The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1911-08-03
WILL THE FERRY COMPANY CON-
SENT?
A PERTINENT LETTER TO THE
HERALD FULL OF INTEREST.
ATGTERS. La. July 18th, 1911.
Editor HERALD:

DEAR SIR-In reading over one of the
Sunday morning issues of the daily pa
pers, came across an article devoted
to the description of a very noble char
ity that has been organized in our city
least bank, where the respectable
down and out" or those who are tenn
porarily out of employment or funds,
can get a clean, comfortable and safe
place to rest and sleep for ten cents,
or if without even this small sum, ac-
commodations will be furnished free;
it is a noble charity and should meet
with aid from all who are in a position
to help. While reading over the arti-
Gle and its description of the many
poor, weary and footsore wanderers
who apply to the home for rest, my
own experience on the L~nal street
ferry pontoon, especially on the city
side occurred to me and realized that
it is not always the tramp that looks
around without success for a place to
rest his weary limbs, but we of the
more prosperous and comfortable class,
that at times even with money to pay
for it cannot find a place to relax our
muscles, but must stand up or lean
against an iron railing for ten, fifteen
or twenty minutes waiting for a boat.
1t is of course a short time, but, oh!
how long to a tired man or woman, to
/ say nothing of Gods chosen, the little
children. On the city side there is one
bench capable of holding about seven
persons. and at any time up to twelve
o'clock at night, from the departure of
the boat until it's return, can be seen
any number of women and children
seeking all manner of postures, en-
deavoring to rest their tired bodies.
You have called attention to this mat
ter on several occasions but as yet the
management has not seen fit to remedy
it. l am not personally acquainted
with the manager of the ferry COM
pany but know him by sight, and also
know that he holds some public posi-
ton in the city administration, and
judge by his appearance that he is a
gentleman and would not willingly put
the tired public to an inconvenience, if
there was not some good reason for it;
but cannot see it, as it would not en-.
courage loungers to have a sufficient
number of benches as no one can get
on the pontoon until they have paid
their fare and passed through the
wheel Now l have two plans that
wish to suggest to you and hope that
you will take the matter up if YOU
think either of them are good. First
of all let a committee of prominent
citizens call on the ferry manager ant
in the name of the tired public obtair
his permission to carry out the plan
then open subscription list by popu
lar contributions raise fund to pur
chase comfortable benches, and / fee
assured that in a few days enough
money can be raised to furnish all tn
benches needed Or we could evel
make a business proposition to tn
management, /. e., purchase a lot o
camp stools, donate them to the ferr.
company, and let them rent them on
to their patrons at so much trip.
feel assured that If we can only over
come the objection of the ferry com
pany and obtain their consent that an.
of the above plans will prove a sue
cess. Of course some will refuse t
contribute on the ground that whel
they have paid their fare they are en-
| titled to the proper care and atten
ton, but this can be overcome by eS
| planning TO them that the management
| must be in the right when they refus
| of their own accord to place sufficien
J number of seats in their waiting room
or pontoons, which are the cleanes
t and healthiest places to wait, in thi
) age when all laws of health are cryin
, aloud for open air accommodations. L
? the name of the tired public | ask yo
!. to take this matter up and after sof
). ening the hearts of the ferry peopl
t and gaining their consent, start tn
4 subscription and save our sufferin
e women and children from the tortur
e of standing on tired feet or leanin
Y weary shoulders up against an iro
e railing waiting for the boat to receiN
: their exhausted bodies, and transf'
e them over the river, which seems
e be the only thing that the managemel
t is obligated to do.
q ONE WHO HAS BEEN THERE MANY
WEARY NIGHT.