Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-08-07
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

SPECIAL CoRRESrONDENCE.
The merchants here are keeping mp
their magnificent efforts to demoralize
railroal rates and upset the interstate
commerce law, aud it is having tell
ing effect. Every considerable town
between the Missouri river aud the
seaboard is now demanding share in
the cut rate for merchants, and the
railroads are not SO blind to the fair
ness of the proposition that they can
readily refuse. SO the cutting goes
on, and the smaller places are now
asking that the minimum limit of 100
members of these trumped UP mercan-
tile associations to each locality be
reduced so that the cut-rates may
benefit more places. Seriously"
says the Journal of Commerce in re.
spending to some remarks on the sub
ject in contemporary, eve see no
more violation of the letter or spirit
of the interstate commerce law in a
special rate to business men who come
to New York at the buying season
than in special rate to young women
who 60 to San Francisco at the season
of a Christian Endeavor convention.
There is none so blind as he who does
not wish to see. The reduced rates
to the Christian Endeavor convention
applied to particular and distinct
event aud were open to all. The cut
rates secured by the merchants here
in their own behalf apply to an ordi-
nary and continuous state of trade and
are open only to members of this mer-
chants association and designed only
for the nonresident members. If it
is fair aud lawful for the roads to give
reduced rate to particular class of
persons in order to draw them to this
city during one month in the fall and
one month in the spring, then it is
fair and lawful for them to grant the
reduced rate to select few for all the
year round, and in favor of any par
ticular locality which the road may be
persuaded to help at the expense of
others. If this is not n violation of
the interstate prohibition of unjust
discrimination in behalf of persons
and places, then the statute is mean
ingless and of no effect. The fact is
that New Yorkers are setting vicious
precedent and resorting to demoraliz-
ing practices. Who has had more to
say about restored railroad rates, sta
bility in rates, fairness and uniformity
in rates than they? And yet the mer-
chants association here is now doing
its best to upset the very basis of uni
formity and stability in rates, and to
introduce the old chaos of the best rate
for the biggest man. The officers Of
the association, in one letter to the
western roads asking for cuts in favor
of this city, speak of the heavy invest
ments of New York merchants in those
roads as reason for granting the fa-
vor. But who has hal more to say,
and more cause to protest, against the
rate-cutting, Notwithstanding prac-
tices of the roads than they? And yet
all this seems to have been forgotten
in a present extraordinary attempt to
boom this city by questionable means.
The bicycle squad of the police force
is rapidly rivaling the mounted con-
tingent in deeds of daring and heroism.
The record of the latter is too we'll
known to call for present rehearsal.
1t is enough to say that more than one
mounted officer in this city has sacri-
feed his life in an endeavor to save
others from the dangers of ruhaways
in our crowded uptown driveways.
During the past few months the bicy-
Gle policeman, known in the vernacu-
lar of the wheel as the /" bike cop, "
has drawn public attention to himself
in a way that is both worthy of prone o.
tion and medal. The latest case of
this sort, and one that has not been
surpassed in skill and daring, occurred
recently on upper Lenox avenue,
whenActing Roundsman John Schuess-
Ter, one of the most expert of the
wheeling squad, without his bicycle
and with only his legs to depend upon
for speed, leaped at n maddened
horse attached to a delivery wagon.
At the imminent peril of his life lie
hung on to name and harness, and by
keeping his head and making use of a
valuable knowledge in the handling of
horses, he succeeded, after consider
able distance had been covered, in
swerving the animal toward the side
walk and against tree, bringing him
to halt. But the officer, in doing
this, was so battered and bruised that
he was in the end found hanging to
the harness IN an unconscious condi-
tion, and was laid up for repairs.
This is not Schuessler's first deed
of daring. He was once laid up for
three weeks by injuries received in
the performance of his duty. Such
acts are worthy of public official recog-
milton, for the rea 'on that they neces-
sarily involve the risk of life to save
life, that they demand keen intelli-
gence and prompt judgment, and that
they are done not i'll ignorance Of dan
ger, but in spirit of danger defied
for devotion to duty and in behalf Of
fellow beings imperiled.
A determined eff,rt is to be made
here to get disorderly women commit
ted to the house of the Good Shep-
herd instead of to Blackwell's island.
Men and women of many religious
connections are concerned in this
movement, though the house Of the
Good Shepherd is a Roman Catholic
institution. 1t is for the purpose Of re-
claiming hayward or drunken women,
though not hardened convicts, who
are not so amenable to reforming in.
huences. The notion of the promot-
ers of this plan, of course, is to arrest
them ut the start of an evil life, in
stead of letting them he made crimi'
nails by Black wells island associations.
4 L