Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-09-09
CENTER THIS WAY.o

Excellent Hints for Railway Travellers.
There is one of sthe grievances of
railway travelers-a grievance for
which they are themselves in part
responsible-whic requires no expen-
sive apparatus for it's removal. When
a train stops at way station where a
considerable number of passengers are
awaiting it's arrival to proceed by it to
some place beyond, they are met as
they push forward to enter the cars. in
the minute during which the train
pauses, by the passengers who are
leaving the Cars at that station. The
latter passengers have as little wish to
be carried beyond their destination as
the former are eager to enter the train
lest they be left upon the platform
both oppressed by the sense of hurry,
which Seems to be an inseparab]e IL
cldent Of railway travelling; many of
4 ss2 are encountered by hand baggage,
due care of which would make their
movement through the narrow doors Of
the cars difficult under the best circum-
stances; and so the two crowds iOstle
and press against each other; and,
after all, time is wasted before one set
of passengers have succeeded In leaving
the cars and the others in taking their
places inside.
This confusion might be mitigated,
if not avoided altogether, if rule
could be established: Leave the cars
by the front door: enter by the rear;
and if station-agents, conductors and
breakmen were required to remind pas
sengers of the rule at critical moment
when it's observance is necessary,
passengers would gladly avail them
selves of rule the operation of which
would so obviously promote not only
their convenience but their salty; for
there is considerable risk of accident
to limb if not to life, especially at this
season, in the hurried mounting and
dismounting from the steps between
the platform of the car and the platform
of the station.
There are, of course, occasions when
such a rule is less desirable than at
others. When there are but one or
two passengers to enter Or leave the
train strict enforcement of the rule
would be unnecessary. But there are
so many stations at which there are
always considerable numbers entering
as we'll as leaving the successive trains
passing in each direction, that 1t would
be quite worth while to establish the
rule, and for the conductor or break
man to call attention to it, at least
in announcing those particular sta
tions.
It may be added that if such rule
were established it would be OF advant-
age in another way, even in cases in
which it would not be useful in pre-.
venting crowd. Even if but one or
two passengers are waiting to take
train, by looking forward to the front
of each car they would readily discover
the car they might best enter in order
to find vacant places, and might at once
enter at the rear of that which one or
more passengers had just left by the
door at the forward end. This, how
ever. is a point in which public con
venience would be best promoted by
greater attention on the part of con-
ductors, indicating to passengers about
to enter a. train the cars in which they
will find seats.
There is a great difference in this
respect in the habits OF conductors.
In some instances, whenever the train
reaches way station OF some import
ance, where the train makes stop
little longer than ordinary, the con-
ductor disappears as If by magic, and
is not seen again until the instant when
ne makes the signal for the train to
start. The station-agent meanwhile is
bus1ly selling tickets to the belated
passengers who have only just reached
the station. The train perhaps consists
of many cars, at both ends of each of
which are the confused crowds of which
we have spoken, one set of passengers
pressing to enter the train and another
to leave it; and nobody in authority to
give word of counsel to anybody.