sxty-ssventh street was accepted as
gratifying though tardy concession 70 the east side
pubic, who are ANXIOUS for rapid transit loud COM
plant 10 still made at the excessively slow progress
OF the road beyond Sxy-s venih street, as well As
OF tho stations below sxty-seventh street, most OF
which are still in tho most wretehedy and uncom-
fortaoly incomplete eondtioI; and also ~ the very
inferior ana poorly well as cneaply gotten up cars
Mr.. Cyrus W. Field, The President Of the New York
Elevated Railway, said yesterday that the road
would be running "some time In December" 10 tho
Harlem River, and yet the work The great
coating and car depot TO be built at Nnety-eehih
street rs progressing so slowly that the preparatory
blasting of The rocks covering the ground II II goes
on AT the present rate must alone take months to do
Mr.. Field thought, in reference 10 the stations that
IL was better Tor the company to put their spare
money into extending the yoad than TO spend II on
the stations, bat at the same time he promised that
the station at South terry (ths present one is
simply disRraceiul and leads TO he most annoying
scenes OF confusion and overcrowdinpj should DO
superior to those now being completed on Third
avenue.
'waat would you say" he asked, "f we got three
OF tho best engineers In the country TO certify that OF
the ads (meaning the New York and the Metro
politan) we we the oest s,ationss'
A SIGGARDLY POLICY.
In reerer ce TO the cars Mr. Field admitted that the
HERALD's plan OF arrang ng the seats crosswiss was
the most popular, but the reason why II was not be.
ing introduced, he said, was because ",he best
builders the country" had Devised he
Of eats followed out. Ia this connection 1t is
interesting state upon unexceptionsble authority,
that while the Metropolitan Elevated Railway spent
over 81, 600 cash upon their tho New York Ele-
waited Company spent barely $1,000. The precise
figures TO the comparative cost OF tho stations The
writer could not learn uns figures In reference
TO the are authenuc). bat II IL understood
by gentlemen who have intimate relations with
both companies that the Third avenue sta
tons have not cost third OF those on
SIKH avenue. The almost unprecedented niggarili-
ness Of the New York Elevated Railway Company
TO their stations viii be fully appreciated
OF the TACT thai, although the Ni"th avenue
road has been running now nine years, there are st
only stations side OF The avenue, which Is a
sourc. not only great annoyahce trouble aud loss
OF time the patrsns OF the road, but also iu Of
danger Tor people VINO have % wax right across The
track getting to the opposite SIDE oil The station
COMING MILLIONS.
And yet everybody uumits that this company will
the enterprise, Tor the largest OF the
present olders, every BODY who Knows any
Thug about the affairs OF The company Is aware, got
their shares Tor mere song aud even as recently as
last May subscriber OF $1,000 worth OF STOCK al par
WIS en,led, IN addon to MS STOCK. to SIC, 600 worm
of bonds or which ne paid an iLstaiment vi $l,250
(gettinR of Or the remainder with mere pro fo,1na
promise to pay up Whenever called upon) 90 that or
and $40 oUO worth OF bonds, aud as the bonds soil
now al S. 1850 he could sell bonds have his stock
Tor notnIn- aud $3.50 Cash into the bargain These
facts beng perfectly well known, Tor tncy never
could be kept secret as Is also the general assump-
on that the Thrd avenue and Ninth avenue ROADS 40
not Cost IN much over one-haif si The sixth
avenue. although they sbar2e tue same fares,
the east side public naturally consider mat they
titled 10 superior cars and statoUs, and That
TIE company can well anord 10 spend more money
them ACCORDING ~ ths figures oi Tue east SIDE
rahc he first Two days alter tue rosd was onened
TO SKY eventn street., furnished ny Mr. Field,
the Third avenue iius 10 actually proving Ale
ready 10 It's stockholders the gold mine whoa Lae
HERALD always declared IL would be. While the
Aveiage doiy trafie to the Grand Central Depot
less tnan 20 OUo IT. ic onday ky seventh
street 80 have been ~. JOG ana Tussdsy
az 45S Now, The proper Ion Of zen aud i've cent pas
hail Ton tue sixth venue line the ten cent passsn.
gets about two-lh rus ana the i've cent passen-
gers one-tnrd there bang lar more riders on tie lat
line who afford 70 pay ten csnts), and wnen
the hIrd avenue road Is compie,ed 10 The Harlem
River Mr. Fisd looks Tor 1907 passengers per day,
avenue line ms viii give the COMPANY 1901
gross receipts per Jay, aud rs The runniug
according Mr.. Field viii not be less tnau s. 900
dayl Aud yet the public, VINO Will shricn these
specuat rspia transit by moDs, have ~ sutier
d,scom iorts, delays @nuoy ices without numuef
mat the road should DO gotten up ~ cheapy
iarea Mr.. Fled declared yesterday that tue exraor
din .ry energy win which the Metropolitan comp.ny
worked day and night 10 push through toe,r urs nvs
miles road must nave cost them 'nali million
~" leu tins haif mIIiion," said he, with
terrible phsss ''thcy viii have TO pay dividends
for The remainder ot their lvesl" Mr.. Field, how
ever prom,se some better with seats Ike
thos. The cheaper cars Of tue Metropolitan Ele-
waited Railway.
COMPUTATION AND SLOW TINE
Much comp. also coutfnued fall
urs oil tue company 10 iuruish Communication ticKsts
transIerrne passed. ers IRON side vi tue city
another or Que far- very siight Concession (whcn
Is generally regarded AS r,dcuiousy inadequaie) mas
Ocob, pascal gers Ill be soe 10 rids from Frunk
lin square ON The cas-, side 10 Fraukin street on the
Sue Tor ole tsrs only. mo Is distance III
about a mIle and u hall, aud IL Is argued by the
patrons OF the road that the company will carry .
over i've mics on either one oil their two
liner Tor one are. IL Is theI reasonably asked, "Why
least i've miles Of round zip for ARE Y"
and 1t Is generally thought that the Communication
tickets o be snVulI take passe ngsrs,
IRON Franklin ECU re GU the east SIDE " Franklin
strss Oh the west sde--wnich Is no distance at ALL
anu practically Communication worth speaking Of
for me general puble-Out rom Fourteentn street
tho oi the city 10 Fourteenth s.rssi On the
other. hts would not be much over nvs miles ana
would prove OF immense convenience 10 tue public.
The OF speed VD tue mira avenue road Is also
source Of great complaint among the patrons oil tho
roau. People say that twenty l. lar
long time or rapid tfspsh steam trans but
Mr. FIELD says that as soon aud 9th or
empivyes get accustomed to tbeir duties the running
time VIII De suortened Experts agree that II need
be over twenty uinutes.
QUESTION FARES
There is a universal iseling tuat the iare on the
Third avenue ne SHOULD be reduced at once. II not
ave al al hours, al least ~ seven or at
isn't worth cents ~ ride on TIM roaas Is what
THIRD avenue riders say "'ne company put up bsf
as u ROAD nail cheap Stations aud
those skin avenue, and they Afford to carry
nall the price, Even If nty reduce the Rates Of
fare I'VE SIX cents tboy VIII be reshzOg - much
on tneir Investment the Me tropolilan get
cents" Many pc ,plc express great desire that
tho Metropolitan company suouid build al oacc tnsr
Second avenue line
III are to pay ten cents, say those people VINO
live east OF the third avenue, ''et Us at least have
elegant and pleasing cars; con rsbe, cneerul and
attractive statIsns and me most superior KIND OF
road. :"
BUILD ON SECOND AvENUEl
Is hat the
at once great improvements IN tnsir stations aud
cars complete tueIrsne more quickly, earnest
appeal wi DC made by the rcstdeats vi tue cast sue
TO the Me ropoiiian company " take their Second
avenue nne ia maud al onoe-wDich the company Is
by law coDpeiisd to bud Tor cons sid ravie tmc
10 come, providea tney 70 10 the Harlem River
sue. East sue residents All declare that
there Is penty oil room for the Two steam lines, and
uslic on The second avenue horse car
line would certainly seem 10 bear out this view.
That the second avenue line would pay spendidy
noOoGy appears 10 doubt, for II would nave all the
Immense trnLic east OF second avenue hnd probaby