New-York tribune., 1901-09-29


New-York New-IIaven and Hartford Railroad. At
least. the and women who hold monthly
tickets say that they make less fuss over thelr
daily trips and from this city than do the com
rnuters who use other railroads. They figure
the last second IN catching trains IN the morn
ing. and UP in Connecticut they have short cuts
known as commuters paths. for those who hsure
too closely. The most remarkable evidence whlch
they offer in support their assertion of scientific
committing is that they do not swear at the tun-
nel-at least. most Of them do not. While they
have not yet ceased kick" at the service, the
schedule and the treatment they receive from the
train hands. they do not let these things worry
them
There two distinct types os commuters on the
New-Hayen road. and the State line between New
York and Connecticut divides them. Those who
live in the neighboring State slower than the
New-Yorkers, more exacting in their demands and
more dignihed in their train amusements. Even
the undignihed daily rush after business in this
big. cosmoDaAtas @..es- does not make them forget
that they are New-Englanders; that they live
under a code of blue laws when they at
home. and that the houses in which they live have
the covered dignity of age. They as
proud Of those blue laws" the New-Jersey
comnuter IS Of Jersey justice" They rejoice in
the fact that their houses old and moss covered
and not modern shingle covered creation o: u:-
to-date architects. like those in which the con-
inuters from Mount Vernon, Pelham and New-Ro-
cbelie dwell. And, for their part, the commuters
who live the newer New-Ycrk towns are just
as confident that their way of living is better.
They laugh ScOrnuily al the EuIltdtils4h ~ Il4o
men from Connecticut, and outrage their ideas of
right and wrong by playing at poker for high
stakes.
For some time the New-Hayen commuters have
been jealous Of their fellows who live on the line
Of the New-York Central and its branches, and
there is A lively OF words every time two of
the rivals thrown together, as they often are
in the waiting Of the big station from which
the trains Of both roads depart. 1t is all due TO
the fact that all the station and yard officials
New-York Central men, and. according to the
muters OF the other road. the Central passengers
are favored in every
1T is a shame the way the Central treats the
New-Haven road said a Mount Vernon commuter
20 a Tribune reporter the other day. You know,
our trains into the Grand Central Station un-
der a old lease. which says that the ROAD must
LAY so much for each passenger. It costs the
Nevv-HaVen people from $4,000 TO S20O,coJ year,
yet the Central people not satisfied They have
been trying TO crowd out for years. II a Central
train comes the upper end Of the tunnel min
ute behind a NewHaven train. it gets the
right Of way, and We have 10 stand there until the
yardmasDer is ready 10 let US through.
You have right TO kick say the Central
commuters in reply. Don't you have the of
the cooler tunnel?'
The trainmeD who have the misfortune OF being
assigned l committing trains have rule Of life
which keeps them out Of a great deal Of trouble.
II is this: Don get 10 be TOO friendly with the
9As sure as you DO" said one of the tranmen,
'TAey begin ask favors Of kind another.
Every otner commLter in the car is watching and
II you give il 10 you must do TO the rest.
II the slightest faVoTitism is shown there is trouble
This ofishness makes some people angry, but 1t
Suburban Service is the way many of the cars
of the NeW-HaVen road are marked, which is diff
ferent from the practice OF most roads. The plat
eVafeS tram in the CIV ihogh there IS not the
Changes his seat after the train starts. The com
smoking cars. some OF the longer ones having
bacco The stations along the line are usually
below the level Of the street, and are approached
aTErf vrrE hprrr nd cuts In hfc and in
other places. by elevaung the tracks. dangerous
stranger IS surprised at the way in which the
time Of starting from suburban stations determines
which leaves Mount Vernon at O'clock is fiiIed
y snt -ork hard An hour later the clerks train"
5tags for the he city and $50 "a 3 m MARI the de-
IA the o'clock train. and always have plenty of
y COMPANY made UP. Of women hound or shopping
expeditions. On outbound trains in the evening the
distinction is not SO marked; The -bankers" nj
enlpIc home together.
- lLew-YQrS NeT-Iiayen and Hartford. IKE a
fee o. aer railroads. has Instituted trolley com
muting service in connection with its steam lines;
branch which runs from Stamford 10 New-Canaan.
powerful motor car with an overhead trolley
nile branch. The distance IS covered in less than
twenty minutes INCLUDING the time lost by inter,
Gienbrpok. 1t Is only a foretaste Of what Is TO
have been perfected 10 their fullest degree The
the dusy, noisy steam train for the electric road
Mount Vernon. with more than twenty-five hun
cred regular commuters, IS the largest commut-
ing town the road and receives much attention
from the officials in the shape Of extra service The
fast each Of several morning trains which
start from Stamford South Norwalk is kept
locked until Mount Vernon IS reached much to the
disgust OF the New Rochelle and Pelham com
muters This small committing army * quick at
loading and unloading, and for that reason stands
well with the trainmen.
There are many women commuters. but when II
comes TO getting seat a crowded train they
receive little consideration the hands of the
Mount Vernon men. The latter say that they rec
ognize the rights Of the woman-rights TO push
and crowd lor herself if she wants anything
Mount Vernon commuters are said to be great gos-
sips. but whether or not the presence of many
women has anything with the matter has not
been determined. They agreed in one thing
however and that is that Yonkers is about the
1ast pace IN uae world they would select az
dwelling place. IT should not be forgotten that
Sonkers commuters say the same thing aboz,t
Card playing among Mount Vernon commuters
has become so general as to cause almost "A scan
dal IN the little city The Puritans from the Con-
necticut towns have long heen holding up their
a Mount Vernon prayer meeting. and the wives Of
commuters were eXhorted 10 persuade their hus-
bands 10 stop This bad, but there was worse
70 come. A good Methodist who believes that
every card In the deck is a little or black devil
OF the cars were good Presbyterians He wanted
10 put a streaTner on the side OF the coach read
ing thus:
MOUNT vERNON's PRESBYTERIAN CARD CLUB
.
He was finally persuaded TO let the Presbyterians
sin without advertisement. In the train which
leaves Mount Vernon at $50 O'Clock there is whist
n ~9h ,., has piayeo together ior the last fifteen
accident in which a Mount Vernon local was
playing for a time There are several commuters
who have not touched a card since.