Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1868-10-19
RAILWAY ETIQUETTE.

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We wish it were possible to draw some
line that should mark the extent to
which our gallantry ought to be carried
in railway travelling, especially between
Elizabeth and New York on the Central
railroad 1t seems hard to be compelled
to makea hog of ones self by running at
speed that almost rivals steam, or else
take the risk of standing, a privation
that one cannot embrace with compla-
cency after the labors of the day. We
have suffered in this way on one orSwo
occasions and we finally resolved to take
advantage of our earliest leisure and
growl, SO here it is
We submit to any candid mind, if it
isn't a ridiculous sight Ito say nothing
of the humiliation of the spectacle to
witness the stampede of IA hundred men
more or less) each practical demon
stration of our central interest in life,
self. No one among that number stops
to argue with himself why he isrunning
like madman, or yet to reflect whata
exhibition he is assisting in. The eff
feet of the action of afew becomes cleo
trio, and the many follow. With the
most of them it is probably the only
time that they get beyond the dignity
of walk Through the day they con
duct themselves as gentlemen should,
but when the ferry boat passes into the
slip on the Jersey side this national
propensity to hurry ahead of every body
else takes possession of them, and in the
to be in advance the speed at
tanned is something marvellous. Now if
all would walk, all would stand an equal
chance, and if those who enter the cars
first would fill the seats instead of each
taking whole one, any gentleman who
is escorting lady would not be annoy
ed by being separated from her during
the ride A tritle of that true polite
ness which ignores self little, could
be practised here with the most benef-
cial results. If our male readers would
not forfeit their claim to good breeding
and are DESTROYS that their lady friends
should not withhold from them the I'll
tie of gentleman Ito which, thank
our Republic, every American reasona-
bly, aspires,) we beg of them not to for
get in public that courtesy for which in
society they maintain such scrupulous
regard. The habit of reserving seats
has arisen from the system and is pure
ly one of necessity-best yet what a
source of irritable discussion it some
times becomes. Dozens of men who
have no particular reason for fastening
run as if for dear life, leaving such as
have ladies under their protection the
only alternative of becoming hoggish,
too. II they secure seats it has been
the case that some clownish person has
contested the right thus to reserve
them, though we are glad to think such
instances are rare. Now all this would
be obviated, we think, if the gentleman
passengers would leave the boat in a
quiet orderly manner, and proceed to
the cars with no greater haste than
when leaving them to walk home.
Americans have the reputation of doing
everything in hurry. Englishmen
are fully as selfish and not half so
quick. Irishmen are as equally expert
and ten times as gallant. We carry
forward great enterprises at surprising
speed and thus astonish England and
awake her jealousy. We have made
wonderful progress in the arts, and our
fingers will soon be as delicate to touch
as the dainty digits of the French that
fashion so much of our finery. But we
can adopt with advantage little of the
stolidity of the former, and look to the
latter for an example of etiquette, not
only in railway travelling, but in all
that relates to contact with our fellow
men.