The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-10
RAPID TRANSIT.

GRIEVANCES AGAINST THE THIRD AVENUE II
INSUFFICIENT ACCOMMODATIONS COLD AND
DIRTY CARS, HIGH FARES, RUDE EMPLOYEES
AND BAD MANAGEMENT.
mass meeting of the Twenty-frs Assembly Dis
trict Citizens Association held last evening at
Parepa Hail. Eghtysixth street and Third avenue. in
answer to call stating "that the New York Ele
waited Railroad Company do not provide proper
accommodations for passengers that the cars are
crowded to and dangerously cold, that the
carrying facilities insufficient and that the rate
of fare at certain periods OF the day is unnecessarily
high" and asking that public action be taken in
these matters. Despite the rain storm there was
large attendance Of respectable and intelligent look
ing men. Wholesale merchants, importers, lawyers
and physicians. Mr.. H.P Allen. lawyer. presided.
Mr. Henry q. Robinson said the time had arrived
when the people Of the upper part of the city wanted
to know whether they would really have rapid transit
or not. whether they would have to wait half an
hour before being able to get train He was
disposed to speak with great charity of the Third
avenue L company, but during this week it
had been q common experience for people not to be
able to get train without waiting ten or fifteen min
utes or more. The other morning he went down to
the Eighty fourth street station and there met gen.
tleman who had waited ten minutes for a train and
had to go away to take horse He (A1r. Robin
being able to get and lost half hour in this
way. friend of his had to wait at Canal street
ton half an hour last evening before getting
uptown train.
"a LACK OF BRAINS"
''While do not like to criticise the company, Mr..
Robinson said Il must say--for it the opinion of
everybody talk withLthat there is somewhere
lack of brains in running this road. Whether the
company think that no brains or experience Is re.
they seem to get all the trains at one end, and
they don't switch them over to the other
6<,.a fi,,, 9th av,d
There is somewhere lack OF brains and experience
in managing this road" Mr.. Robinson said that
various remedies had boon proposed, but, probably,
the effective remedy would be to put in third
track. Undoubtedly the insufficient accommoda-
tions would hasten the building OF other lines and
certainly afford vast relief to the east side people.
'sITTING AN ICE HOUSE.
Mr.. Andrew Powell mentioned the Of a friend
of his who last evening had to wait at Grand street
station from five minutes after five to quarter to
o'clock, and then finally had to take horse
He had now been compelled to abandon the ell line
altogether and have recourse to the Madison
avenue horse car line. which brought him home
more quickly. But this not the only complaint.
Pipes had been put into the cars and yet they had
not been heated. Many passengers had caught cold
in these and were suffering from the effects.
The horse were not cold, because the
motion was SO much, much greater greater: as to cause
trains they were sitting if in icehouse
(Applause) Mr.. Powell advocated also that the
morning fye-cent hours be extended from haf-past
seven to hi past eight. At present the termination
of the morning time for reduced fare was so early
that working girls, for whom it was intended, in
order to avail themselves of it must get
down town fifteen twenty minutes before
their shops or factories were opened, and
then had to wait outside. Mr.. Powell thought
it wrong for the company not to have brakemen
ut the end OF their trains, neglect by which
they endangered the lives OF the passengers who
opened the gates themselves or Jumped over them
while the trains were i'll motion. The company
should certainly run twice ais many trains as they
did now to accommodate the travel.
Mr. s. g. Pullman thought that the Grand Central
trains should be dispensed with, they materially
to go to she depot should be taken to Third
and Forty-second street, and there special trains
should be in readiness to take them to the depot.
WANTS A LITTLE MORE HEAD
Mr. Jacob r. Miller, lawyer. said that while for
the beginning OF such enterprise great indulgence
should be exercised yet he must speak frankly IN re-
gard to the complaints i'll eyerybodys mind The
company wants . little more head. Compare it with
the Sixth avenue Ii Why the difference is great
between day and night. There's no regularity about
this road. Look at the dirtincss OF the cars-they
are dirty, filthy things, unfit for a civilized people
to travel in. 1 have seen the tobacco juice lying
on the door, am sure, for week at time. l say
these unfit ladies and gentlemen to travel
in and say that they disgrace to the company.
i asked conductor the other day il there any
body attending to the sweeping and cleaning of the
cars and he said that he didn't know that there
All this shows how this road is managed-that it is
not managed at all. This evening he said he
it generally took him between forty and fifty
minutes.
The Chairman can generally 60 fast in the
Madison avenue horse line.
motion made to appoint committee Of
three to lay these complaints before the directors.
but after disc the number increased
Mr.. Charles +. Valentine spoke of the harshness,
rudeness and brutal incyiliy Of the conductors and
brakemen nearly every one of whom, he said, acted
though he owned the car he was He cited
instance in which he prevented conduc-
tor and brakeman from throwing man be-
tween the platforms and killing him after
train had got into motion. He believed that. while
the committee would be pleasantly received by the
officers. yet they would accomplish nothing. ave
all see, said he "that this road is not going to
be for the benefit OF the community but for the
benefit the tirectors He in favor OF petition
ing the Legislature for redress and he believed that
II the fare fixed at six cents instead OF ten cents
the road would still be gold mine.
The following committee were then appointed to
wait upon the officers of the company:-H c. Rob
ipson. commission merchant; j. b. Brooks, Jacob L.
Miller. lawyer; William A. Marble. merchant; J. A.
j. Neafe, real estate dealer William +. Hebberd.
John. X. Durfee. N. NJ. Freeman NJ. d.; G. T. Quack-
enbusb wholesale hardware merchant; s. d. Foot
and II. p. Allen, lawyer
The meeting then sdjournedsubjcct to the call Of
the Chair. having been characterized by very mod.
crate as well as earnest spirit throughout.