Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1858-07-31

The great secret of travelling comforta-
bly, in railway car is supposed to reside IN
knowing how to monopolze the largest
amount Of space. Old hands in this 6usi-
ness have learned the trade, and IL Is su(i.
GENTLY amusing to see them manage it,
We have tried some experiments in that
line, ourselves. We recently rode from
Springfield to New York with two seats all
the way. The way We did it was. at every
stopping place, to stick q formidable nm
brea mp in the unoccupicd scat. and then
keep our eyes out Of the window until eve.
ry body was seated, and the cars were off,
Half dozen fellows watched the. trick,
and rather enjoyed IT, But this was only
for on experiment, and really gave no one
any troube, so far as we know. though TWEEN
ty-hve persons bowed to the umbrella, and
passed along. A good why, and one prac-
tieed largely at the west, is to lie down, and
go very sonndly to sleep. Another is to
pretend that the seat bclogs to friend,
who will soon be in from another car, though
vocalized falsehood is not considered very
creditable. Bandboxes and bundles, so
! plentiful that nobody sees how they eau be
possibly disposed Of, will drive all but hard
customers away. If these will not do, an
lnfallible resort is a huge puddle Of tobacco
juice before the vacant seat. Ladies may
usually secure Immunity from intrusion by
sitting in the middle OF seat, and spread
ing their skirts over the whole.
But there are travellers who 90 good
deal further than this OF ali places in
this world, we know Of none which will
bring out the innate hoggishness of mans
disposition SO Thoroughly as railway car.
The men who resort TO the little tricks for
retaining room are mostly good natured
men, who yield their wishes with pleasant
grace when the vacant room q really want
ed, but there are some who regard man
who wants the seat TO which they have no
shadow Of right with Grabbed sourness.
enough TO make one hate them. We de.
light particularly in seeing such men insult
ed and put down, as we do selfish monop.
olist anywhere.
Bnt, after all, this was not what we
started to write about. There is secret
Of pleasure in railway travelling, and The
American bids fair to copy the English
man so far as to lose sight of it. The pas
sengers of railway car may enjoy them
selves, as any chance collection OF indiVd-
uals msy, by yielding to their social iD-
stincts, and ceasing for the time to regard
each other as strangers Forty men and
women get into car and ride a hundred
miles, longing 10 speak to somebody, afraid
to speak to anybody, and tired by the te-
dlons passage, IA passage they dreaded be.
fore starting, and remember with pain anu
disgust when completed If the Who'll,
freight of Il e car had obeyed its wishes, il
woald have been happy. Pleasant conyer
sation would have spruns up. the company
would have become vivacious social as
sembly, the passage would have been short
ened one half, and friendships might havt
been formed of lasting and valuable char
acter. Bnt there was conventional wal
between each passenger and his neighbor
and over this no word was passed.
Now, is there not better way than thisi
The common sense Of every man and wo.
man will allow that there is We oil be
lieye there is, and it needs only universal
obeisance to the fact, and practical adop.
tion Of il to demonstrate its superiority
OF course, no acquaintance, formed under
such circumstances has, in ITSELF any claim
TO continuance. A company of passengers
meet, and agree, for the time, TO talk with
one another, for the purpose of willing
away the hours, and being amusing and
useful to each other They part, and un-
less there may have been some special rea,-
son for continuing the acquaintance, that
is the last of it. We can all 0gree that
this is much more healthful and pleasant
exercise than reading through passage
If lapse or license in etiquette should
ever allow the adoption of plan like this,
it would be found to do away with all this
fighting over seats, this selfish greed for
space, this prevalent hoggishness, of which
we have spoken. Wherever there is social
fellowship, there is social consideration and
politeness In a social assembly. every man
feels himself to be upon his good behavior.
As it is; we, as q nation of travellers. are in
danger Of becoming as notorious for our
taciturnity, and erabbedness, and monopo-
lizing spirit, as the English are, and this
we shoAld regard as great ealamitY. The
Englishman, notoriously hospitable and
pleasant in bis own mansion, is as notorious
" selfish, sour, fault-inding, privilege
grasping fellow on bis travels. Tie very
worst side of England is seen 10 the railsay
car, and the only reason is that the Eng
lish people have adopted-the theory, that
strangers are necessarily of no account, or
are nstural enemies, frem WHOM all sympa-
thy is TO be withheld, as well as all eommu-
nication. Let as try, individually, to see if
We cannot better this.