The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-03-06

culating to figure the exact change
to be returned from the nve-cent
pieces, dimes. quarters and dollars
they collected One conductor baked
when q passenger offered him a Ave-
dollar bill and after thorough search
the passenger succeeded in extracting
three pennies from three different
pockets In his clothes
Despite the fact that the buses
maintained their 12-minute schedule
without Interruption they were UNI
able to accommodate even small
portion OF the crowd at the evening
rush hour. Thousands of men and
women walked from their work as the
motor buses rumbled by carrying ca
pacity loads of women and children.
The motor buses stood up well under
the strain Of the first half-day's work.
At every stop It Is necessary for the
operator to shift the gears, but the
motors continued TO hum without
missing a stroke. Toward evening
the trafic in Junction-ave. became
congested and the OF orators had to
carefully wend their way through
maze OF wagons and pedestrians that
crowded the street. Three police OF
ficers were stationed ON the route at
the more dangerous crossings
"Hitehlng" Causes Trouble.
Children swarming over the street
and "hitching" on the buses, gave
Frank Bennett. superintendent OF the
line. the most trouble. Apparently
h,sr
living In every block along the route
of the bus line. The slow speed OF
the buses makes them ideal for
"hitching" purposes. Boys persisted
In hanging on the projecting rear
steps and some even attempted to at
tach their sleds to the buses by means
OF long ropes. II was finally neces-
sary to keep the rear door Of buses
partially open, the conductors divid-
ing their time between making
change and chasing the kids" on the
rear steps.
That familiar d. U. r. cry Of, Move
up In front there, please" is heard in
the municipal buses.
The road-beds In Junction-ave.,
Thirty-first-st., Buchanan-st., and
Scotten-ave., while In good repair, are
not as smooth as a plank road. The
heavy buses rumble over the pave
ments and the constant Earring II not
at all soothing to the nerves. But
the passengers, Wednesday after
noon, did not seem to notice the
bumps. everybody being charmed with
the novelty OF q ride In q municipal
bus.
c.vn,oI n ~ u norN, 40 xooL a
pleasure ride In one Of the buses and
sympathized with the conductor who
was constantly digging into his peck
cts for pennies.
Park Commissioners Hurlbut has al
ways taken considerable pride In the
appearance Of his park buses, but
rough service In Junction-ave. prom
ises To soon mar the beauty Of the
cars. The men como from the fac
tories with their hands dirty and
their clothes grimy. while the chill
drer along the route delight In peg.
ging at the buses. The commissioner
realizes that carrying holiday crowds
aud carry people to and from their
work are two different problems. The
municipal buses must be built to
stand the toughest kind Of usage. he
says.
The nrst bus leaving warren-ave. at
S o'clock Thursday morning carried
only two passengers, but Supt. Ben.
nett said that the buses which fol-
lowed ut 12-minute intervals all car
ried capacity loads.
Aid. Dill said the people in the Six.
teenth ward, through which the bus
line travels. are enthusiastic over the
mayors experiment.
Hundreds of people have told me
that the mayor made a move in the
right direction when he started the
municipal bus line" said the alder.
man.
AT present the bus line IL q fad
with the women and children out In
my district and they are enjoying g.
cent rides to the exclusion of tired
workingmen. possibly, but In another
day or two conditions will adjust
themselves 80 that the workingmen,
or at least some Of them, will be pro-
vided with cross-town transportation
to and from work."
Aid Sherman Littlefield and ed
die" Barnett were in the city hall
early Thursday morning and were
enthusiastic when they learned that
the municipal cross town line looked
like a success.
1--WE are heading In the right di.
rection at last" exclaimed Aid. Bar
nett. Let the ID. u. X. beware. the
present mayor and common council
are going 20 do things instead OF sim
NV alta ndiug arouuA ara totL,.,.xv