The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-03-01
How q Lady gets on and OF q
Street Car.

The following fancy sketch Is an i'm.
portant addition to liorse.car literature,
and must not be lost:
Did you ever observe the manner in
which lady gets on and of the street
car? What delibenlion Of movement,
what daintineSs as TO where she steps
and with what Importance withal she
at last settles herself in her seat, rs much
us to say, III l pay FIVE cents for ride l
mean to get the worth Of it."
The car going ut full speed down the
street. a lady on the corner wants 10
gel in and halls tho driver. She remains
on the sidewalk until the car comes at u
full stop. Then she looks up and down
the street, and waits moment as though
deciding which foot to put on first; then
she reaches round behind her and gathers
in handful OF surplus oyeskirts, hustle,
&C., and runs her hand through her mutl
and takes hold Of the front Of her dress,
and lifts it little, and then
looks behind her TO see that all
is right, and with farewell look
up and down the street she starts
for the car. She steps very slowly and
impressiyely, measuring every step, and
when she reaches the car patIscs mo-
ment, MS though sleep.walking, and looks
absently at the conductor as though about
TO tell him some important secret. He,
moor man, has stood with his hand on
the bell strap so great portion OF his
DAYS waiting for Just such women as she,
that somehow he don't look natural in
any other position. Well, she at last
puts her foot on the first step Of the car,
and then, us a matter OF course, puts her
other foot on the other step, and then she
il fairly aboard. Then she goes in the
door and everybody gives breath OF re-
Lief, for they have all been watching. her
three minutes and half journey from
the sidewalk with a sort OF fascination
born OF the fear TINT she might change
her mind, she acts SO irresolute and hesi-
tating, as it were. Then the bell rings
and the car starts, Unexpectedly to her,
OF course, and she performs the rest Of
her Journey in short order by setting with
conclusive violence up against n fat old
marty, and rs suddenly rebounding us
though she had hit big rubber ball with
herself, and got bounced thereby. Then
the conductor comes for her fare and she
gives ten dollar bill, and he gives her
The change and she counts it with a sus-
picious air and puts it in her pocketbook.
So by-and.by she signs the conductor
that she wants to get oil, and he rings the
bell and the driver stops two feet short
Of the cross-walk, and when she gets to
the door she says she don't want to get
of the car in two feet Of mud, and half
mile from the wall" and the conductors
with thoughts not loud but deep, start,
up the car the other two feet, and with
the perversity only known to street car
drivers, it goes beyond two feet or more,
and the lady is landed two feet from her
destination at last. But she makes him
pay for it getting of, She stands on the
stcp and wonders how she is ever going
to reach that walk without getting all
mud, the conductor seeing, meantime, the
other car on the switch waiting for him,
and knowing that the horses will have to
run half a mile to make up lost time.
So the lady goes through with the over
skirt hustle gathering process and looks
up and down the street and daintily steps
of. waited on her journey by something
that he said to himself privately that
was heard but will never be told OF.