New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-09-15

The conductors at the Grand CentfaA Sta-
ton ought TO be one Of the coolest rooms in that
h,y b,itlaing and perhaps il is sometimes, when
the conductors are not there Take IT between .
and 10 O'Clock in the morning, when the rush %
communication trains calls halt, however anu the
afr is simply burning up. Then ii is thal tle coi
d,,c,ors Voice their opinions the commuters whom
they have lust brought the city. They say Just
what they think, and really the commuters "ouiu
not like the various comments.
i've lust dumped the meanest lot or passengers
that was ever landed in this station" said a Dig
conductor with a face that should have held noth-
ing but smiles.
.HThey can't be any than my crew., SAID
little man whose hair white from long years
3, the irving service of the company But what
particular line of trouble did they make for you
to-day?'
The big conductor swore softly at the thought OF
his troubles and then again when he remembered
that he would have go out with the same crowd
that night.
In the first place." said he. Il found three COM
1nuters riding on borrowed tickets and had TO take
shem up Each Of the three protested all over
the train threatened TO Tick me until could never
punch another fare and finally said that I'd lose
my Job In the morning for they intended to report
me Then we five minutes late and every
man in the train had his watch out counting the
seconds One chap said he'd report me II the time
wasn't made I'D. buck that has been laying
FOR me for q month smiled gleefully when he found
that one Of the water tanks was empty and mace
an obvious note of II. And them
.Isn't that about enough for one morning! IN
,errupteo another conductor, who had just finished
making out his report. Give some of the rest OF
chance"
Suckers on the line missed the train at lrVlngtoh
INV secon6' continued the fat conductor ana
they will both report me as running ahead OF uthe'
IF you'd have waited a few seconds Tor 'heIh
dozen reports would have gone in from those VINO
were already on the train" said wise CONDUCTOR
Don't worry about reports, though Inc super
understands commuters. and their kicks don't often
count 81,
..Tbat don't make 81 any easier to stand their
srrrnbling" said young American who has latey
been promoted from brakeman. a htlie sii
who does not dare say boo" to his wife caied me
everything he could think of the other day 1 usI
because he had eft MS Iek b was safe because
Wore the uniform. and it is against ORDERS 10 'a>
some of the tanmsn think that he t tpnp News Is
resporsble I3r SO n1uGn It certainly adds
their vocabulary of oaths. -, , ,,.s . man
under intense obligations to the words he'll ana ana
asserted one v6o baTe to ' take the daily
trip though the black hole cannot ieSiS' -
This commuter not far wrong The The m bia
who sits s ss himself n 1ns WITH ef his
Say neighbOr; its hotter ro, ian hell In here ne
Then. moved by IKE impulse, the neighbor re-
Other CONDUCTORS wise in their generation. say
that hers g be nssr G SpGe the anne
.They get reduced fare and 1t makes them think
'n IN EXPRESS train from every station and pri
waite car for each passenger would not stop It,
But don't think that every commuter on the Cen
tority appreciate the advantages OF low fare fast
and frequent train service aIa dos' the cong
ductors. and often help them out by sending In re,
passengers The fact remains however. that there
are more -fkickers' the hundred on the Central
than on other roads
Several heavy Communication trains go out every
evening over the Harlem division and drop pas
sengers at g dozen places between White Plains
and Brewster, which is ffty-two miles out. Other
trains take of those who live In Woodlawn,
Wakefield, Yonkers Park Scarsdale and Hartsdale.
Commuters who expect to go out on these trains
do sit in the cool waiting room at the Grand
Central when they happen to get to Forty-second-
st ahead of time. They are used 10 worrying
about things il is entirely consistent that they
should go the platform and worry the door
man Many Of them content TO hang around
the gate until It is opened Others md their way
into the tranyard ahead of time if they have
walk two three blocks to do it. The railroad
officials have been trying for several years TO
break the practice but have about given it up as
bad job. Those who get in first sprawl all
two seats. although they know very well that in
the end they will down to half of seat.
1t gives them several chances look disagreeable
however and for small favors the Harlem division
passengers duly thankful
AS whole the passengers not typical
muters They look like New Workers
Young predominant. and from their tired
faces most of them have work hard. They are
not sociable their brothers over in Jersey.
They read the late afternoon papers listessly and
respond gruffiy to oVerures in the conversational
line. They do not even take enough interest in
things 10 play cards. In another detail they are
different from other commuters-they do not carry
bundles. This proves two things: that there is an
excellent express delivery in their district
and that they entirely under the thumbs
of their wives.
They have chair for commuters on this
division. but they not operated under the man
agement of any select club the chair cars
from Morristown. n. J. An ordinary passenger
coach Is turned into a chair for commuters by
taking out the red plush seats and putting in
number OF wicker chairs. These chairs rented
price can ride in them regardless of what the Their
chair holders think about It. The is usually
jolly one, however, and gets along quite as well
as though IL had club organization, restrict
ed membership. In one end the card players
gather for quiet OF whist, or more lively
poker sets, with a 25 cent limit AT the other are
the story teers, for these commuters have no
common bond of interest like the farmers on
Long Island, which furnishes endless converse
tional topics.
White Plains is the first place at which the COM
-nuters leave the train in numbers yet fl % NOT
committing town Too many people live there
who do not come TO the city every morning for
business. There is no throng Of stylish turnouts
at the station 10 meet the homecomers and they
hurry OF in various directions on foot
try villages or the crossroads type. The railroad
station divides the four a general