New-York tribune., 1901-07-28
SUNDAY,
JULY zs. 1901.

without heavy loss. The company has a svster1
for this feature OF the business and IL must be a
good one. for but eight horses died from the near
in the recent spell
Our drivers made personally responsible t,,
The health OF their horses in hot weather. said
one OF the superintenden1s yesterday to a Tribune
reporter. They have instructions not 10 try 70
keep up TO the time schedule hot days II ous
Of their horses begins 10 suffer from the heat and
seems TO be in danger Of dropping in the street.
he may stop the car midway between relief sta
tions, If necessary. he may tie up in the shads
and telephone for a fresh horse while the pas
sengers wait and swear. In fact. the driver can
do whatever he thinks necessary. but the horses
must be kept alive. Drivers not allowed to use
a whip in hot weather. and the horses are watched
carefully for whip marks.
Relief stations placed about miles apart
on all of the lines. When car reaches a station
the horses are changed Those which have Just
come in are rubbed down. and the hose is turned
on them. They have rest of from l5 to 70 min
utes. then they sent TO the next relief sta
ton where the whole performance is repeated. In
TINS way the horses do not nave a chance TO get
We have been very fortunate this year. losing
but eight horses from the heat thus far, Across
for forty horses. The owner lost twenty-five out
OF the forty in one week. 1t takes 900 horses To
much particularly hard pulling. Four years ago.
through which we have inst been nsssinS 90,
horses died from heat. This year lost but one.
Is question that is often put To Metropolitan Of
The cars not dilapidated" was the answen
you You think SO because of the contrast with tbs
which run in other parts of the city
When the long lines in the avenues were con-
yerted into electric roads the company kept the
best cars for the lines which still horses New
cars were being added all the time
trap affair if they horses drawing it, said |.
Metropolitan official yesterday. They are not as
fine as the electric cars and you can't make people
believe that you are giving them brand rolling
STOCK They don't expect it in horse cars
Ine ne eaidren OF Herbert H Vreeland presidens
streetcars that il is only natural that tbey should
want play with The desire was easily and
fulIy satisfied when Mr.. Vreeland shipped an old
planted it in his backyard. II is now playhouse
and the Vreeland children the envy OF the
Staten Island has obtained number of old Brook
lyn horsecars and rents them out summer cot
tages-
There time when the drivers of horsecars
considered themselves members OF profession.
Young ambitious become drivers Of
cars and worked hard until they learned how to
taking new men and breaSng them maj in i After aa a
apprenticeship they would move to a road that
paid more money. That day is gone No one is
training TO became hOrsecar driver now. The men
who drive either relics Of the old days-men
been at IL so long that they will never be able to
do anything else-9r they are men who have failed
shift. Es' "0'A III 0'nsF HnsS ana 0FiSe as make
There is a certain knack about car driving thai
cannot be acquired in a day a year While a
car driver can usually drive an express wagon the
block every one who sees him viii think he has
lies in handling the brake Some drivers are much
easier on horses than others Under some the
| horses grow fat and seem to enjoy their work
Other drivers will almost kill every team given
the less surely. The Forty-second-st cross
town line was the last to change. The Seventh
ave- line is now being reconstructed II would
take prophet with more skill than Is possessed
| however to tell when the last horsecar will make
its last trip