New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
NTVTH-iJE. EXPRESS TRAINS.
A NEW YORKER WHO DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEN
HAD A SURPRISE.

A KEW YORKER MO DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEM
HAD SURPRISE.
TIL. .xpre.s train service On the Nnthave ele-
v,,e,l railroad Is a boon To residents OF Harlem but
,e,,l. living below Fifty-ninth-st. generally know
fr,l. ahou, H. A man with whom the writer talked
when the subject Of Harlem was mentioned. ex-
dressed himself as disklng the region. because II
would take him long to go and come from II"
ONCE near Cortandt-st.
..But YOU can 60 20 Harlem from your ONCE ana
you can come to your office from Harlem IN aoou'
,vo-thirds OF the time that you can go to Forty
second-st." replied the writer
He looked ircreIulous and seemed undecided
whether or not to call policeman and have the
speaker arrested as mnatlc.
you mean we will be able to do 80 when we get
rand transit" he responded, after short pause
"Oh. no. | mean. now to-uay' t"'s "''e'"o''
the reporter replied
Where does the flying machine start from WIS
the next query. In the same sarcastic tone
"WiN you meet me al the 'ortahn'-s'. s'"t'oi
and <, home dinner with me tonight asKcu
the writer. 49,
Tho invitation was accepted and the doubling
Thomas promised 10 he at the station at quarter
Of & Tn. writer was there at that time. but MS
friend was not Two express trains came and went.
and then the bela,ed friend came also
'"rhe express has just gone" the reporter re-
marked.
"Oh then ! snail not na't ''' P''"'"'N - N
flying trip" he replied with sneering smile.
"yss van Will: we will wait for the next one'
the reporter replied;
A regular train came along and the ticket chopper
called out:
Harlem. all stations
The reporter stood stll and his friend looked al
him nqulringly and much as said:
Don't YOU think we will gain time by taking TINS
train
"'rhe exprces will be along in few minutes, the
reporter explained
Another train came and once more the ticket
chopper called out: -,
The renorier's friend looked uneasy when 1t be-
came evident that this train was not 10 conNs WIEN n
third train was allowed 20 pass IN Se srv If
II the reporters Intention 10 remain NAM on rain o
platform All night. ami when the i9urIh .ra
AZ II he was now sure the reporter was unbalanced
In his mind Another train followed THIS one closely
and the chopper called out . o,o h,raradord
Harlem express Franklin TO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
While going in the ear the reporters friend re-
We might have been half way to Harlem by this
yours" ,.., D., ,,. ,.,.-
The writer dld not reply but waited for the yc
train passed the Barcay-st; and the War r 81
stations without stopping, and then Matted al FRANK
nsxd ,od the s snard
called out and hs reporters rdnd bt Il aid not
go with anything which suggested express train
speed past Desbrosses Houston ana christopher
ss. although IT did not stop at any OF these STA
tons. and AT the sharp curve Just 5outn OF four-
teenth-st. the train came TO tull stop me re-
porters friend pulled out his watch "a. -
We'll have been eleven minutes on the way,
and are not to Fourtecnth-s yet, ne remarked
''and Harlem Is some distance from there
The train started again just then ana IN less IMAM
n minute was past the Foureenth-st station: Just
II cleared the station. II swerved to the left. the
wheels ratified switch, and aS the centre
track was reached the engine began TO pun with
an energy that was commendable even In a locomo-
tive. The train increased It's gait. and before Twen,
ty third-st reached was going with speed
that made the reporters friend stare
At Twenty -third-st one OF the trains that had
been allowed to pass at cortandt,st was over
hriy fourthst. the third between Forty second ,s
and fiftleth SITS and the fourth was waiting just
below the switch at Fify third-st to allow the ex-
press to pass. The train here swung TO the OUTSIDE
uptown track over the complicated switch at FIFTY
thrd-st.. and back again to the middle track IN
way that suggested unpleasant possibilities Ihen
II passed eight other Ninth-ave. and Sixth-ave
trains above FTfty -ninth-st. and pulled In AT the
One station on time, Just
twenty-three minutes after II started from Cort-
landt-st.
The mood OF the reporters friend had changed
when they alighted AT One-hundred-and-twehty-
nfth-st.
Well that beats me-" was all he could say.