The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-21
TROLLY MILLENNIUM
Manager Young Tells the
Board of Trade What the
Traction Company
Will Dc.
FENDER ON ALL CARS
Through Cars From Hackensack
to Jersey City Probable
Transfers to the North
Hudson Lines.
TENDERS ON ALL CARS

does everything that Manager David
Young promised it would at the Board
of Trade meeting last night, the citizens
of 8his CITY and patrons of the mpa
will have occasion to bless the advent OF
the trolley system. AT the invitation OF
the Board Mr.. Young appeared to tell
what the corporation he represents had
done for the people of this city. There
was some little hitch between the visitor
and members at first as to whether the
members should state their grievances
or Mr.. Young make a statement. The
latter was finally decided upon, and IN
an impressive, business-like way Mr..
Young gave ~utterance to the following
Gentlemen, and members of the Board
of Trade. When I was invited mere 1
did not expect to be asked to make d
speech. / thought it was for the purpose
of hearing your grievances against the
Consolidated Traction Company and con-
ferring with you as to a proper remedy.
1 will therefore merely relate what the
company has done and what 1T expects
to do for the people of this city. In the
first place, it must be that
the Consolidated Traction Company does
not only operate in Jersey City, but also
in Newark, Elizabeth, Roseville and other
~neighboring towns and villages. The
work of changing from the horse car
to the electric system has been a large
task. With the changing of tracks,
~ssringdng of overhead wires, building
of car stations and other work, and at
the same time trying to keep the cars
running in order to carry our patrons
to their various destinations, an idea OF
what has been done can be formed. That
we were successful in our work is in a
great measure due to the advice ana as
sistance given us by your fellow-citizen
Mr.. Charles b. Thurston.
VAST ALTERATIONS.
The changing of the gauge to conform
with the standard gauge in use in other
cities was the hardest difficulty to sur
mount. In Newark over one hundred
miles of track had to be altered. In
Jersey City about fifty miles, and as
many more in Elizabeth and other towns.
Strs age to say, in not one of these three
cities did the gauge agree. In Jersey
City it was 4 feet 10 inches, in Newark,
5 feet 2 inches, and in Elizabeth 4 feet
IL inches. Cars corresponding to these
gauges had to be kept running while the
standard gauge was being laid.
IT was called to take charge of the
work on December 1, 1892, and at the
close of last year all the tracks of the
company's lines were changed to comply
with the standard gauge. From this the
magnitude of the work done may be con-
sidered, and in a measure will excuse
us from what in some cases may be con-
sidered defects in our system. During
Z - - r. = fan ,oaonthc INV attention has
been called to Newark, and this city
has partly suffered in my absence. /
managed, however, to hold a consulta-
ton with the division superintendent,
which has resulted in better assommoda-
lions to the travelling public. At present
the Montgomery street cars run at three
minutes Roadway, belt line cars at four
minutes. Bayonne at four minutes and
Erie line at five minutes Roadway during
the busy hours. 1t is to be admitted
that there is not sufficient accommoda-
ton on the Greenville and Bayonne lines.
During the summer months we ran both
open and closed cars along that line.
The patrons, however, refused to patron
iZe the closed cars. This resulted in
scrowding the open ones. This was In a
measure their fault and not the COM
pany's. Anticipating that we would need
more closed cars this winter we have
ordered fifty new closed cars from the
Stephenson Company, and they are ex-
pected whiting the next two weeks.
Thirty of these will be placed on the
Greenville line, which will afford the
people of that section ample accommo-
dation. We have tried to run trippers
to relieve the press of travel during the
busy hours, but found it would not pay.
The American disposition is against them.
1t is one of the traits of our people to
get there If a car comes along they
board it no matter how crowded It Is,
the bunkers rather than wait for the
next car, which, nine times out of ten,
will be almost empty. c,, ,r,r.
"The company realizing that their power
supply was not sufficient, have increased
it by adding to the 1900 horsepower
plant three. additional dynamos, one of
ESQ horsepower and two of 500 horse
power each. Several new electric plows
have been bought, which will insure clear
tracks during the heaviest snowstorm
and will enable us to run them over our
ines at twenty minutes Roadway. We
have also arranged for tenders To be
nait I : the barrow and the Field.
BY January ! every car will be supplied
with a fender. We are also making ar
TO run through CARS from the
ferry through to Hackensack, along the
line of Newark avenue. This will in
crease the accommodations for people in
that section. The plan of running a
through car followed by a local is a
newa one in the street railway system.
and it has not yet reached the perfec-
tidn we expect to attain. We have tried
to get waiting rooms on the Hill and at
the Junction, but found it impossible to
| buy property. Within a week we expect
to be able to transfer from the Hender-
son street line to the Bay street line
| and that will complete our system of
transfers so far as the ferries are con-
cerned."
AT this point members of the board be-
gan to ply Mr.. Young with questions.
One was as to the feasibility of trans
| ferring from the North Hudson lines
| to the Newark avenue line, so as to Sc
cure for local tradesmen the patronage
| of residents of the Heights.
IL this Mr.. Young said
81 nave not as yet found time to de-
vote to the question. ] am only interest
ed as an operating Individual, and not
as a financial one. The suggestion is a
/ good one, and l will submit 1t to the
company n do all ! can to further it."