New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-05
PHILOSOPHY ON AsTREETOAR

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A CONDUCTORS VARIED OBSERVATIONS
WHERE THE sELFIsHNEss OF HUMANITY 10 CLEARLY
sEowS-MANNERs AND MORALS OF CITY TRAVEL
You must not smoke here. sir.n said tho
conductor OF street few evenings ago 10 passen-
ger who entered with lighted cigar ins mouth The
words were commonplace enough but tone IN which
they were uttered attracted the attention Of TRIBUNE
reporter. The speaker was young man OF more than
medium height ana of fair proportions His eyes were
large. dark. and penetrating, his nose was aauilins =
graceful mustache shaded hts mouth which was nj once
firm and genial and bis chin denoted decision Evil
IDENTIFY he was man endowed with force Of character
The reporter approached him. and entering into CONVEX
sation made the discovery that he WIS of the tribe Of
literary and adventurous Bohemians
have lately returned he said, from four
months tour of Europe. and being almost penniless
was glad to accept position streetcar conductor
how 40 IKE the life Well, temporary one very
Wen. You see.f love to study human nature and upon
people express themselves The
innate despotsn, the dormant brutality the petty die
honesty tne vugarty vanity and sefassertion of men
and women are sure to manifest themselves here and IL
Is necessary for philosopher study these AZ well as
the finer qualities that lend aud grace TO life
Judges and men or standing who talk giibly about
human rights and duties tranple upon the underlined
but. to all gentlemen we'll known rights their fellows
with wilfulness worthy OF King Thcbau Sleek WELL
hNSScu icH WIN HOiu nlckei IN tnclf hands, become
absorbed In their papers. and get without paying
their fares unless reminded by the conductor Rich
women Of fashion display lack OF good breeding and
exhibit vulgar seldshness toward the poorer MEN,
of their be deemed hardly nos
sbe elsewhere In fact after month two of street.
cur experience an optlmst would begin to doubt HIS
pleasing theories. It only the other day that man
and his wife and two children all well-dressed entered
my when every seat taken. laborer calamity
offered his seat TO the which she accepted with
word and another passenger surrendered seat 10
the man because he was holding OF the children
continued TO stand Presently asked The man for
three fares, which under the circumstance due
but he refused to pay for more than two and only after
cnei to put him of the casg didhe give me the other
nickel Then he reported lie ut the office. but OF
my action sustained by my employers Tho
superintendent rode down with this morning, and
showed him representative beat The man had
dressed like preacher AS as he entered the
ne took nickel and held it In his closed hand, while
two, purposeIy Without asEing him for his fare and
enough had expected he quietly put the nickel
hack into his pocket When the man was getting OF
said:
m take your fare now, sir, If yoa please
what he said. didn't pay you once =
Well replied, Il have sneakins suspicion that
Why thought had paid YOU he drawed, as no
handed me the nickel The superintendent commentary
was simple but enphaci az the man walked ,.,s away
money nuisance. Sometimes 1t seems as IL every dis
honest man IN the e Ge e .e pSSset
should he thrown. BY the way, do you know thar
women are moro selfish toward women than men are
toward men ~
"I'hadn't noticed it,"
"Wei, it's a sad fact More than once have had
every seat in my occupied py women when woman
got carving baby and not one has got up aud
child in his arms enter a crowded car without somo
man giving up his seat TO him. The more crowded q
man seat but women will occupy twice their legiti-
space by spreading ont their skirts while other
Had fna md
more vulgar pride toward women than men do toward
another. Talk abont peaeocks spreading anseiI
Get into full OF women on q SATURDAY afternoon
and you'll see the peacocks beaten hollow The bloods"
and cads display their worst features when they set on
the partly or wholly drunk The key note TO
tnicatin and it ia at midnight on the owl cars tina
one can how much OF barbarism still remains In
. Do think a gentleman should resign his lady
az a EYe s1' time he replied Women are weaker
than me All the talk about the tired laborcr aud bust
ness man IL bosn It's only an excuse Tor selshness
Good manners, which more important than religion.
as Bulwer says demand that women should be given
the best places az all times Besides, woman looks such
guy when she Is holding on to stleet-cor strap"
"Yes; a decided one Good manners dictate that
man should not smoke In public thoroaghiare laaen
the front platform and smoke strong pipe, or even
S egsr 70 1@e IN t r o. With ali a
regard for individual liberty there should be no such
rampng on the rights of the many as is tolerated In
What do you think of the work and the pay Of
"The pay Is very low for the services performed:
have kept books in bank, been clerk on Mississippi
steamer observed the weather IN the United states
signal Corps worked Pacific Mail boat driven cattle
on the Laramie Plains herded sheen IN Colorado pros
uected for gold IN Utah. drilled quartz III Nevada silver
nne and grubbed in the shadow OF Mount Shasta
and give it to you my candid opinion that, OF all
aborers the street-Car conductor Il the most poorly
paid And for this reason: the amount OF ability neces-
sary to run street-car the satisfaction OF car com
pay and the public is out Of all proportion TO the
amount OF ability required by other labor which sas
well paid fer AcOnducor Is exposed TO all moods OF the
weather, and the public his honIs are lo ana gnd
and the pubcs defiance Of them on the other he tossed
about Ike shnttccoek. TO win success conductor
must he q man of quick perception, sound Judgment,
and scf-cOntro and he must possess that hidennaoe
something stamped Ikea trade mark on the man OF the
world, which VIC call tact and yet for these qualities
he receives the miserable pittaDcc OF rule o humo
laborer who earns his living with pick and shovel
10 Iay heard person who looked rs II he might be
comnound OF Uah Heep and Fagn. say OF the ear men
aThey deserve TO be run down; and was reminded OF
ginty that the sailors used Ia sing when was cross
Ing tie Atlantic. Shall give II To your"
But at this moment the reporter reached Ms eorneri
and bidding the philosopher Good Night" he went
home convinced that conductors lot not happy