The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-04-16
Etiquette I'm the Street

From the PittS6urgh Gazette
Than true politeness there is proba-
bly, nothing more charming, certainly
very little is more rare. Some one has
said that "the true gentleman is always
gentleman" if this be so, Judging BY
the shocking want OF politeness mani
tested in the streets and places of pub
lie amusement, there is but little of 1t
to be found in the city, comparatively
speaking of course.
Walking down Fifth stree we will, if
the street be crowded, be violently
thrust aside half a dozen times while
walking half as many blocks, by men
who are notin a violent hurry, but
who do neglect the universal laws of
public etiquette. In crossing muddy
thoroughtare, the chances are ten to
one that some passing driver will touch
up his horses and endeavor to pass in
front of you or make you drop your
dignity, and literally run for your life.
You get into a street car and find men
hawking and squirting the nicotian
Juice on all things, ctowding down into
narrow space between two other peo-
pie without as much as "by your
leave" when room is TO be had in other
parts of the car, rising to give place
when some pretty girl steps into the
car, and lonnging over double space
when some infirm old man or withered
bag stands tottering in the isle; or
rushing to get out with an utter disre-
gard to :he feelings always to be found
In mems toes when pressed.
All of these are obvious breaches of
the laws of street politeness. Every
man has his equal rights in the street.
Each one who walks the pavement is
protected in those rights by the laws of
the city, and yet some men push and
crowd and squirt brown defiance from
their mouths while their eyes look
around as If they only had rights and
all others were infringing upon them.
As TO giving up seats in cars, every
man has right to do that or not as he
pleases, but he should be consistent; If
If he gives up his place because less
robust person would be forced to stand
If he did not do so, why then old men
and women should get IL before young
ones. II, however, he gives It up out of
respect to a pretty face, he should re-
member that more reverence is due to
gray hairs than to brown ones, and act
accordingly.
Even the weaker and more lovely
portion OF mankind is not always polite
in the streets. To say nothing of the
trails which sweep through the dirt
until we are willing to agree with EUeTy
afternoon in asserting that whatever
may become ofman, the end of woman
is dust. These discommode us, but we
all bow down to fashion. Still, there
are IlIIIe LnlnSS winch might Do
better done. 1t is not necessary,
for instance, as soon as a man
has passed bevy of girls,
for the bevy to set to giggling and ma
king audible personal remarks. 1t is
not right that two females should cross
the muddy streets abreast when there
are but two rows of stepping stones.
nor is it necessary to say well, 1
never" il some man coming in the OPP
posite direction refuses TO step into the
mud and insists on keeping to the right
as directed by the legal authorities OF
slider 1t polite for women 10 walk up
repeatedly, after they have found out
certainly never give our seats in a
street car to any woman who brazenly
and conspicuously laments, while
politeness in men.
The lack of breeding is always dis
tressing when publicly made apparent,
but more particularly is this the case
when the person displaying it is well
dressed. In spite of republicanism, we
always do expect more from person ar
rayed in broadcloth or velvet than
from the wearer of fustian or trieze,
and when we do not find it we are the
more disappointed. By very slight
effort on the part of every citizen, the
whole tone OF street society might be
believe that thoughtlessness and not
breaches of etiquette in the street.