The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-02
THE CHICAGO GRIP.
Something about the Street Cars-WhO
p.ss,a PatrOaize Them. s1g =,
DWerent Glasses of People on Different
t..li. pnes-The Drivers Query ~
"a. g., Night Cars and who ir..t.i .i1,.
fesf,, ~ pse them. t..lj., 49, j..

.Mr il IT VI
CHICAGO, June 15. 'S4-'sNo pushee,
no Pullee. How the helle go,prwas
the sGninaman's ejaculation, when he
first saw the grip cars Or in other
words. the cable cars on our. State
street, and Wabash avenue line,- and the
same thought has undoubtedly occurred
to thousands of visitors, who spent
convention week in this city Inifact
at any time, when riding down or, np
town. on the cable line, you can see
people standing in the centre of the
street, looking through the crack or
narrow opening Of the road, and trying
| to see the cableas it glides along. If
any such people had only taken the
trouble ito Jgo out to 2tst and tState
street, they might have had theircurios-
ity satisfied, and spent most profitable
hour. There at the immense engine
house they could have beheld the grand
motor power, which carries busy hu-
manity from Lake to 3Sth street and
back. m,t
These comprise four engines of 1900
horse power each and are perfect
models of mechanical skill and work
manship. The cable runs over an i'm
mense fly wheel down under the street
around another wheel and thence down
street through the tunnel, supported at
Intervals of about 400 hundred feet by
grooved wheel, at the end of the
street the line is carried around another
large wheel and thence back to the en-
gine house. The trains consist of one
grip" car and from two to four regu-
lar horse cars. On the "grip" car is a
lever which presses on the cable as it
moves, and by compression clings to it.
They are also provided with brake
which attaches to each car of the train,
and in this way the motion of the en-
tire train can be stopped without jar
of any kind. From Lake to 2lst street,
the cable runs at the rate of six miles
per hour, and from 21st to 39th street,
at the rate of ten miles per hour.
This is very fair rate of travel, and
is accepted by thousands and thousands
as is evinced by look at the trains
every morning from six to ten o'clock,
and from five to eight o'clock in the
evening, where you may see men,
women and children packed into the
cars, on the platforms and even hang
ing on behind.
What a variety of people one sees on
a street car, and on different lines of
road. have thought of this many
times while going around the city. On
the South side on Wabash and College
Grove avenues, the passengers are al
most, without exception, we'll dressed
and stylish looking, and show them
selves to be what they are; business
men, bankers, lawyers, and clerks,
holding lucrative positions in business,
and first class places IN society. H
l On State street you see much the
same class, but of different nationals
ity; Jews and Jeweses, going "oud a
leetle way" to their homes. Many of
them elegantly attired and looking
what they really are, ladies and GENTLE
men. Mixed in with these are the
"handy coons" going to his home from
18th to 22d street, flash folks of a de-
cidedly brunette color, pullman por-
ters and such characters.
When on the other horse cars lines,
each has its class of passengers and en-
ployes. While the cable car conductors
are a brisk, driving sort of crowd,
hustling you on or off the cars, the con-
ductors on other lines take it easier.
Going out Milwaukee avenue the
other day, l was amused by the driver,
a big burly fellow of decidedly celtic
aspect, who was annoyed by an ex-
pressman keeping the track Immediate
ly in front of him and who did not
drive half as fast as he thought he
ought. Finally when the fellow stop
ped to fix a strap, the driver could
stand it no longer, but broke out with,
'Hello there, ye spalpeen!! Are yez
going to stop there to feed?"
Here and on the Madison street line
you may see thousands of working
girls, who dressed in neat well-ftting
costumes and carrying their little lunch
boxes, ride out to the cheap homes and
boarding houses in that part of the city.
Low rent is the rule, and it is in the
western part of town that The respect
able middle class live. The north side
cars are patronlzed mostly by foreign
born people, German, Scandinavian
and such. They are phleymatic set,
and with the exception of few Ameri-
can ladies-few In comparison-there
is not much life or variety to be seen.
Here on all the lines, cars are run all
night every half hour, and after the
midnight car has left, the cars present
r.