New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-12

o.rl, Aavs NJ New-York every tradesman lived
over his place Of business. as they did gen
erallv in England; everything centred alouhu
Trinity Church and there was no demand TOT
cars or on1nibuses But the demand came III
time and then there sprang up. according l" '"e
inexorable natural law the supply demanded
The course Of surface transportation in the
old city Of New-York presents aspects oo'h IN
teresting and picturesque 1t was not u"'''
1890 that the town began to get so Dig 'la'
points often resorted to were beyond easy walk
inc distance Of the centre Of the town In that
year the first line OF Broadway stages was es-
tablished 1t was regarded as great noNe''l
and numerous references to 1t may be iouHu
in old letters OF that date. The hrst Hhe III
stages ran from Bowling Green to Blocker
St which was as far the heart could con-
ceive Of wishing TO go on business
The first stage coaches were even more pct-
uresque affairs than the celebrated "Deadwood
coach" to be seen in the Wild West Show They
were made after the English fashion and most
~ them came from that country. There was
,ctbing British about their names. however
and every one Of them bore names. THE Lady
WASHINGTON was one Of them. THE George
Washington" was another The Lady Clinton
was one OF the first while The De Witt Gin
ION" came numbering down Broadway every
morning heavily loaded with citizens from the
ouiet almost suburban district about Four
teenth-st Sometimes on occasions OF special
importance each coach had four horses, but
two suffced on ordinary days. few years
later omnibus lines established between
Yorkville and Greenwich and they did much 10
unite these PARTS Of the island with the town
Itself
PREDECESSORS TO BLOCKADES
So important did the omnibus become during
the first few years following its establishments
that people wondered how they had been able
10 get along without II for 80 long When the
service was crippled. as It was by heavy storms
and other accidents of nature. the resulting in
convenience was great. When many or the
horses that drew the stages were Ill with an
attack Of epizootc. which occasionally swept
over the stables Of the town in epidemic, the
town talked OF little else, and the ministers
preached sermons about 1t, regarding it as
visitation Of Providence mysterious. but doubt
less intended for the good Of the city
The stage has not altogether vanished even yet
from, the island Of Manhattan. A faded and
rheumatic ghost Of the old stage still rambes up
and down Fifth-ave. The passenger is still sup
messed TO drop his fare into a box at the front Of
the vehicle and II ne has not the change he Is
still supposed to jerk strap attached to the
drivers leg pass up his money and receive the
change But despite the fact that the stage
lasted so many years the horsecar was not far
behind II in appearing in the streets OF New
York The pioneer horse railway Of the world
was the New-Yorl and Harlem Railroad Com
pany It was organized IN 1881. and John Ste
phenson made its frs, car and named II the John
Mason on NoveInh.r ~ 1892 it made its hrst
trip. between Four,o.rt.. ord Prince SITS The
Mayor and the Co:aaloA C1Inol went along az
euests 81 the company. g'ncte was a big cele-