The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-18


| bors In the rear ere getting some wba, exas
peraied she finds II best 10 make her way q,
to The ferryboat as quickly as possible. Al
though scenes Ike this only OCCUPY few
seconds, YET they are by no means Of unfre
Quent occurrence. A Herald reporter had
talk with one Of The lightning money-isker
yesterday, who said that IL was yery seldom
they bad any trouble with apy passenger
Occasionally at Dish.-time they had a bila
rious passenger or two, but they very rarel,
gave them any trouble.
PEACEFUL PASSENGERS.
"Six months may go by" he said, "with
out once having TO say word TO a passen
ger. They just pays their money and walk
through. and II they wants change VIII,
they get II. and pretty quick, too. Once IL
awhile Wen get c0uniry-looking fellow
who's kinder gone astray, and will come Ut
and ask II this Is the way to jersey City, Ol
something like that. All we've got to dt
then Is to say No. and let him 90 his way ,
At the busiest hour the waiting-room II
quickly filed. When the whistle announce.
the departure OF a boat, the iron gate
which separates the waitiDg-room from The
ferry-landiug, Is closed and generally keep:
host Of persons as prisoners till the neX
boat. Those who are kept back in this way
suddenly find that they want a paper, anC
there Is quite raid on the newspaper and
book-stalls. Once on the boat the crow
quickly separates. The ladies' cabin is al.
ways as clean-looking and neat as parlor
The floor OF the gentlemen's cabin or
the opposite side OF the boat is gene.
rally covered with tobacco.iuice, and the
room reeks OF the odor of stale cigars
and pipes, like a bar-room. GeDtlemen
and ladies' alike use the ladies' cabin, and II
is eminently respectable. The smell OF
smoke never comes near it, excepting when
some airy youth. not knowing the disiinc.
ton Of The cabins, marches IN putting d
cigar. He quickly finds himself the OBJ
served OF all observers, and, discovering his
mistake, retires TO the region OF smoke and
tobacco Juice. The scenes In the smoking
cabin are varied. The verlest tramp may
be seen sitting beside the wealthy broker
who has made his thousands in the course
OF the day, and occasionally informs him
that he would like 10 "take a little fire."
The ferries run all night, and in the small
hours carry home those who have been 10
see the sights, and who are frequently in a
state Of eXuberant spirits.
HOW TUE BRIDGE WILL AFFECT THE FERRIES.
Iu spite OF the immense and increasing
ferry traffic in the East river, the great
structure which spans the river, and which
before long will be known as the Brooklyn
bridge, Is a daily reminder to the ferry COM
panies that they will not much longer have
The entire monopoly OF carrying passengers
to and fro. The Union Ferry Company say
there is no doubt that on the day the bridge
Is opened it will strike heavy blow on the
ferries. and that the decrease Of passengers
on these floating bridges will be enormous.
Not so, says the president OF the Brooklyn
Bridge Company, upon whom a Herald re-
porter called Yesterday. He said that he did
not think the bridge would make any mate
rial difference TO the ferry traffic-at least, not
nearly so much as was generally supposed
and talked about. All the people who had
their business by the river in the neigh bor-
hood OF the bridge would still use the fer
res, and that large proportion OF the
down town businessmen would not deselt t
them. That there would be only two ways
OF getting to the bridge from this side
Franklin Square and City Hall-and be
didn't expect that persons would come from
Wall street and like streets for the sake OF
going over the bridge when they have Il
ferry almost at their doors. In answer to
an inquiry as to the probable date OF COM
pletion OF the bridge, the president said
it would be some time during the
year 1881; be said that he had hoped
everything would be ready for the Open
ing by next summer, but he was afraid now
that it would be great deal nearer the
close Of the year. The president was igno-
rant OF what would be the detailed arrange
ments for carrying passengers across the
bridge when the time came. The matter,
he said, would not he settled Till the bridge
was nearly completed. lie said the proba-
bilitv was that steam-cars OF the same de-
scription as those in use on the elevated
roads would convey the passengers across
at repeated intervals for about the same fare
as that charged by the ferries-namely, two
or three cents, and at certain times perhaps
for one cent trip. As for foot passengers,
he said he did not know what the toll would
be, if there was any at all. In his opinion
such charges only should be made as were
Necessary TO keep the bridge in order.
THE PRICE OF THE FERRY PRIVILEGES.
The secretary OF the Union Ferry Con-
pany yesterday told reporter that only one
dollar per annum under the present lease
was paid to the city for the ferry privilege.
That at the expiration OF the old lease, In
which they paid Sl03, 900 a year for running
t1e ferries, the city authorities proposed 10
let them have the ferries for a nominal con-
sideration if they would reduce the fare
generally to one cent. This they refused 10
do, but said they would have one-cent fare
for Eve hours in The day, between D O'Clock
ana alf-past 7 morning and evening. Thl.
was agreed upon, aud all that has been PAID
for the present lease, which expires on
NAV 10th, is one dollar per annum. The
city commenced a suit some years ago, re.
pudiating the present lease, which is still
bending, on the ground that the authorities
transcribed their authority in granting the
lease.