New-York tribune., 1909-04-01
WILL FOLLOW MAD0O
INTERBOROCGH IN LINE.
Rear Sub7cey Cars for Womcn-The
ErDcriment in Hudson Tunnel.

Service Commission III a recent letter TO the
company. The officials do not think the scheme
practical on account Of the great congestion
At the express stations in the rush hours but
have agreed TO give the experiment fair try
cut
Frank Hedley. vice president and general
manager Of the InterboTOugh wrote the com
mission yesterday that the company stood ready
To make the trial provided the commission
would issue order requesting it to do so
Mrs Frederick W Longfellow. chairman of
the Transportation Committee of Fifty of the
Women's Municipal League, who started the
movement for separate cars for women, was
tubilant over the Interborough's decision
There is no doubt in my mind" said Mrs,
Longfeliow. that the plan viii work out sue
cessfully. II will be a great boon 10 women
end children who are obliged TO use the sub
way in the rush hours, as well as at other
times
Mr.. Hedley's letter will come UP for Consid-
Grafton at the regular meeting OF the Public
Service Commission tomorrow. It is certain
the commission viii approve Of the experiment
snd ask the Interborough TO give it a trial
The letter said:
The Interborough has always been ready to
10 anything TO ameliorate the conditions in the
subway. and the officers have often discussed
the feasibility OF setting aside separate car
traffic is so great that the conclusion has always
been that the experiment would not prove sue
cessful. IT, in the judgment OF your honorable
body. YOU think that the suggestion OF SeItine
aside The rear car Of express trains for the use
IF women and children is worth the experiment
this company is perfectly willing 10 Try II upon
receipt of advice TO do so.
The commission also received yesterday
more OF less facetious letter from W. Brenton
we1ling, banker OF No. > Wall street, sug
eesting that the first and last OF all subway
trains be reserved for smokers. In this way the
writer believed that women -voud find the mid
dle cars of the trains less crowded and the in
terestz and convenience Of eli would be better
accommodated. Mr.. yelling apparently ignored
the fact that the Board of Health had recently
forbidden all smoking in the subway
LADIES DAY IN MADoo TUNNEL
Ladies' day ia the Hudson & Manhattan tun-
rel made everybody happy William q McAdoo
vas so pleased at having got ahead Of Frank
tfedley. Of the Interborough, In adopting the
plans urged by the Woman's Municipal League
Of reserving the rear car of trains for women
that ne left trail of smiles all the way from
the Esd street terminal TO Hoboken and hack
sgain. when he took trip in the car just ahead
of the rear one 10 see how the thing worked
At O'Clock yesterday morning the first train
ever run in New York with special car for
yvomen pulled cut Of the Hoboken terminal.
Mrs Gabrielle Stewart Mulliner, attorney for the
league. who spends her time nowadays asking
tho Public Service Commission 10 ask tho In
terborough company to show cause why Il
shouldn't reserve 4 car for women. brought her
husband along 20 witness the proud event.
It's the happiest day OF my life she said.
She stood in the gray New Jersey morning and
watched the rear draw out with a lone
,.77,7sr1 in II and Of sir xle
The next rear look more women. and by
? O'Clock that parJ Of the gentler sex which
ocrnrnutes from New Jersey began to wake up
tc the fact which the guards and platform
were believing from end Of the terminal to
the other: Rear for Iadies," The red
capped porters. who looked out for the women,
had all they could do to sort out the bewildered
men from the crowds oT girls and women who
pouring in from the Lackawanna trains and
the tToleys made for the rear car
The car was reserved during the rush hours
only, from to 2 a NJ and from 30 10
p. m. The afternoon trains were the real test
Mrs LongfelIow was hand With Mrs. Multi
ner and a delegation from the league, at the 23d
street terminal They were happy as they saw
The shopgiTls obeying the guards, who shooed
them down 10 the rear car, but they not
half happy the rear guards
Its fone," said the one on the 6:Is train
which carries the heaviest traffic 81 carried
ninety ladies on the last trip. Give the ladies
q chance 1 say
GIGGLES DROVE THE MEN OUT.
Just then two men blundered into the car.
"Come back mister. Come back come back."
beloved the guard in a perfect frenzy of appeal
The men were not going to mind the guard. but
the giggies in the rear were too much for
them. and they fed.
It's all right 10 leave 'eIn TO the ladies'"
said the guard philosophically They soon
gets ashamed OF themselves, and they goes"
Just the train was about 20 start a man
ana q woman rushed together. and the watch
ful guard shunted the man into the next car
and slammed the door between the twain
She's lost hubby" gurgled the shop girls
vino took the whole thing a huge joke and
the woman. crimson with embarrassment sank
into the nearest seat.
He had stern sense OF duty that guard.
Fsetyveen every two stations he became obsessed
with the idea that there was a concealed male
person in that car and made careful
search along the length Of it, while all the
women laughed joyously.
The women passengers were not enthusiastic
about The plan. Large numbers Of them went,
indeed, 10 the rear car. and at six o'clock Z.
T Munger. general superintendent Of the road,
who had just ridden down 10 9Th street went
back TO Esd street and announced that the rea
car was filed when IL reached 14th street and
that he was satisfied with the success Of the
trial
some Of the women talked with were rather
cool Il don't know I mind riding with
men," said young woman with a baby In
the rear car.
Don't you hate being crowded in with lot
of nen?r young girl asked.
We'll" she answered s1lardedi.- III ali de-