The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-11-23
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER %. 1899.
THIS paper is Democratic in principles and is
Independent IN its rietcs on oil local questions
The Awful Grand Street Cars.

The company has had every allow
ance made for the difficulties that be-
set it in constructing its new lines. 1t
has been allowed its own time. 1t set
its own day for the Inauguration of a
satisfactory service. 1t promised that,
beginning on Saturday, it would
furnish all the transit that the needs
of the Greenville and Bayonne line
demanded. There was to be no more
o~vercrowding after that date, aud
there were to be no more long waits
between cars. This promise was dis
tinctlY and e~mphatically made by the
officials of the company to the public
through the columns of THE JERSEY
CITY NEWS.
So far as we can see, not the least
step has been made towards keeping
the promise. The fact is the service
has been worse, much worse this
week than ever before. Even now,
realizing the difficulties of the situa-
ton, we have no desire to harass the
company or its managers, to condemn
them unjustly or to encourage the
public to expect more than is reason
able. But we should not be doing
our duty as the organ and servant of
the people if We failed to protest
against the outrageous conditions
which have prevailed Tor the last
three days.
Last night, traffic on the Greenville
line was a roaring farce from half past
five to after seven o'clock. Between
six and seven it was practically at
a %standstill. Hardly any cars were
run, certainly not an average of one
in!ten minutes. They were almost
all the little old cars, the carrying
capacity of which is only that of the
old horsecars, and they were pre-
posterously insufficient for the de-
mands of the hour.
At the ferry station, a crowd of en-
ragged men and women stood waiting
for the cars that seldom came. The
language that was used would not
look well in print. When a car did
come, a wild rush was made for it. 1t
was crowded to suffocation in a min
number of minutes. When it did get
under way, it encountered at every
street corner a new crowd of wrathful
citizens waiting in the cold and mud
for an opportunity to get home. But
the already o~vercrowded car afforded
them no relief. Generally it did not
even stop. The motorman knew it
would be useless. If it did stop no.
body got on for nobody could. There
We're men hanging on behind to the
platform rail, while they stood on the
coupling hook.
All this was not for a few minutes.
Tt was for two hours. A member of
THE NEWS staff stood for forty min
utes at Henderson and Grand streets
before he could get the points of his
toes on the edge of the platform. He
could have saved time by walking
home; but, at first he waited indulg-
ing in vain hopes, and later he kept
it DIP out of curiosity TO see how long
it would last. In the last thirty min
utes of the forty. twelve cars went
down towards the ferry almost empty.
Only three ran out to Greenville-in
the whole forty-all damned. The
one he got on was the fourth. These
are actual figures.
Be it observed that we make no
complaint of the situation on the
Montgomery street and Newark ave
nue. lines. We believe great allow
ances for the inevitable conditions
must be made. But we do emphatf-
caIly protest, in the name of the peo-
pie, against the longer continuance OF
these atrocious conditions on the
Grand street line which is now COM
plete. At no time of the day is the
service adequate. At ten o'clock to-
day the cars coming downtown were
denssly packed with passengers. So
they were yesterday and the day be-
fore likewise. The management of
the road does not appear to realize
the volume of travel over this line.
One word more may be said:-The
motormen are far too fond of passing
by people on the sJreet-so we are in
formed at least by citizens. If they
are a minute or SO behind, even ii
there be room in their lars. they re-
fuse to stop when hailed, shouting to
people to take the next car. The
lex car is then, maybe. too full to
step on.
We have no doubt the company
means well. It has put on some very
ine cars. Its tracks are as fine as exist
anywhere. The rate OF speed of the
cars is highly satisfactory. But these
things will not compensate for the
failures we point out.reIfths present
conditions continue through the wet
and cold weather that is coming.
trouble is sure to follow. The people
will not stand such treatment. II MIR.
David Young wants to find out some
hing, why does he not take a walk on
Grand street some evening and see
ME -.