New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-27
"HOODOOED" CAR LINE.

Brooklyn people are asking with no little
reason. if the Seventh-ave car line Of that city
IS "boodooed" On no other theory does II
seem possible to explain the unfailing. egregious
and i'm brief monumental bad management
which has attended It and which still clings to
Il closer than n brother. The line was built, rs
will be remembered, by the late Deacon Rich-
ardson an essential part of 1t being constructed
on a Sunday morning In order to avoid iegai
Interference. From that day on it has seemed
TO be under a ban The Deacon regarded IL
with especial affection, and tried hard TO
make It the best of all his lines. But under his
management it never won public favor. After
him came the Nassau company and under lis
malign influences the line speedily became the
most cordially detcsted in the whole city
which IS saving n good deal It's cars were the
most overcrowded its conductors and motor
men the most dsobliging and insolent. II was
made a sort of scapegoat for the sins of all the
other lines of that system 1t was manned with
tbe most inefficient men. On Sundays and
HOLIDAYS all the least bad OF Its cars were taken
off and put upon the other lines to meet the
increased demand there, leaving only dllap-
idated boxes on Seventhave., running at half
hourly intervals When those abominable side
door dead-opcn- and-shut coffin cars were de-
vised the first fruits Of the inventors pernicious
genius were put upon Seventhave. Even the
conductors and motormcn got to desplse 1t, so
TINT many of them refused to work on IT, pre-
fcrring dismissal from the service. Any self
respecting motorman preferred to work on any
other line at twenty-five cents day less.
Whom at last The Tribune's efforts drove off
the coffin cars. and then the Nassau lines came
e .I,N proOly lUn n
sit COMPANY which was supposed TO he a
civilized concern, there was much rejoicing on
the Park slope People thought, or at least
hoped that the "hOOdoo" had been iifted ana
that they should have on the car line upon
which they were absolutely dependent ser
v;co at least fit for the slums. They have
waited patiently for n realization OF that nope
knowing that any system as bad as the Nassau
was cannot he set right in day. But nope
has been deferred day after day, week ar'er
."eek month after month, until their hearts are
/ sick indeed The cars are still crowded De-
! yond all limits OF decency and comfort. Ihey
are still run with eXasperating irreguiarlty ana
| infreouency They are still of an antlquateu
and inferior style On Sundays and holidays
they are still drafted off to the other lines. ID
the blazing hot Sundays Of the last few weeks
| nearly all the cars on Seventh-aVe were cloSeu
cars Of a type devised by one of the Grand In
uuisitors OF the Nassau company, IN wnlcr
none Of the windows can be opened. Imagine
riding in an almost air-tight glass box In the
blazing sunlight. where the thermometer STANDS
9t 100! That has been the experience OF th'
hairless patrons Of the "hoodooed' line.
Yet that line should, by virtue Of its stuati9
be one of the very best in the city. part %
Seventh-ave. is still a delightful and fashion
able residence street. There are along II half {
dozen of the leading churches Of the city. Th
abutting or transectlng streets and the parable
avenues at each side form one Of the choices
residence districts in Brooklyn. And the peo
pie there. for miles. are dependent upon TN
Seventh-ave. line for transportation. 1t has
monopoly Of the business. and Is protected II
that monopoly by the physical and legal i'm
possibilities Of building competing lines. TIL
line could be made the best in equipment ant
management in the city. and still be one o
the best paying Instead, il Is one OF til
worst equipped and managed. not only i
Brooklyn, but in any city in the known world
. Really. must reckon II n case either Of
genuine and irremovabe "hOodoo' or Of str
, pidity or malignity beyond thar of any othe
corporation In this region.