Evening journal., 1911-10-31
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Story Of the First Two
Cent-a-M Nile Passenger Rate
By Holland

The late Charles G. Clarke. who was
for many years vice president Of the
New York Central and Hudson river
railroad system and was the confiden-
ual intimate Of Commodore Wander
bilt and his son, William H was for
a term of years assistant treasurer Of
New York state and really the execu-
tive head of the Treasury Department
Of the State. Mr.. Clarke was in thai
way brought in close personal and
business relations with all of the pub
lie men Of New York state between
1845 and 1860. Among others of that
period whom he knew we'll was Myron
II. Clark, who was elected governor Of
New York state in 1854, and who at his
death was esteemed one Of the wealth
lest men Of Western New York.
Il don't suppose that there is a man
now living, except myself" said Mr.
Clarke to me at a time when agitations
we're IN progress in several States for
enactment of laws fixing the passenger
fare on railroads at two cents a mile,
"who knows that the advocacy of tho
two-cent-a-nile passenger fare and the
adoption of that rate by New YorE
state legislation undoubtedly elected
Myron H. Clark governor Of New York
IN s54.
Mr.. Clark was elected a member oil
the New York State Senate in 1868.
While he was a member of the Senate
the Legislature was asked to permit
the consolidation under one system OF
the various independent railway lines
running from Albany to Buffalo. There
we're seven Of those lines. II took near
ly all day to travel from Albany TO
Buffalo over them. 1t was necessary to
change cars six times. So the leading
railway men of that time conceived the
idea that combination Of those roads
into one system would be a good thing
for them and for the public. By the
way, that was the first proposition
looking to combination of railways
ever made.
Senator Clark warmly advocated
the plan. He knew something about the
difficulties and annoyances Of travel
from Western New York to Albany,
for he lived at Canandaigua, near Ro-
chester But he said publicly and pri-
vately that while a combination Of that
kind would be a good thing yet II
would be too good thing for the rail-
way men unless the people shared 10
some extent Its advantages. He CAME
into my offico one day and / remem-
Der hearing a prominent politician
ask him what plan he would suggest
by which the people could get a fair
share OF the advantage of the proposed
combination.
Oh said Senator Clark. 4 have q
perfectly simply plan to propose. Lei
the Legislature say 10 the railway mcr
that they will be permitted to combine
these roads into one provided they ar,
willing to have 1t stated in the oharte!
of the new combination that the com
pany will for all time carry passen
gers at the rate Of two cents a mile
We'll, the members Of the Legisla
ture SPEEDILY realized that that pro
position would appeal to the people q
Central New York, and although tn
railway managers protested vigorousl
for a while they at last yielded That /
the real history of the way in whlcl
the first two-cent-a-mile passenge
rate in this country was adopted ava,
back in the early fifties But ther
came curious and unexpected resul
OF this enactment. Myron Clark wa
given credit all over the State for th
proposition and II brought to him
great popularity. In 1854 the antislay
cry faction Of the Democratic part
nominated him for governor and callc
the attention Of the public to the fac
that Myron Clark was the author q
the two-cent-passenger-fare law. The
an antislavery faction Of the Viii
party nominated him, relying on hi
popularity as the author of the two
cent-passenger law: then the Prohibi
tionists nominated him for the sam
reason. He was elected by a small plu
rality, and his victory was due who'll
to the fact that he had gained hig
credit with the people because he ha
secured the passage OF a law whic
enables anybody to ride between A.
bany and Buffalo for two cents a mil,
What that meant at that time you ma
infer when ] say that, prior 10 the two
cent-a-mile legislation no railroad wa
charging less than three cents a mil
and many Of them four and even fy
cents"
Copyright, 1911. by E. J. Edwards. A
rights reserved.)