National Republican., 1876-09-07
CAR-CHASING.

By "car chasing" we do not mean the
steam railway trains that speed away at the
rate of twenty, thirty, forty or even fifty
miles an hour. There are few people OF
the present enlightened age who are idiotic
enough TO chase them far. We have refer
ence to the street cars, which take such
devilish delight in starting just before you
get aboard, and coaxiDg you to jump off
just before they stop at the risk of your
neck; who forbid your riding upon the
platform or talking to the driver, but take
on board such crowds that many are COM
PEELED to encroach upon the forbidden plat
form space. These are the temper-trying
means of transit TO which we refer. They
are like the advertising columns of the
morning journal-open to all paying com
crs, and never so full that one more will
not trd hearty welcome. "Pass up for.
"war6, there, gentlemen, and make room
"for this lady" This is the request which
daily greets the ears of those unfortunates
who are beholden TO street cars. Fat peo-
pie of choleric temperament should never
become dependent upon street cars as
means of transit. The annoyances and
irritations incident to the chasing of car
which you are nearly in time for, but can
not enter without running, are so condu-
Give to apoplexy as to become really dan
gerous. Car-chasing is an unpleasant bust
ness at best, but when entered into by the
description of people above referred to it
is pretty sure sooner or later to result in a
catastrophe. Hence our advice to such,
never to place themselves in the power of
the car-driver, or where they will be sub
ject to the whims and caprices or absurd
fancies of the conductor. Just imagine a
rheumatic or equity person Of liberal cor
pulence, and somewhat iu haste to reach
his destination, making signals to car
driver who is looking exactly in the oppo-
site direction and refuses to see him,
apparently just because the passenger
is desirous of taking that particular
car. If he did not want to ride he feels
quite sure that the same driver would have
signaled him, and nearly halted the car in
his endeavors to coax him to get in. As it
is, he has run till ne is out of wind, and he
makes vain efforts to whistle, to halloO and
to scream. The car passes him, and if it
be double ender the condEc.nr is also, OF
course, looking in the other direction, or is
entirely out of sight. Some passenger or
other sympathizing stranger in sthe street
manages to hail and stop it after it has
passed several rods, and about the time that
the wheezy old gent hLs given up tie idea
of travelling in that car. He is far too in
dignant to ride with any one good ma
turedly. He is of the opinion that the
conductor and driver of that particular car
are in conspiracy against him. However,
seeing that the car has actually halted he
paddles along toward it. fully determined
to be revenged. He will berate the con-
ductor soundly as he pays his fare, accus-
ing him and the driver of having no eyes
for their business, spending their time in
talking with acquaintances, instead of
looking after the business of their employ
ers &c, &c. He then takes the number
Of the car, and threatens to report the
conduct of the conductor and driver at the
office of the company. He will, more
over, publish them in the newspapers. Iu-
deed, judging from his appearance of self
Importance, he must be the editor Eor cor
respondent of some influential journal, or,