New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-01
LETTERS To THE EDITOR.
SUBURBAN AND CITY TRAVEL
Comparison by One Who Long Ago Fled
Back to Nature
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir; For thrty-odd years I have been a sub
urban commuter the Erie Railroad travelling.
sundays excepted. daily between New-York City
and Passaic. y. }. That am stil alive and a trfe
healthler than when began these daily trips may
be a surprise TO some: and. indeed. il might not
have been true il such winters as the one now
happily past were average specimens. This years
cold has been exceptional both in severity and
duration. and the fewer Of these experiences that
the future may have in store for US the better all
around II low temperature would eradicate mos
quitoes and fever germs. might stand it in pref
ercnce TO encounteTing those microscopic ills we
know not of: but there are grave doubts on this
point and the usual New-York winter is cold
enough TO satisfy all my own shivering propens-
ties and this is probably true OF the average New
Yorker.
In all the last thirty years have never seen the
period when I would have voluntarily exchanged
my own home and daily journeyings with any one
or my own financial proportions, living in either
Brooklyn or New-Yorit. NY first experiences were
with the old New-York stages-the Broadway and
Fourteenth-st line. the Broadway and Sixth and
Seventh ave. lines BIeecker-st. line. etc. How the
crowds would stand UP between the seats the tall
persons bending over. and AL trying TO hang on to
the stage straps to prevent their falling into the
laps Of the sitting passengers, as the clumsy vehi
Gle lUrched from side 10 side! To stand the door
step and hang 10 the door was privilege eager
~ pre-empted by the man who got there first
Then came the horsecars. with a much larger
more people who wanted to ride the crowded con-
dition OF the horsecars soon bad the old
stages. Hope dawned Cheerfully the patient
New-Yorker when the elevated and the trolley
rapid transit began to run. But the crazy rush
20 grab fortune quickly in Americas great com
mercial emporium has kept the number wishing TO
ride out Of all proportion to the accommodations
during rush hours; and it is likely TO continue 10
be SO until people learn that most OF the charac-
terlStics OF paradise are found outside OF New
Not being a baseball athlete I early objected to
TO ride between oleag inous women and men with
aloermanic proportlons ten times the size OF thelr
heads. prefer 10 admire large people, T. ADMIRE
them must. in ten lot and years ago
left noble city TO the exclusive enjoZ ment OF
those ,whose social characteristcs are so strong
that they can be made happy riding in crowded
without rush or croWding in the handsome fur
nshed and comfortably heated suburban railroad
crobic tbeo % Of desS ba is i9SIeasad NV
or less crowded all day and three times full twice
every day and with such crowds under pressure
how rlItftudinolls must he the rricroUic suarms
that III the spaces between heads, all unobserVed
by either conductors OF passengersl
shortage Of traction power. In an ordinary winter
conjunction with long continued exeeptlonally cosd
Nious that the dulest commuter could not hSlp
seeing the trouble. and very naturally kicked the
iie FTe a copa 5 Nm otber roads have had
their troubles also. Letters coming 70 me nom
from one 10 three hours late Of course. railroad
officials al more or less wicked. and the presl-
dent Of the Erie may be the wiCkedest one OF tho
know them better than DO railroad oficials.
II the Erie Railroad will speedily put through 70
completion the long delayed improvements make
the cut NJ the tunnel elevate the roads TO the
ferry and bridge wcst-st, the railroad company
viii be speedily forgiven, and the wicked COM
ferry boat is beauty but the facilities fot setting
10 the boats and from them must he iIGre1sed
Passaic y. J. Feb. p. 1904