Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-02-15
LETTER FROM NEW YORK
BEN BEAR WRITES INTERESTINGLY
Describes the Busy City, An Accident on
the EIevaten, the Subway, Bust.
ness Prospects, Buster
Brown, Ect.
New York, Feb. 10, 1904.


Dear Editor:
1 have travelled to New York great
many times since l came to DEBORAH,
but do not remember any time when
the weather has been so severe and
changeable. Frost and thaw, snow
and rain have been the weather condi-
tiOns ever since l came here, and the
wind has been blowing continually.
1t has simply been one continuous
period of rough weather, and shall
be glad to get back home, to enjoy
California climate.
This city certainly is wonder, and
what is more it is only just beginning !;
you cannot imagine the great doings
here. Nice brick and stone buildings
are being torn down to make room for
new, elegant ten to twenty story sky
scrapers, and although it takes hun
dreds of thousands of dollars to erect
these blocks, still the profits seem to
Justify the investments. All kinds of
property, no matter if they are bust
ness houses or residences, are cOnstan-
ly advancing, as there seems to be no
stopping to business. Everybody is
busy and you are pushed along with
the crowd and can't help but to get
busy" even though you are inclined
to be lazy.
When the new underground railway
was opened few months ago every
body thought New York would be re-
lieved of it's rush and crush, and that
the business and working man could
go as well as come from his place of
business and home with pleasure and
comfort. The rush, however. is just
as great, and it's only a matter of a
very little while when subways will
be built, or will have to be built, un-
der most all the avenues of the city.
1t is all your life is worth to go up
town, say after five O'Clock in the
evening, the crowd being SO great. l
enjoy, however, to ride on the sub
way 1t doesn't take you all day to
get to your destination, as the trains
run very fast and only stop every five
or eight blocks.
There might have been quite a
serious accident on the "L''t road last
night. AS it is, it certainly was bad
enough, fifty people being injured and
two mortally, while 500 men, women
and children were thrown into panic
by rear end collision of elevated
trains on 149th street aud Sd avenue.
Just at the heighth of the rush, about
seven o'clock in the evening, the ac
cident happened; while a seven car
train, jammed with passengers, was
at standstill, another long train
turning the curve crashed into the rear
car of the train which stood on the
tracks at the station. l know this
station very well, / go up that way
frequently, as Mrs. Bears mother re-
sides within a few blocks of l49th
street. 1t is great wonder that more
people were not killed, but this is ex-
planned by the fact that firemen and
policemen were practically on the
scene when the accident happened,
having just completed work at fire
only block away. With the police
working at one end, and firemen
carrying women and children down
the ladders, all who were not hurt
escaped in safety. 1t was only the
night before that l was on the same
train at about the same time, and l
feel very fortunate not to have been
there last night when the accident
occurred.
You certainly have to have both
eyes open here, as it is dangerous
crossing streets; so many cars, carri-
ages and worst of all, automobiles.
While there is stringent law to run
automobiles at a certain safe speed,
still they run about as fast as they