New-York tribune., 1909-04-25
HOLDER OF The
COMMITTING RECORD
WILLIAM II. HUSSET, OF
E4ST ORANGE.
Since 1857 Has Trdrcllcd 823 900
Miles Betzceen His Home and
His Office.

Fiilieiii IL I1uSSey, OF East Orange, y J NSfAa
the committing record for the metropolitan dis
trict, and it is believed that he holds II for -.
United States He started in 1857 or hfty-tvo year,
ago. when living at South Orange. kept at il tn
termttenty until 1850 and was steadily at il until
the winter OF 1852 'S3. which spent in NicaraEua
He spent the next three winters there also ana q,
May Of 1855 removed from South Orange 20 East
Orange In 1870 he got farm in Chatham, y. J.,
and was there for only.
Then he went back to East Orange and live.
there to-day In all the years IL only willis
IN Nicaragua and Chatham. four winters and ons
summer, that he not going daily back ana
forth to New York City from 1857
1t may seem to have been rather monotonog.
experience, but the many changes and the incl
dents peculiar to commuters life take it out OF
the humdrum- Mr. Hussey began his travels be-
fore 1851 1t was not comfortable on the trains
when he first began to cOmmute-that fs reasur-
ing conditions then with what they are to-day
but they were more agreeable than when h. had %
journey to school in Philadelphia from this citv
where he was born The route was from this city
to South Amboy by water: from South Auboy to
Bordentown In a pulled by two horses hiteheS
tandem, and then down the Delaware a PRINT
tive steamer. The rails used by the cars we're
strips of iron nailed on wooden beams OF coursa
the roadbed was not what the roadbsds are TO-DAY.
This old South Amboy line gave way to a zeal
railroad later. Colonel Robert l. Stevens. OF Ho-
boken, its president. He wanted rail Of
his own design, and had It made in England Il
was Trail with hange. Mr.. Hussey rode On
OF the first trains behind John Bull Colonel
Stevens's locomotive. He can remember the won
der of this steam railroad, and also the amaze
nlent OF the people His first ride behind John
Bull such a novelty that ne boylke, vent
to the front platform thu strange iron horse
pull the and also to see the fireworks Wood
was used as fuel. and the sparks from the great.
spreading smokestack ignIted everything tnfan-
mable alopg the tracks. A part OF the merry
shower came down upon him. and before he could
retreat his hat was in flames. 1t was burned pand
and all and the boy had TO so all the way to
Philadelphia bareheaded. II wasn't as bad as tnat
on the Morris & Essex-Pennsylvania' even when
he began committing, although it was rough
enough
The old Morris Essex Railroad ran only 10
East Newark when Mr.. Hussey began TO com
mute. Thence the trip was made bennd Ioco-
motive Of the Pennsylvania Railroad which pulled
the train through the Bergen cut the Jersey
City ferry slips One train all the Morris &
Essex road had in those early days Il ran from
MorristoWn 10 East Newark, and shuttsd PACK
and forth all day. The commuters from the SIX
stations along the route knew one another IKE
neighbors. East Orange at first flag sta
ton. The great suburban district which now
stretches Ike . continuous city from Harrison 10
Summit then marked by distinctive connual-
ties each with marked individuality
While time OF value even before and in
the Civil War the commuters were all men who
were not compelled TO do service by a tine clocA-
Trains were delayed by storms. ferryooats were
oft= held by dense 1OgS, ana lNs CONNECTION
at East Newark never made IN a hurry w.
Hussev said that two hours was not exceptonallF
long from South Orange to New York city Gong
home trains often got stalled on the hill rom
Newark to Roseville. where the grade has N tHs
last decade been cut down. The hill 90 Summit
uas another place OF delay. But The only time
that traffic held up for several days vas IN
Isss the year Of the great blizzard. Mr. Hussey
was in one accident. but IL was not serious IN
1853 the drawbridge over the Passaic River a.
not ~lO locomotive
ran into the river.
A. the present time the commuter on the Laeka-
wanna spends about thirty minutes on the tram
TO East Orange. Up the 7O's the trip consumed
nearly an hour. and when Mr. Hussey began MS
committing experience from South Orange before
the Lackawsnna-then the Morris Essex-had
through line TO Hoboken, there vas 10 definite
time. the journey 20 lower New York often taxing
two hours At the lowest computation Nj Hus-
sey has spent three years on trains wnAe coNl-
uutnz counting only day for aHot0
days, which is really less than the actual number
travelled
When il comes to the distance he has jourusyed
the figures are almost beyond belief For parts OF
nine years Nh Hussey tourneyed twice each week
day between South Orange and Jersey city II re
con1nuted for only half the time he would nave
travelled in that period over forty thousand niles
His record while living East Orange for forty
three years allowing for the summer spent az
Chatham and two days. Thursday and SATURDAY
spent at his home each week for the last MHe
years was $4,000 miles. a total since his nFst
tourney TO New York City from South Orange IN
1857 of $4,000 miles. equivalent 10 nearly thirteen
times around the globe. over hfty round t'lPs y
San Francisco. And Mr. Hussey. although ne va
born on January "a 1924. and hence = IN mis- esh'y
sixth year looks as IL his committing days WoU@
be continued indefinitely
He was born In this city. in Broome street -
that time 1921 18th street was the beginning OF q.
country. He went with his father 20 NeV beul''
when his schOoldays came 10 an END. oG' Fe'ulI'.
to this city at the age of twenty-five lie has re-
The Tribune almost from the beginning OF us ~
lication and said that IN the Old days u nad 70 "
ordered at the office and vas delivered oy u'' =
young man When ne lived IN Amity street ~
celved II daily. and he removed 10 >eN e
sey he had it delivered al his New YORK slo'o' q "a
takes the newspaper now, as in the early oa!s = =
saws that he has not missed number except ~"'4
he was in Nicaragua
Nir Hussey is in business with MS sons -.
Jas West 18th street. and since the opening o. -
tunnel from Hobokea makes the journey from 81 81
Orange 20 his ohice IN hour. In the "' -,
for wears thereafter the commuters ooush' go
tickets which they were never compelled 20 sH'
unless new the road
-