Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-07-28
new YORK LOSES
HSLAST HORSE CAR
Bleecker St. and Fulton Ferry Line
Abandons Franchise
NOTABLES MAKE FINAL TRIP
Anticipated Vehicle, With Smoke Pour
ing From Stovepipe. Rattles
Lazily to Its Barn

--F1IIy-tnree years ago when George
Opdyke was Mayor of New York and
goats browsed along what is now
riverside Drive, the people were
startled to learn that a company had
been incorporated to operate a car
line through the most populeus and
select strets. When the first car of
the Bleecker Street and Fulton Ferry
pulled out and went gliding along
behind a team of horses caparisoned
with bells even the most pessimistic
admitted that New Workers. were up
and doing. 1t would take lot of
space to print the route of that won
derful line
1t began on the west at Eleventh
Avenue and Fourteenth street, trav-
ersed Greenwich Village, passed
through Crosby Street, and finally
reached Park Row and Fulton ST,
Part of the distance of many miles
there was double track. but mainly
the track was single. Passing
through many changes, the line kept
its honored place in the municipal
railroad world until Thursday morn
ing, when the last of the dirty old
cars, with their faithful horses and
husky drivers, were withdrawn, never
again to reappear. What glory, there
fore that came to this giant and
progressive city for maintaining the
last horse-drawn car disappeared
forever We are now no more nota-
BILE in transportation than Chicago
or Philadelphia.
the officials of the New York Rail-
ways Company, aided and abetted by
the Public Service Commission. The
reason they gave was the sordid one
of lost money and lack of public ne
cessity. For many months only one
car has been operated on the line in
West Street and thence by devious
ways to Broadway and Bleecher St.
The car used was sight but it was
as good as any that dropped in the
car barn. The purpose of keeping it
going was to save the franchise.
One day. July IL last it earned 10
cents on the single trip it made.
During 1916 the line carried only
1876 passengers all told, and the to-
tai of receipts was $l7S.60 In the
present fiscal year the line earned
only $103.60 But the upkeep cost
the company $4,000 year.
The fact was, nobody would wait
for the car, and they wouldn't ride
on it anyway because it was far from
clean, comely. or fast, and by walk
ing short distance in any direction
one of the new tangled cars could be
found. General Manager Hedley of
the Interborough Rapid Transit
Company rode on the last trip with
several other officials of his COM
pany. There were also present Pub
lie Service Commissioners Whitney
and Harvey and Secretary James B.
Walker and Assistant Secretary Dag
gett of the commission.
Two cars were waiting at Bleecher
Street and Broadway but all of those
mentioned got into the first car,
which was in charge of Jas. Cuusack
driver, who has held the same job
for more tAan thirty years. Those
inside gazed with awe at the rusty
old stove. But the stove was all
right A lot of paper was thrust
ito it and set afire, and the car trun-
died along with smoke pouring out
of its battered pipe. to the wonder
of the populace. If everybody on the
car had paid fare the trip would
have been one of the most profitable
in several years. But nobody paid,
and so it cost more than the usual
average of $3.50 per passenger.
In few days the Public Service
Commission will permit the tearing
up of the tracks. new jobs will be
found for the old employees, and the
horses-ah, who knows what will
become of those faithful beasts? A
movie concern was on hand, and
pretty soon rural communities will
"a. q, 4boir fovorifo fhaafras and see