Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-01

ObAOl uVb vi b1C opOIls Obu6I ITuNp ell
ers express themselves similarly re-
garding the pleasure Of bull fight,
and it is safe to conclude Spain will
never encounter a rival in that
arena.
TFibuIatIOns OF Travellers.
Most of the present generation
are able to remember the discom-
forts and hardShips of the old mode
of stage travel-a kind of convey
ance which yet exists in some parts
OF the country, and needs only to
be tried now and then to enable us
to appreciate the value of railroads
to personal ease as well as progress.
But men never seem to be content
with any rate of speed, or any do.
gree Of luxury. Their desires are
too impatient to be satisfied with
the fastest locomotion, and their
selfshness too intense to be graft
fed by the new appliances which
the great inventions Of the age have
provided Tor their comforts. In no
particular is this selfshness more
manifest than in railroad travel.
We have before referred to this sub
Ject, but it ought to be repeated
until their iS some reform. Why,
for example, should a man who has
paid for but one seat in a car have
the privilege Of monopolizing two,
sometimes three, while other travel.
ers, not so assuming and audacious,
are either compelled to go without
any seat or take an uncomfortable
and inconvenient one? Nothing is
more common in railroad travel
than this grievance, and it is one
which the conductors of roads ought
to put an end to. Surely, any rea-
sonable man might be content with
the progress, safety and pleasure of
comfortable railroad car without
making such display of greediness
and vulgarity as is daily witnessed
in railroad travel.
Another grievance encountered
in travelling is the gruf and uncivil
department of railroad and hotel
officials, many of whom seem to
think that it is a great act of
generosity and cOndescension for
them to answer a question of any
kind, no matter how courteously
propounded. In fact, the more
courteous the tone of the inquiry,
the. more discourteous is likely to
be the answer. This is not the case
with the railroad officials in Vir-
ginia and many other Southern
States; but, us a general thing,
travellers make great complaints,
and we have no doubt with Just
ness, of a want of ciyility in giving
information on the part of railroad,
hotel and postoffice officials. 1t is
hard enough, one would think, that
travellers should be feeced and
plundered at most of the great ho-
tells in the country, and. charged
twenty prices for the value of the
consideration they receive. It
would seem that the bitter pill of
eStortion might at least be coated
with a little Of the sugar of ro-
liteness. So, too, at postoffices.
A traveller inquiries at a poStofIice
for letters which he is auxiously
expecting, and, in nine cases
out of ten, receives a curt and gruff
answer. We are aware of the many
questions which these officials of
various classes are called upon to
answer, and the variety of charac-
ter with which they have to deal.
No doubt all this is a trial of their
patience; but, at the same time, it
is an incident of their vocation of
which they knew before they
adopted it, and it is with most Of
them a part Of the duty which they
are paid to perform. There are
plenty of outsiders who, in these
hard times, would be glad to be in
the service Of railroad, q hotel or
the United States government, and
not Only to perform the duties, but
perform them with cheerfulness,
politeness and alacrlty.