The daily gazette., 1881-07-02
The British Railway Carriage De.
tended.
From the N. Y. Times.

From the N. Y. Times.
We may frankly admit that the COM
partment carriage has its faults. Like
all other earthly things, it falls short OF
absolute perfection. In our saloon cars
it is possible TO have a signal cord, fol
in the presence of score or two Of
tellow-travelers the pride OF the Ameri.
can, prevents him from meddllng with
the bell-cord and thereby exhibiting his
ignorance and curiosity. 1t is usually
said that Americans avoid touching the
bell-cord because they are intelligent
enough to comprehend Its purpose at
glance.
Also, it must be admitted that the
compartment carriage Is favorable to the
commission OF murders-lIke the Muller
and the LEROY murders. Still, an aver.
age of two murders In seventeen years
is hardly enough to condemn the com
partnent carriage as a place dangerous
TO life, and certainly wholly lnsufiicien.
to justify the substitution Of the Ameri-
can saloon carriage.
These are the only faults which can
be charged against the English compart-
ment carriage. On the other hand, the
charges which may be made against the
American railway car are legion. II is
unnecessary to describe them here. They
ruin the moral character and shorten
the life of the traveller. The peripatetic
train-boy causes 23a per cent. OF all rail-
way travellers to swear an average guam
tity of seven oaths per hour, and, in the
estimation of the moralist. this enor-
nous aggregate of profanity is infinitely
worse than two quiet, unobtrusive muir
der every seventeen years. OF the men
who slam the door, OF the conductors
who waken sleeping passengers ostensi-
bly, 10 punch their tickets, of the ruffians
who smoke in cars other than the smok-
ing car, Of the drunken men who sleep
all over their unhappy neighbors, ano
Of The brntes who swear and use indie.
cent language In the presence OF women
no more need be said than TO recall the
fact that they are iuseparable from The
saloon car system. They infiIct al
annual amount OF discomfort and miser,
which would be cheaply got rid OF a
the price of large number of compart
ment carriage murders.
The chief fault of our railway cars 10
however, the demoralizins effect whiei
The reversible seats exert upon women
In order that the passengers shall not b,
compelled to ride back ward on at leas
half the trains, the backs of the seat
must be made TO turn over. This epa
Dles any woman who enters car earl
to turn over the back OF She seat In from
Of her and to attempt to occupy fou
: seats 1t has been estimated that GA De
| cent of all our women are prey to tbI
| degrading passion. A woman may
i naturally unselfisb, and even self-sacr
4 ticing, but II she once yields to the tenn
tation to turn over the back of SO.
she Is scertain TO become in very sho
Y time selfish and rude to degree that
| any one but an experiences travel
would seem incredible. With a parasc
3 or asmali handbag, or even pair
gloves placed 0n the seat before her ,sut
woman will try to retain her fo
y seats, though dozen men and womt
may thereby be compelled to stand
the aisle. OF the influence of this pc
j nicious habit upon the woman herst
n there car. be but one opinion.
1t changes her whole character.
s breeds in her selfishness which sl
a carries into every part OF her daily lii
y 1t renders her GALLONS to the sight
suffering and fits Her for the comm
sion OF any crime which she imagin
:, may minister to her self indulgeut
= OF the women now in the State priso
], ninety seven out of every hundred
n gan their downward career by turnil
over the backs OF seats in railway ca
es Upon the men who witness this sort
Of railway outrage the effect il to eau
them to lose all confidence In won
le aud to regard The whole sex as unpnn
H. pied, selfish, and dishonest.
In the English compartment car the
Sc are no seats the backs Of which can
IN turned over. No woman IL thus tenn
ed to monopolize fonr seats, for IT.
Is perfectly understood that passenl
l. is entitled TO one of the SIX or eli
-, seats In his or her compartment, a
20 the spectacle of three tired men sta
ig ing mp in railway carriage and va
.y waiting for woman to remove
90 gloves FROM one seat, her parasoI II
another, and her handbag from th
Is unknown.