The primary
mode of public transportation in South Boston some 81 years ago when I was born
was the electric trolley. We lived at the top of West Fifth St. so the closest
line to us was the one that ran along Dorchester St. My mother would often take
me to visit her sister in Brighton. She would deposit her nickel in the small
box located near the conductor and off we would go. I travelled free because of
my age. As we travelled toward Andrew Station the conductor would clang his
bell when he encountered an obstruction. At Andrew the subway would take us to
Park St. and then a trolley to Brighton.
The trolleys
were powered by overhead wires which were connected to the car with an electric
harness. Occasionally the harness became disengaged. This was particularly true
at Perkins Square where the East and West Broadway lines intersected with the
Dorchester line. The conductor would set the brakes, leave the car and proceed
to the rear where he would set the harness on the correct line.
As I got
older I would travel all over the city just for the fun of it. I loved the
trolleys and subway system. I had to be careful to get off of stations that had
crossovers otherwise I had to pay another nickel to return ---as I found out
one day. Since I lived close to the trolley line I became accustomed to the
sound of the clanging bell. After WWII the trolleys gave way to busses and the clangs
replaced with annoying horns.
Several
years ago while on vacation in San Francisco I stayed in Union Square along one
of the Cable Car lines. Early one morning I was awakened by the clanging bell
of the Cable Car. It brought me back instantly to a simpler time of my
childhood. Only then did I realize how
much I missed the sound of the clanging bell.
