Evening star., 1903-12-19
EGGS FOR FERRY TOLL.
Old Laws Affecting Trade Between
Brooklyn and New York.


From tn, New York Tribune.
: The corporation counsers Office last week.
in examining the laws of 1901. found that
the city collected. two eggs out Of every
hundred eggs transported from. Brooklyn
to New York as ferry toll. but nothing
that the searchers have dug up as yet sheds
any light on what became of the eggs. The
law was careful to state the schedule OF
fares. but there is no tracing the eggs that
the early mayors collected every day that
q hundred eggs from the Long Island hem
neries were brought across the river.
The mayor and the aldermen who were
charged with respons- -bility for conducting
the ferry may have had the eggs for
graft" although II is a more re isonable
assumption that they were sold and the
proceeds turned into the city trea sury. Mr..
Rives assistants have found. however. that
the city has complete ownership Of the fer
Under chapter 106 of the laws of 1891, en-
titled IAN act to regulate the ferry and
rates of ferriage between the city of New
York and the island of Nassau" the mayor
and aldermen of New York were empower
ed to charge as follows:
For every horse, mare or gelding, with or
without a saddle, 1214 cents.
Every OK, 151s cents.
Bar iron, lead, rice and sugar cost cents
hundredweight, but copper and brass cost
9 cents. a:'
Every hogshead of wine or rum holding
l20 gallons, 37,s cents.
Every turkey, goose braut or other wild
or tame fowl, N cent.
Every hundred eggs, eggs. .-"-'
Every coach, 50 cents.
Every phaetOn, 55 cents.
Every one-horse chaise 81 cents
Every full trunk or chest, o cents.
Every writing or other desk, 10 cents
Every piece of broadcloth, serge shrouds,
flannel, half thicks or druggets. 2 cents.
Every piece of eznaburgs or duck cents
Every piece of duroy, calimancoes, shall
loon or linen, cent
Every side of sole leather. cent
Every side of upper leather. "a cent.
Every passenger, 2 cents.
NO ferriage' the law humanely directs.
shall be paid for sucking child or for
such small articles not before enumerated
as a woman carries in her apron or a man
or boy. in his hand or under his arm"
If any one. kicked at the toll the law
empowered the, company to hale him be-
fore magistrate and collect treble the
regular price. If the ferryman charged
more than the schedule rate he was subject
to fine of $3.50
The law compelled the company, wind
and weather permitting. to have boats on
each side of the river at least one-haif
hour before sunrise and to continue through
the day till o'clock
1t was made lawful for Brooklyn,tes to
transport their own goods by boats If they
chose, but they couldn't carry any one
else's, under a penalty of $3.50
That the city had hard and fast mono
poly of the business is shown by the fol-
lowing clause:
VIII. And be it further enacted. that no
person other than the said mayor alder
men and commonalty shall erect or keen a
ferry between the said city and Nassau
Island for carrying or bringing of any PAS
sengers horses, cattle. hogs. sheep, goods.
merchandise or other things whatsoever
over the said ferry hereby rated with or
without any hire or reward, under the PEN
atty of $f25 fine for every such offense."