Dear Editor

I thought streetcars were bad in my day!


Boston Daily Globe February 10, 1885

Jamaica Plain Horse Cars

To the Editors of the Globe:

On Tuesday morning, having an early call to Boston, I got into a horse car and found that the seats had a wooden back which was covered with frost, and on attempting to take some straw from the floor to protect my back, I found the snow exposed through the holes in the floor. I sat shivering on the edge of the seat until the station at Roxbury was reached where I got out, took the steam cars and found at the Boston Depot a comfortable car of the Highland road to take me to Court street. On inquiring of the conductor of the Metropolitan car how old the car was, he replied, though quite an old man, "You must ask someone older than I am." I understand the frequent answer to an inquiry for some old resident of Jamaica Plain is: "He has passed away; he got his death on the horse cars." If the Board of Health would furnish some second hand carpet to cover the wooden backs of these seats they would do a humane act.

A Physician.
Jamaica Plain, February 9.