590 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



dent, therefore, that the masses of the United States during the con- 

 tinuance of these taxes did not have all the spices they would like, to 

 make their food more palatable and savory; that trade between the 

 spice-producing countries and the United States was restricted ; and, 

 as all trade is essentially an exchange of product for product, that the 

 labor of the United States gained under the new conditions, either by 

 sharing in the greater abundance of useful things, or through an in- 

 creased opportunity for labor in producing the increase of commodities 

 that the increase of exclmnges demanded. 



The original cost of the suspension-bridge between the cities of 

 New York and Brooklyn was $15,000,000, entailing an annual burden 

 of interest at five per cent of $750,000, When first opened to public 

 use in September, 1883, the rates of fare were fixed at five cents per 

 ticket for the cars, and one cent per ticket for foot-passengers, no 

 ticket being sold at any less price by packages. The total receipts for 

 the first year (1883-'84) from all traflic sources were 8402,938, and the 

 total number of car and foot passengers was 11,503,440 ; 5,324,140 of 

 the former and G,17£^3O0 of the latter. The results of the first year's 

 operations were not, therefore, encouraging as to the ability of the 

 bridge to earn the interest on the cost of its construction. During the 

 second year (1884-'85), the rates of fare remaining the same, the in- 

 crease in the aggregate number of passengers was comparatively small, 

 or from 11,503,440 to 14,051,630 ; but in February, 1885, the rates of 

 fare were greatly reduced — i. e., tickets for the cars (when sold in pack- 

 ages of ten) from five cents to two and a half, and tickets for prom- 

 enade (when bought in packages of twenty-five) from one cent to one 

 fifth of a cent. The results of this reduction immediately showed 

 themselves in a remarkable increase for the year of 71 per cent in the 

 number of car and foot passengers, or from an aggregate of 14,051,630 

 in 1884-'85 to 25,082,587 in 1885-'8G, and this aggregate has gone on 

 increasing to 30,604,726 for the year ending December 1, 1887. Con- 

 currently also the bridge receipts from traffic have increased from 

 $565,544.45 in 1884-'85 (the last year of high fares) to 8850,724 for 

 the year ending November 30, 1887, with a net profit on the opera- 

 tions of the year of $495,319, or nearly enough to pay two thirds of 

 the interest on the original investment ; or, the result of the bridge 

 operations since the reductions of the rates for its use has been accom- 

 panied by an increased passenger movement — car and foot — of 108 

 per cent, and a gain in receipts of 50 per cent. 



A further analysis of the experiences of the New York and Brook- 

 lyn Bridge since its construction also reveals some curious tendencies 

 of the American people in respect to consumption and expenditures. 

 During the first year the bridge was open to the public, the humber of 

 foot-passengers paying one cent was 6,179,300, and the number of car- 

 passengers paying five cents was 5,324,140. The next year, fares re- 

 maining unchanged, the number of foot-passengers declined to 3,679,- 



