The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-02
SLOW TRANSIT IN PARIS.
THINGS TO DE ENDURED ny VISIT.
ORS TO TIM EXPOSITION.
Omnibu,e. Few and with Many Defects Prom
an American Point Of View Disastrous AZ
tempt to Install the Under Troiley-Treks
OF the Cabmen TO Get Double Fare.

son. II seems TO have q new lease OF NE. Two
weeks ago II was 90 dead that II tempted one
10 burst into poetry a la Tom Moore.
Ifeel like one who treads alone
Some banque, hall deserted,
Whose lights are dead whose garlAndsned'
And all but he departed.
There were days when the paid admissions
fell below 10000. 1t was pleasant enough
for that 100. 600. but II wasn't cheerful for tho
Exposition people. Then suddenly the NUM-
her went IN with a bound and three times
during the past week there have been more
than 400, 900 paid admissions. These we're
three special occasions. the Venetian fete In
honor OF the shah of Persia, the Sunday special
Nominations at a reduced entrance fee, and
Assumption Day, which IL one OF the most popu-
lar French holidays. This sudden revival OF
interest In the great show has Increased me
curbstone price Of tickets. One has TO pay seven
cents now TO get In, whereas there were Anew
days when tickets were Ave cents apiece, and
not much doing at that.
1t Il a lovely sight TO see n prosperous-looking
American man hagglIng with one OF the side
walk ticket sellers, People say we have no
national traits common TO us all "a n people.
That's a mistake. There's one trait which all
Americans. rich and poor. wear somewhere
about them. They hate TO be cheated. They're
eau Z " FlfIlh lDl'N III " hHN 'Af - ''
peans the most lavish and reckless manner.
But they haven't one cent for tribute. Maybe
its the old revolutionary spirit cropping out.
Maybe it's the national preference not TO let
oneself be made a fool Of. Al any rate. though
an American would cheerfully pay a quarter
to go into the'Exposition II that we're the regular
price, he'll absolutely refuse TO pay seven cents
for a ticket II he thinks other people are paying
only six. Also. II sounds like n very much
bigger piece OF business to beat n man down
from thirty-hve centimes TO thirty centimes
than II does from seven cents down TO six.
But getting into the Exposition IL the least
Of the troubles to be had in that quarter. Get
ting away from II IL a piece Of business calcu-
lated TO corrupt the most ardent member OF
the Anti-Swearlng Society, New York has
been bowling for years because IL wanted rapid
transit. and vet more rapid transit. In Parts
the one kind Of transit you are sure Of Is the
kind you get on your own feet. That isn't a
popular kind when people have been trailing
about the Exposition grounds for hours. Hence
these tears.
Last winter all the Americans who we're in
Paris we're asking how the French proposed
TO handle the Exposition crowds, and the cheer
full Parlsians replied in triumph that there
would be a hundred new omnibuses in use on
the various liz 81 To give Paris credit for her
usual good ntentions-Paris has sent more paw
ing material to fades than any two other cities
in the world-there were some other provisions
added besides the new ~omnibuses. Tracks
were laid connecting with the great belt line
railway which encircles Paris. Other improve
ments In transit were planned. But few Of
them directly touched the Exposition prob
lem and not one Of them was ready on time.
The underground railway. for example-which
49,, .A. ,,.. ,rtVhtn hale N .,f1a - shn Lrna-
~sition-wasn't opened until the latter part Of
July. And so with the other Improvements.
Almost all the street lines in Paris run ON
nibuses drawn by horses. They are stufy.
somewh hat dangerous, because they are double
deckers, and intolerably slow. There are a
good many horse cars OF the sam pattern.
One OF these horse car companies has changed
its motive power TO electricity and II is the
best explanation at hand just now Of the un-
willingness Of the Parisians to dabble in so
called modern improvements. When Paris
undertakes to introduce one Of these improve
ments there Is the devil TO pay-to put 1t mildly.
All last winter the route OF the above-men-
toned car line was torn up while the track
was changed for the use Of underground cleo
triclty. The track Is not Of the same kind rs
that OF the Fourth avenue line. for here the
slot Is at the side. through one OF the trails.
however,, uODOuy has Hhu q CHhnNo 10 unu
out how the system would work. for it has
never been Installed.
Until the end of July the old horse cars ran
with their accustomed ambling regularity
and people made the best OF II. Making the
best Of a wretched transit system IL an ac-
complishment which comes handy 20 the Parish
ans. Practice has made them as near per-
feet in this direction as anybody can hope TO
be. still they allow themselves the luxury
OF wishing that the long-promised electric
cars would make their appearance before
the Exposition was over. People never know
when they are well off. About the end Of
July a few OF the new cars did make their ap-
pearance and now people walk home at night
and sigh for the days and the horses that are
no more.
In the first place. the underground trolley
has never been installed and the cars are run
by some kind Of storage battery which invari-
ably gives out at critical moments. Ins tead
OF securing competent motormen for the cars
the drivers OF the old horse cars were made
over into motormen with dire results. They
handle the motor as II 1t were a team Of horses
and the result IL that at every instant" as
the distracted manager SAYS, they break the
needles or get something out Of order and the
whole line is blocked until that special motor
Is repaired.
THE Sun CORES pondent has had the work.
ing Of this line under his eyes for the last few
weeks and II has been an anna zing testimony
to the utter incspacity OF the French-or
AT least Of the Parisians-in such matters.
OF course Americans in Paris are always COM
planning Of having to go to an office, take a
number and get on a car or an omnibus in
their turn when their number IL called. Given
the Paris system 20 start with and this numsro
business is the only sane solution OF the problem.
Most OF the transit lines are short OF material.
At certain hours it Is practically impossible
10 find a seat in a tram or an omnibus.
Nobody Is allowed TO stand except on the plat
form. The number OF places IL fired and
when these are occupied no one is allowed
to get on the car.
The consequence il that people will walk blocks
TO get TO the head Of the line. where they are
sure OF getting a place though they may have
TO wait a while for II. Consequently the cars
start out full and somehow or other IL seems
as II most OF the passengers ride pretty nearly
10 the end OF the line. The ease Is about hope
less. therefore. for people who would like to
take the car en- route. 1t Ia as II the Broad
way cars started from Bowling Green with every
place occupied by somebody who was going
at least to Fifty-ninth street. II wouldn't