The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-03-15
L.AWMAKERSLOST
Narrowing Experience Of
Assemblymen Who Start
ed for Morris Plains
Asylum.

M0RRISTOWN. March Is, 19O2-From
nearby points in Morris County yesterday
came the narrowing details of the wan
derings of members of the General AS
sembly, composing the Committee on
State Hospitals.
The legislators had arranged to pay
their annual visit to the Morris Plains
Asylum, to look over the institution and
decide jast how much money is needed
for the maintenance of the asylum for
another year.
The visit of the committee TO the big
institution at Morris Plains is an inter-
esfing occasion, to say nothing of the ex-
cellent dinner that is always served there
when the members and Senators honor
the place with visit.
Arrangements had been made for the
visit today, and the members Of the
committee were notified early last week
to be on hand early this morning at the
Lackawanna station in this city. to take
the 745 o'clock train to Morristown, where
they were to be met by carriages to finish
the trip to the asylum. The plans were
good, but the trouble came in the execu-
tion.
Assemblyman John Boyd Avis. chair
man of the committee, had to come up
from hFs home in woodbury., Gloucester
County, so ne arranged to take q later
train ana meet the others al the institu-
tion.
Assemblyman Leavitt came from Tren-
ton in plenty of time, and was al the sta
tion early. chatting with friend, when
train came putting into the station.
II guess that's your train, said the
friend. Hope you have good time"
The Mercer man and several others of
the party boarded the train and settled
themselves comfortably in the seats. read
ing their newspapers. Their repose was
rudely disturbed few minutes later by
the brakeman, who opened the door Of
the car and shouted
..Montelair This train goes no further"
The Assem5lyman growied Justify, but
the kicking did no good and they started
to hunt some other way of getting to
Aforristown.
Another detachment of the party landed
at Summit and remained there for an
hour then moved along the line to Madi-
son. where another hold up occurred
There was not even a pinoch.e deck in the
crowd, and the cigars on which the mem
bers had relied to las. until the arrival
at the station were soon consumed The
sojour1s at Madison was marked by sui
phurous remarks concerning the manage
ment of the road and the difficulty Of
finding just where and when the trains
went.
A singular feature of the trip was that
the railroad men along the line did not
seem to be the least bit impressed by the
fact that they were holding up a lot Of
la lawmakers, and that no attempt was
made to bring up a special train to take
the men to their destination.
There was much speculation among the
members as to the whereabouts of As
sernblyman Avis. of Gloucester, who had
not been seen anywhere along the route.
The train for Morristown finally came
along, and the Assemblymen made eau
tious by former mishaps, carefully in
ouired as to their prospects of reaching
Morristown by that train before they
clambered aboard. It was a disgusted
crowd of lawmakers that landed at the
station in Morristown several hours be-
hind the appointed time. Fortunately for
them, the member from Morris, Assem-
hlyman w T. Brown. had learned Of
their plight and had provided carriages
for the trip over to the asylum
nj Senator Kean had only been in the
party we would have had a special tram
rs take up across country or any other
place said one OF the members
.sYes and il you had taken your time
and started right you would not Lave
needed 4 special train was the reply OF
a Morris county. statesman.
The visitors We're soon seated around
the table which Medical Director i-vans.
Of the asylum. had caused to be prepared,
and in the slowing away of the good
thing to eat and drink the legislators
soon forgot their troubles.