New-York tribune., 1909-05-31
GOSSIP OF THE
COMMUTERS.

A. rather odd incident occurred on the Erie one
day last week. A train destined for the Greenwooo
Lake branch held UP just outside Jersey CITY
near the Bergen tunnel There were two small ooys
aboard with a bat baseball and catcher's Initt-
When the train stopped their eagerness 20 Try
their purchases prompted them to jump on ana III
a moment they were batting and tossing tne pan
about The other male passengers on the tram
quickly became imbued with the baseball fever
and in few minutes nearly dozen men had
joined the youths in scrub game along the ran
road 1t was almost with feeling OF regret thaL
the group heard the signal for the train 10 start
again. That's hint for the Erie said one man,
who had watched the game from car window.
Let the Erie supply each train with q baseball
outfit, and the passengers can while away Delays
by playing the national game,
You can always tell the size ard Importance Of
the town that train is approaching by the manner
in which the trainman announces the place sald
J, ccmmuser the other day. The names OF tnS
smaller and more insignificant stations are sung
out in a brief. sn9ppy way, that implies some con-
tempt for the village and any person who Is so
unfortunate as to there II is entirely diner
ent however with the larger towns along the com
muting lines. These names are rolled out with an
air and oftentines repeated two or three tlnaes
for the edhcation Of the passengers
An East Orange man who transacts business in
both New York and Norfolk may be called the
champion long distance cornmuter- Regularly once
a week he takes a boat in the merropoHs az 3
o'clock and arrives at Norfolk az Il o'clock on the
following day, having had two meals and z nights
sleep on board. Frequently he IS able to finish his
business in Norfolk during the afternoon and start
back for New York az o'clock that night but
more frequently he puts in a day and half in the
Southern city, and comes back the next evening"
getting into New York early the following after
noon. He has been doing this for several years
For short distance between Athena and Pater-
son the Erie has installed part OF the third RAJ!
system that II is TO extend on the Newark branch
The rail for conducting the current has been laid
and wires leading 10 the telegraph poles on the
east side Of the track have been placed IN POSITION
The tie-up on the Lackawanna last Wednesday
night brought out some interesting facts For one
thing demonstrated that Aupere is the only sta
ton on the Morris Essex division where the wives
OF the delayed commuters concerned tnernseTVsS
enough to rush TO the railroad station and make n
euir.es as TO their husbands safety When the Hrst
train went through Arnpere after the blockade had
been removed there were az least fifty women az
the station 70 greet belated husbands.
TIE base Of a large gas rank in the yards Of the
Croc<er-Wheeer plant ~ Aulpere has been coz
verted into a basin for pretty fountain, ana tne
reIuvenation OF the structure attracts the attention
Of hundreds Of commuters who pass by the works
every day. The tank that formerly occupied the
concrete foundation has been removed 70 another
part of the grounds, and the fountain. "hch lEo"S
water ten or twelve feet the air. is distinct I'M
provenent the old fixture
Memorial Day historian has 'IneaTthed the rec
ORD of the mysterious old cannon which stands in
the common Caldwell Il was supposed that the
gun was used IN Washngtons headquarters ar Nor
-stown but real history OF the ancient piece OF
armament shows that IL presented 70 the town
by Colonel Decatur who came into possession of u
through the commodore who captured II from the
pirates OF Algiers in the Tripolitan war. When
General Lafayette visited Caldwell public reception
was held and on that occasion the cannon, which
is decorated with queer Moorish scrolls was pre-
sented 70 the town. 1t remained In the town park
until the Civil War broke ont. when it was appro-
priated by the federal government The old can
non was pronounced obsolete, however and ii never
got any nearer the fighting line than Trenton
There the trophy remained for several years The
people Of Caldwell petItioned for fits return, and it
was brought back and again set up in the town
park The gun is spiked 70 prevent Il being
used by Juvenile Fourth OF July ceebrants.