New-York tribune., 1900-11-25
A HORSECAR'S ADVANTAGE
AN INCIDENT AIDS TWO MEN IN A DIS
CUSSION WITH A THIRD

In the present strenuous era OF rapid transit.
when there is much discussion about ditrereh.
kinds OF motive power when Harlemites demahu
ffteen-mnute electric underground express trains
when Staten Islanders want tunnels, and jersey
men according to the most recent rumor, are ASK
ing for flying machines propelled by marsh gas-in
such times II would appear incredible TO nnd any
body speaking a kind word for the horsecar ana
yet in spite OF the apparent rrelevarcy OF the
thought II is a fact that the horsecar still mas its
friends. and some enthusiastic ones; no" many ~
cannot be definitely said. but on the testimony "t
an eye-or, rather. an ear-Witness theS "N
no less than three. and they are men,
Three and Tribune reporter boarueu one
of the horsecars whose humble duty 1t Is to take
passengers from the Eghth-ave or Madison-aVe'
electric cars, at Eighty-sixth-st ana carry 'heh
across town through the Park. The incident Which
befe the party and brought forth deIehce Oh tue
horsecar by a conductor in addition TO the ap-
proval of two men in the party occurred ABOUT
the middle of the journey. The three men ana the
reporter had been transferred to the horsecar at
Ei9hth-ave 1t was Of the Oldest or It's KIND.
ard as IT rolled eastward over the uneven track
the seats qulvered and several boards In the moor
bounced up and down as the wheels struck them.
The horses-doubtless they had trod that pain
,housand times before-jogged along at a clipper
gait The scent of a keen autumn breeze blowing
Through the leafess trees of the Park, which over
hung the winding roadway, invigorated passengers,
driver and conductor
The three men were talking about New-York City
nf tO-Oa
five wears ago They all fifty years of
aqa One was fat exceedingly fat and red whis-
kers fringing his round face gave it certain au-
tumnaI splendor. His companions wore Of ordinary
stature One large Rough Rider hat which
served to hide the greater part of his head The
other appeared to have a heavy head. for he
constantly propping It up the knob of his walk
ing stick.
The man with the Rough Rider hat contended
that New-York of to-day better place to
,SIl pifv- fniD he JT-DC
hotly met by the fat man and the man with the
cane.
",ro begin with" said the Rough Rider. "an
cars twenty-five years ago were like this dirty egg
shell were in now. You couldn't go any distance
without changing cars a half-dozen times ana pay
a new fare every time"
But shouted the fat man, people stayed home
them and
Minded their own business suddenly inter-
posed the man with the cane. who had just given
vent to his emotion by taking the KNOB out oi HIS
mouth.
you fellows are not progressive, that's all, re-
torted the Rough Rider You don't believe in the
development and improvement of our beautltul
metropolis. See what the transit facilities have
done for the city north of Fiftyninth-st Here has
sprlng up new city of handsome apartments
and
Flats for the foreigners" exploded the fat man.
Yes" added the man with the cane, anu Wheh II
comes right down to genuine travelling there's
the horses are always on the watch No sudden
starts and stops such the electric cars have
which throw people, -
IAN In = mess. heap interrupted the fat man.
amninE you sanTs the women men tb istns fn maH ,nS
babies bawlinS, anu lheon3re ha, IN nr,artI,. on
IN" back-"there are blorkades on the horsecar
no fuses To burn out. no cable to break t..
The Rough Rider cut of this sentence by point
Ing ahead with an outstretchcd arm me car ,'lne
utter deiecricn Planted on the track directly
ahead stood huge coal wagon eievntGd 10 q & al"Zy
Z -ltl {. IA
ing stream Of what appeared 10 oe black SCOT
"A blockade-ha ha!' roared the Rough Rider
That's good one. No blockade on hGTsecar:
That's one on YOU YOU old fngies, YOU old moss
bucks Why. this shows how much respect the me
had been electric car he wouldn't have dared do
The flrshy man sputtered Hike a piece OF lard
warming skillet. and the nan with the cane half
swallowed IT," big knob on II.
the car ended ths exclnrna ton. The horses had
ik II ] c " ,h trats crJ tha hnrssS beinr
r1nTed T9 :" thcir m faTmer hace the driver sastei
the animals I" II a run Tn" ear struck the log OF
wood with terrific crash. and simultaneously all
the wheels jumped the track
Tn" driver now ."-rouraged hs team with several
expressions not found in hymn books. and drove
around the coal wagon. The car bumped and
jolted on the Cobhle stones. but 80 great vas the
feNibility of the floor that the comfort of riding
was almost as great a. when the wheels were on
The traeE 4 'otarnt later the driySr With 4 vic
torlous who"p; swunS his team around into the
track again. the conductor gave the rear end of
the car Il hearty wrench, and all wheels were back
In their places again and rolling along before.
The coal man mopped his eyes with his grimy
sleeve, II his sight had beer darkened by the
SCOT which begrimed his face. and then yelled;
''ie bees all right. ye devils!'
As the Rough Rider about 10 answer in
words the ever enlarging smile the fat mans
face the conductor chrruped in:
Give me horsecar when IL comes TO peench
tell yous yer couldn't done that with OF
them electricS, nohow.''
The fat man slapped the Rough Rider over tho
haek ana nni, all three T broke out in a laugh
man. and they all laughed again.