Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-10
AS TO FERRY BOAT SUICIDES.
New Light From Wechawken Upon
the Curious Ways of Women.

New Light From wechawkeu Upon
the Curious Ways Of Women.
From the New York Sun.
1t is one thing to get an assignment to
write story. 1t Is another thing to find a
man VINO will tell a story that will be
readable.
A Sun reporter had an assignment to in
terview some man at a ferry, and ask him
hcw many people he had seen jump from
ferry boats into the river; how many were
women and how many were men; how
many more jumped in the afternoon than
in the morning, how many more jumped in
the evening; and why those who did jump
always made the leap from the crowded end
OF the boat. where the chances of rescue
were greater than they would be aft where
no one is present.
III MIR. DeDew were 1erryman he would
have had data at hand that would have
mace an interesting story. But your aver
age terryman is not a Depew.
The reporter had to do the best he could
with the material at hand. He went to q
half dozen ferries and asked these ques-
ticns, but the responses were not encour-
aging. The only one who showed dspo-
sition to be accommodating was one who is
On watch on the Weenawken line. A fell
low of infinite Jest, he does not know it.
How many people have you seen jump
asked.
This vear?"
Yes. this year will do as we'll as any,"
'Lemme see. don't believe I've seen any
jump this year"
We'll, last year.
Il wasn't here last year"
where were you-if you were at any
ferry?"
How many did you see jump from Full
ton street ferries?"
Never saw any.
please state, from any ferries where you
kGd M s.Nl-
jump"
well, never counted EN-"
| did you ever see any?"
| "Oh, yes. I've seen some. But, as said,
| l never counted en-
| Have you seen more men than women
| Jump
winners more on the jump than men.
as far / can recollect. Are you inter
viewin' me for the papers""
| Yes
! well, make it wimmen, then. / think
have seen more winlmen jump than men. 1
| dent think l ever see but one man jump,
come to think of 1t, and he didn't jump.
Only tried to-"
| well, let that one go. Now about the
women. Do they jump mostly in the after
noon. the morning OF the evening""
| "Oh, you can't tell anything about that.
| You never can tell when a woman is going
to jump overheard. She is just likely to
| jump in the middle of the day.
From the forward end of the boat, gen.
| erally?"
| Generally, yes. Where the crowd is.
| They like to hear people holler, and get up
| excitement"
| Then you think it is for effect-that they
| do not really want to drown?'
| Sure. Why, we fished out a woman
cnct that had life preservers on her. Not
| en- this line, though. l reckon somebody s
| been stringir' you. S'pose you think that
| most anybody'd ruther jump in the river
| thar to get off at Weehawken. But that
| amt 50. Weehawken amt a bad town IL
| live in when you're onct acquainted there
| Purity good society in Weehawken.'
How many women have you rescued, o:
| those who have jumped overboard?"
| "Only that one l told you about
| 1.-THE others were lost?"
"Oh, / don't know. You never can tell
/ Now, if man jumps over and goes down
| and you don't see him come up, the chances
| is that he's goner. But womanl
Jump over, and stay under, and get hel
name and picter in the papers, and make 6
lot of trouble in the family, and get up 6
mystery, and about the time the flowers !:
bought for the funeral she'll turn up al
right, and get the rake off,
THE what?"
1.-The rake off-the flowers and the en-
hlms OF mournin, and the kiss and tn,
makeup. Reckon you don't know niue!
about wimmen. You'd better write III
| scmethin' else There amt nothin' in tn!
business you've been askin about.