New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-17
ARITHNETiC1L RLLES DEFIED.
THE HARD lot or THE BROOKLYN ROY NEAR
TWELVE YEARS OF AGE-TWo HALVES THAT
MAKE MORE THAN ONE WHOLE

| THE HARD lot or THE BROOKLYN BoY NEAR
TWELVE, YEARS OF AGE-TwO HALVES THAT
MAKE MORE THAN ONE WHOLE
| The lot Of the Brooklyn Lad who approaches Tho
| age OF twelve is "A not altogether happy one. Any
| wav Il has obvious drawbacks. more particularly
II he happens TO be larger and taller than the aver
age boy Previous 10 arriving al the dignity ~
twelve years he permitted 10 ride the surface
| cars for cents or what - commonly called half
| fare"
1t happens scores II not hundreds OF times every
| day that parents enter the cars accompanied by
| children and the approach OF the conductor
| remark: zone and n half" or Two and half"
] or Two and two halves" as the may be. by
| the railroad companies the ordinary rules Of arth-
| metic Sc; aside and ruthlessly nouted. Every
where else in the world. perhaps. two halves make
| one whole one. but II IS not so IN the brooklyn
trolley cars one whole fare Is : cents. but two
! half fares cents. and appeal 10 the rules
| laid down by Davies and Stoddard and the arith-
| rneticans whose dicta universally accepted
will make the slightest impression on the mind %
| the conductor All children between three and
| twelve count FOR what is technically termed
"halves." and pay cents for their ride.
OF course there people who VIII try 10 cheat
the companies even ont OF or cents. by claim
Ing that their children either less than three
or under twelve. and occasionally a controversy
will ensue. In the OF large child Of eleven
the conductor Will sometimes seem to be justified
in demanding full fare and such a child riding
alone will be likely TO get any change returned
In he hands the conductor a nick" II he has
provided himself with the requisite cents he Is
not OF escaping the rcproaches OF suspi-
cious conductor. and after few experiences Of
this kind Will beg his parents to give him cents
the time he goes the alone.
Some amusing incidents have occurred on account
OF the current practice. once upon time "A
bouncing girl entered car and offered the con-
ductor cents.
old yol tno f,,pn
Eleven" the answer.
you're pretty big girl for eleven How soon
will YOU be twelve
on" said the girl 'I'n be twelve this afternoon.
saw bs, my w erHuh hSrr Du Until after dr,rr time
The conductor retired to the rear platform dis
Not long ago a mother and her eieven-year-o old
son boarded a car uptown. |oyIke ne latter
occupied by no one but the conductor. In a few
minutes tho latter approached ne mother IN quest
or ms fares. She handed him eight cents Inc con-
How old is that boy?'' he asked in contemptp
only eleven" answered The mother n a.,
II was evident from his manner that he did no;
marched back to The PLATFORM apparently intent
STrveG ihc b@ ORDERED the boy to go into the
car and Of course the boy had no a,erna'lVr Hn
10 obey. Plainly IL that conductors opinion
that who did not pay fun fare should be
allowed 10 ride on the platform. and 1t was evident
that he ala not put full confidence in thu mother
statement Had 1t been the father instead Of the
mother who was taking the boy downtown he
would scarcely have acted 50 insOentiN.
On the brooklyn elevated roads, as on most OF
the surface lines In Ncw-NOrk. there rs no nan
fare. but all children five are required 10 pay
five cents. while younger ones arc carried rec
various the devices Of unscrurulous parents
who try TO have their children ride nee. In ms
relation one incident that came under the writer's
observation 10 worth retcllins. As he was on MS
way downtown one afternoon his attention was -
uhcted, as he stepped on the platform 0i the "."-
Vdtrd station, by the earnest, almost passionate,
vaccinations OF little fellow who was In charge
aunt.
W nat dd you say wasn't five for?' the boy
waH saying, with tears I'm his and voice. and
imdlgnan non Milling his soul. what ala you say ]
WISH nVe iorY' he kept repeating. while the two
cealed smiles. 1890
nan San tne boy was under five. and had thus es-
capcu paying hve cents for him. but he had heard |
her remark. and felt outraged 10 tho hotfom az hs
heart by having his age and standing as a free ana
independent American deprecated One cOu,d not |
nep fe rS ON hs effect Of the mothers dis
the incident having apparently left an ineYacoabic
Impression on his young mind "