The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-24
TIE STREET-CAR.
Essay the Rob-Tailed Species of Vehicle
and Its PeculIarities.

Essay on the Bob-Tailed Species of Vehicle
and Its PecuIiarities
Charles Dudley Warner, in December st. Nicholas
To a person not much accustomed to
travel there is mild excitement in getting
on board OF street-car; it is in the nature OF
an adventure. The roar of the wheels in the
iron track, the cheerful iingling of the bells,
the effort to attract the attention OF the
driver, who, with one hand on the brake and
the other controlling his fiery steeds, is al
ways looking for belated and hurrying pas
senger up the wrong street, the scant
courtesy Of the conductor who watches,
with his hand on the bell-pull, the placing
OF your foot on the step in order to give
you the little shock necessary to settle your
ideas-this mere getting on board has its
pleasing anxieties and surprises. And then
there is always the curiosity as to your fe
low-passengers. and the advantage III study
ing character in vehicle where people
real natures. l have noticed that the f. St
corners in car seem to think they have a
sort of property in it, and they resent with
stare of surprise, the entrance of the last
conner, as if his right to a seat depended upon
their courtesy, In no other conveyance l
think, does one SO perfectly realize how queer
people are. Nowhere else, perhaps,
tricity in dress such an ofense.
And then the passengers, ugly as they
may be, are so Indifferent to your opinion,
1t is something amazing, the conceit of ugly
people.
The car which entered was nearly full
no car is ever full. 1t was one of the short
cars, called by the light-minded "bob-tailed,"
having one horse and no conductor-one of
the contrivapceS that presumeS upon the
honesty of everybody except the driver. The
car was dirty; but as this is the only dirty
line in the United States it would be ILL
natured to mention it's name and city; be-
sides, it is unnecessary to do so. as no doubt
it. I was interested in study
ing the legends in English and German
posted above the windows, They related,
mostly, to diseases and the benefit of soap
applied. There were also directions about
negotiating with the driver for change, and
one, many times repeated, and written over
the fare-box by the door, requested the pas
senger to put the exact fare in the box. }"
This legend always annoys me by its narrow
ness and petty dictation, Often L do not
| feel like being bound by this iron rule; some
| times | would like to put in more, some-
| times less than the exact five cents. But no
allowance is made for different moods and
varying financial conditions, l often wonder
| if this rule is founded on real justice in the
| bosom of the company, and whether it would
be as anxious to seek out the traveller who
should by chance overpay, and restore the
excess as it is to follow him when he puts in
too little. If this is not the meaning of
exact" then the company is more anxious
to make money than to do justice. L do not
suppose this is so, but there is one suspicious
! thing about horSe-car. The floor is some
times a grating, and straw is spread on this,
so that if the passenger, who is often nervous
and obliged to pass his fare from hand to
hand to the box, lets it drop in the straw, he
never can find it.