, 1874-05-18
OPEN STR EnT-QAHg.

When gentleman witlout an 1linbrolla, and
with now silk hnt, bearing ruin drops patterinr,
on the crown Of the latter, oxc1aims that Bono
things In this world aro not run with the intcli-
geuco Of an infant or oven whom smother man,
sponking OF the hirod help who Inns kiadled tho
fire With his bcd-s1ntB, makos the samo remark,
nobody thinks OF tho matter which Is In tho
Speakers mtud. No. Tile mind inBtinctivoly
turns at tho phrase to tho West and South
Division stroot-Railrond Companien, and wou-
dcrs to what especial display Of idiocy tho
speaker has reference. It is ae1don, that
oS}G9ay orSsyy tsno sn aosvos tns as he pcien Gf an
Of managing tho most stupidly, governed institu-
tiou in, say, one continent, aud yet gentleman
living on the West Sile has that proud honor.
Ho monnH vol. Wo all mean moro or loss
do not always succeed in eoncealing tho excel
lonce Of our tntontlonB from everybody elao.
Tho Chicago stroot-railrond companies dffter
from the entire human family III this roancct.
miaanthropeo that thoy meant we'll toward any
body. They suffer otcrnnlly from tho imputn-
ton Of unworthy motives. Throe yonrs ago,
whom they put OIL the open cars, single ray Of
goodwill towards, men slono out, radiant1y
bright against tho mass Of selaah1esa which had
hitherto, apparently enyeloped thoir notions.
During tho summer OF that year, thousands
Inhaled the frcsl, air, and branthel ont blessings
in return. The fall came, and tho fresh mir was
2 bb S5sss 5 ,ss @ TSss 6Ss1oas essn e
and gloves. rs the fali gradually drew to close,
and tla blessings oeasod As the froRtB came,
and troy sat and Yhiserod in tlo!r seats, or held
on wittsb}ue aud hnmbod fingers to tho platform
and covering OF the cur, they began to speculate
that the open cars wcro not exactly public con-
vonenco.
They recollected, too, that they ofton rode in
tho rain during tho summer, mud tho thoughts Of
vet seats md Tapping canvas saturated With
nurnur. made them feel ooldor still. Tho open
cars were filed aB long as they ran. From this
one might argue tl,at tho pnbiic fo1t no incon-
vcnionco from them. But as thcro were no
close cars, or very fow OF them. to prefer, it
Dpen cars or none.
And now again, spring, spring, gcntle spring,
that tho madrigal boys at Hooleya sang about,
cane about two weeks ago. Tho barometer rose.
vanished, and tho opon cars took their places.
1t was fno weather. It was n fine chanco
to lny inside hnlf the stock. Tho oloae cars
were tired, and a rest was much needed.
Tor tho fnll onjnyn,anl Of tho privilege. rhern
wcro como perBons, not made entirely of cnHt
iron and payng-Btoncs who would have waited
quarter Of an hour for close car,-latcs with
rayages Of our tickle climate told efrectually.
Thoy might have waited for a day. Open cars
are moro profitable, nnd open cars or nothing
Was'the rule: Tile weather changed again, mud
and aguo. Tho barometer snid 30; tho tller-
momotor indoraed tho atato,nents Of tho bar
omoter. "Old Probabilities" told everybody,
oven those who never hoard Of a lar-
omotor, or looked at d thermometer, that
for the Upper Lako Region thoro would DO
falling barometer md thorino1netor, md,
knowing that the Supeslntendlonts Of Tho street.
rai!roAa companies would have neither OF these
Instruments in their Offices, and coutd1ot undor-
stand them 1t they Ind them, distinctly pre-
track, tho only concessions to tile weather being
an occasional closed caE,-porhaps thros on each
OF tic main lines.
Now, if the supcrlntondents had arisen tho
othor morning at any, o'clock. called for their
morning papers, and turned to tho weathor-re-
port, as men who pretend to run u st.oet-oar
line half mile long ought to do, they
would have found prediction. Of rain
for this region Had they looael at tho
in at hour OF 10. They would hayo said, stake
of all tie open cara at II o'clock, and put on
close oncz," but they did not. There we're ono
or two close ollea moving, but hundreds Of peo-
still tho open cars continued to run, tloir wet
canvaa tapping about in tho rain for an hour or
more after the torrent calno down. Oh wise
and hnmnna managers. sowing seala of liaoaso
l0r tGW Olu dollars
Now, nobody Of any Sense will inp,ite to the
superintendents any deliberately loriicidal mo-
tiyes. They moant we'll. They did not know
enough, that waB n1l Lot them purchase, for
rs eonts, thermometer, and determine noyor
to run open cars when it marks below
Is degrees. Ihoro will 10 plenty Of margin to
haye it cold enough to cause Inconvenience to
passengers without killing thoul. Lot tlcm get
barometer, and. hire man for a yoar, or
moro, it necessary, to toach them how to OBJ
| eeryo it. Let them study the weather-reportB in
adaition, md then put Oh three extra close cars
| When thoy know 1t will rain. This will saye q
few lives, and still give them opportunity to tor
minnto many. Lot them mako this concession
to tho public, and tho mortality list, with its
hideouB array Of dontha from pulmonary dia-
eases, will porceptibiy shrink.
CIR CHICAGO EEYrYALISTa