Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1899-02-16
BRIDGETON, N. J. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16 1899

CedmS 10 the DarD. Samuel COON bS had
his team out in the afternoon but the one
horse could haul but small quantity
Tomlinson put out little coal with two
horses to light wagon ,and D P. Mulford
had troubles with double team. One
carter was stuck in a drift on Kienzle's
lane, and had to be sbovelled out. Anoth-
or deliverer broke swingletrees on North
Laurel street and had to dig the team oul1
Thomas w. Willirms had out team of
powerful blacks to double sleigh in the
afternoon for the PIONEER. A reporter
accompanied him on the trip. Going
north 1t was almost impossible to see
ahead of the noble horses, and drifts of
five or six feet seemed to suddenly arise
in the road and through these the horses
foundered, and the sleigh rock ed danger
ously; only the most skillful driving kept
the vehicle from overturning and send.
ing the half frozen occupants in the deep
embankments. Atlantic Street was closed
entirely and it was impossible to get up
Commerce Street hill. Down on South
Avenue, no wagon or sleigh could get
through, and streets running East and
West were even in worse shape
All over town the snow had drifted in
many places higher than fence tops and a
pedestrian was obliged to take most
circuitous route to get anywhere. First
in the road, then in path, and again in
somebody's yard.
Anywhere the wind had good wide
sweep, the snow was carried with great
velocity and banked somewhere into
huge drifts.
Only two women were noticed to be
walking down town Monday. One, a
book-keeper in the Third ward, walked
off the pavement in front of D. Bacon e.
Sons store. and dropping down in the
gutter, was up to her neck in snow. Eye
witnesses quickly brought shovels and
dug her out. A second ward lady had
the same experience.
A reporter visited most of the shoe
stores and found in them lively busi-
ness. The demand was for rubber goods:
boots, artics and rubber shoes were being
sold IKE hot sausages at County Fair.
One could not be very particular either.
FOR the stocks were rapidly depleted, and
pretty much anything was heap better
than nothing. Other stores were not
busy at all. An Inspection of a PIONEER
reporter. showed that none of the cash
registers were being abused with work.
me Grocery stores werea doing some
business, and an occasional butcher
shop was warned of a prospective fam
inc in this house or that,
The two telephone companies were
busy all day. Every body that had a
phone was using it. The talking
machines were much preferable to run
ing about. The telegraph operator was
also rushed, there being no mails made
it necessary to use the wire. and the
people who went off to spend SUNDAY
and could not get back were sending dis
patches to anxious ones.
Owing to it being a legal holiday. the
banks and schools were closed: in fact
never before has Lincoln's birthday been
SO generally observed by a suspension of
business as yesterday.
The PIONEER appeared on time Mon
day, brimful of news, and was lin great
demand. The carriers started bravely off
with their routes, and they had a sorry
time of it. The little fellows were almost
buried in some of the drifts and thew NAV
have missed some people, but certainly
nobody will blame them,
The Post Office was good deal like
morgue all day. Nobody came after any
mail, and few wanted to send any. The
sale of stamps was far the very lowest on
record. The carriers made one collection
and did no more duty all day
Steam was not raised down at Cox e.
work but the men could not get out and
the entire works were banked solidly
with snow. Out at the Ferracute an at
tempt was made TO work, but very few
people showed up. None of the glass
works turned out any glass, the men not
attempting to get to the factories. The
Wooden Mills were idle all day. the oper-
tors not reaching the place.
Restaurants were busy places about
noon. The down town community did
not go home to dinner and the eating
houses were overrun. Some of the places
ran out of oysters and the butcher shops
and bakeries werevisited several times by
the caterers for supplies.
The road overseers ruefully looked
over the field (hguratively speaking) and
decided it useless to attempt to open
paths, One effort was made to use the
snow plow but the walk filled in as soon
as the pillow had passed on. The few who
found it necessary to be out, could
scarcely get along. Especially those who
had to face the storm suffered. A few
steps as man tioundered on, and the
breath came thick and fast while the
heart pounded like trap hammer. Ere
quent rests We're necessary and men
reached home almost exhausted.
The business community besieged the
PIONEER office for information from the
outside world. There were hopes that a
mail train might get through, but the
hope was vain one. Many a man would
have given dollar for newspaper and
peep at stock reports. The much sought
for letters, were somewhere stopped on
trains. and business plans were greatly
hindered.
People generally began to lock up shop
along about five o'clock and go home.
The early closing movement received
orr ipnn nin A o,.lr