The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-14
TRAVELS 80 MI.
| DAILY To HIS
? JOB HERE
Leon J. Fuld Is Champion OF
1000 Baltimore Com
muters to D. c.

with something like $4,000 miles
to his credit as commuter be-
tween Baltimore and washington
travelled over a period Of nearly
fifteen years, Leon J. Fluid. VINO
makes his home in Hamilton, MO.
on the outskirts of Baltimore. put
who works in Washington, has
good claim to being the champion
commuter of some 1000 persons
who each week day journey TO the
Capita1 to work.
Enid. who is a clerk in a local
furniture store, is modest about his
record and says he is sure there
must be someone who has done bet
ter.
AS his home in Hamilton is five
miles from Union Station, Baltl-
more. and he has to transfer three
times on the way Fluid has already
travelled a considerable distance be-
fore he goes to his accustomed seat
Of, the 7.55 a. m. each morning.
Adding to this the fortysthree miles
on. the train between the two cities
ana trip on the, street car, to ms
place Of business here. Fnld esti-
mates that he travels g. full fifty.
miles each way or 100 miles 9 DAY.
4 Started In September, 1908.
It was in September, 1908, that
Fluid first bought commuters
ticket. He says he laughs now
when he recalls that he paid a
straight fare for the first few days
for fear he would quit before he
had used up strip. Allowing
fifty.two Sundays out, his two
weeks vacation and four national
holidays when the store Is CLOSED,
it is merely a matter OF arithmetic
to figure that he makes the inter-
urban trip 295 times year or a
distance of 29,500 miles. Multiply.
ing this by fourteen and allowing
$1,000 miles for the distance trav'
eled on his fifteenth year 1t Is evil
dent that he has covered approx
mately $4,000 miles in all.
Year in and year out Fuld leaves
his home shortly after a. m, and
it is not until p. m. that he once
more enters his own doorway. In
the winter, except for Sunday, Fuld
has little opportunity to see his ma
tive city in daylight. Travel may
be wearing on some people but it
has shown no i'll effects upon Fuld
who is still young man and looks
rs though he could easily double
his record before he is ready to
retire.
Few persons realize the number.
Washington each day. But begin
ming as early as o'clock, when the
of commuters from Baltimore to
employees of the navy yard leave
Baltimore for, work, and continuing
up to 3 o'clock all trains on the
Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio and
w. B: & A., are crowded. The
T:20 on the Pennsylvania, carries
seven coaches. On the ESQ, of the
Baltimore & Ohio an interesting
feature is the dining car which isl
always comfortably filled with the
more prosperous of the commuters
who breakfast on the train. Many
Baltimoreans are employed in the
Bureau of Engraving; in Govern
nlent offices. and with the telephone |
company, while others are ner.
chants.
Fuld recalls many amusing ex-
periences and practical jokes played
on each other by the commuters, but
one, he says. stands out wildly. On
this occasion the train left Washing
ton and had reached the outskirts
or Baltimore, when 1t stopped for q
Few minutes. Then, before the COM
m1uters knew what was happening,
an engine was hitched on behind and
the whole train was run back to
Washington, where 1t started out
again over another line on its Sc
ond trip to Baltimore. He has not
yet forgiven the train crew that
failed to give them a chance to get
out and catch a street car that was