The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-12-18
GLa9tteuig
Second Hand Breath on the Cars..A
Protest from Mrs. SWIsshelm,


ITO the Editor Of the PittubarVh Commercial,
Among the many causes oftll health
among the American people, none Is more
potent than breathing foul air; and this
custom Is not confined to the inmates ol
cellars, garrets, tenement houses and
sIums Of great cities, but Is almost uni.
versal; and In few places 10 the supply
more abundant than In our churches
public halls and railway coaches. 1t d
in vain that builders supply means Of
ventilation. The sovereign people close
up the hues, shut the ventIlators, and
shudder OF the thought oil that old savage
oxygen breaking In upon the sacred In.
closure devoted to carbonic acid gas.
On Tuesday, the 18th, I took the morn.
Ing mail train at SwiSsyale to come To- In.
diana: 1T was q bright, crisp winter
morning. There were but few people ln
the car, and the frequent stoppages and
openings of the doors, between that and
the starting point, had kept the air in the
car good, although every ventilator was
closed. But soon the seats began to fiji
up with way passengers, the stops were
at longer intervals, and the air became
loaded with civilizations from human
lungs, human bodies and human clothing,
all more or less In need Of publication,
and when the conductor came along
asked him to open one of the upper venti-
lators, poor fellow he looked like Sec
ond cousin to Banquos ghost, and will, no
doubt, soon be ordered to Minnesota or
Florida for that pure air which is crowd.
ing in upon him in inexhaustible quaint.
ties, and which he so vigorously excludes
from his sunken chest: but he looked at
me as If he doubted the evidence OF his
senses, and replied:
why, we could not keep the car warm
with one Of then openp Then, starting
with increased surprise, he pointed TO
the little openings between the windows
and exclaimed, you have two veutila.
tors open now and this car Is coldp
l did not argue, but when he passed,
opened my window. He returned in.
stantly and exclaimed:
Madam must put down that window.
We cannot allow you to keep 1t open!
"But." demonstrated, ~ cannot breathe
this air. II q foul!u 2
He stood to enforce his order, and in
sisted that was making every lady un-
comfortable, although no one had spoken
10 him, Solar as I,could see, except a
man just behind me, who was, q large
specimen Of that class Of t'the great I'M
washed" ,"who glory In ponderous watch
chains. OF course, ! could not maintain
such a controversy, and put down the
window; but the air was insupportable,
and l went out and stood on the plat.
form. We soon stopped, when the brake
man proposed to help me down; l told
him l did not wish to get of.
mo-" said the man with the watch
chain, forcing his bulky person rudely
past, "she only wants to cool off," and
the cadaverous conductor laughed at the
joke. When the train was once more in
motion, the brakeman told me I must go
inside, as It was against the rules to stand
on the platform. l replied that It was
against my rules TO breathe foul air. He
said no more, but went inside, and with o
half dozen other men kept strict watch
upon me, apparently with view Of being
able to enlighten. q probable Coroner's
jury as to whether my case had been one
Of suicide or accidental death.
1have known Of several cases in which
passengers have been subjected to great
rudeness for insisting upon the use Of such
means Of ventilation as are provided by
railroad companies, and though one must
pity people who supply themselves with
tevers, dYspepsias and all other ills that
flesh is heir To-, through their ignorance
Of the laws Of lie, they should not be
permitted 10 share their crime and its
penalty. That portion Of the travelling
public who would rather wear second
hand clothing than breathe secondhand
breath, should insist on protection from
the pestient vapors which travel all over
the land in our railway cars. 80. ...
'a. JANE G. SwIssHELNl.
ZosonIG, Indiana County, Pa.