Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-18
ON A STREET CAR.
SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION
FROM THE CONDUCTOR
The Texas Siftings Man Conversss with .
Scion Of the Montmorenciss-Un-
becoming Behavior of New
York's Rnets AristocratA-
(Alex Z. Sweet In Texas Siftings.


A great deal Of interesting information
can be obtained from street car conductors.
4. There is, if he has not been bounced during
the last few days, very communicative
conductor on a Third avenue car II pass
enger were to travel on his car for a few
days and listen to all he said, he could not
help absorbing a great amount Of valuable
knowledge about men and things. l got on
his car at the Cooper institute. The car was
not crowded precisely. There was no
body in except one man, but nsverthe-
less, there was more room on the car
platform than there was inside Of the car.
He was shabbily dressed man who looked
as if he might be a laborer, and he was hold
ing mysterious parcel, which undoubtedly
contained limburger cheese. Not ha vfug a
cold, l went out on the rear platf form. Some
repairs were being made, and the streets
were being taken up. There was a fearful
smell Of sewer gas, but / noticed that none
of the sewer gas aroma ventured inside of
that car. l stood on the rear platform along
with the conductor and the sewer gas, and
We conversed.
Il suppose some very queer people travel
on the New York street carsr
swell, should say 80. have more trouble
with the New York aristocracy than with
anybody else. Now, by right, ought to be
in sympathy with the aristocracy, but I'm
not Properly speaking Pm . duke myself.
o, you needn't smile. If it hadn't been for
the French revolution, instead Of pulling
this strap, I'd be wearing a dukely coronet
right now"
"You don't say sor
"Fare, if you please" continued the scion
of nobility, as fat woman got on the car.
"Yes, am scion. A French dukely fam
lily might claim me for a scion II 1t hadn't
been exterminated. My real name is DeMont-
morenci, but l changed it to Smith. We
lost everything during the French revolu
ton All my ancestors except myself were
beheaded. But, as l was saying, I'm down
on aristocrats. Ever since I've seen the way
aristocrats behave here in New York I've
soured on them"
What do they dor
@They are no good. One day last week Q
lady dressed in silks and satins and wearing
diamonds, got ON the car. She did not offer
to pay her fare. I've paid my fare,' says
she, very naughty. I said that she was .
liar, 30 she handed out Q nickel Yoa
wouldn't believe that women dressed like
that would try to pass of a lead nickel on .
poor street car conductor, but that's wkat
she did. She did not succeed, however.
don't have to look at lead nicksls to detsct
them. I can tell by the feel Of them. II yos
wet your thumb, good money will stick to 10
Like bad men bad money is slippery. Her
nickel was slippery. SO 1 told her to keep II
and drop it in the plate at church. Then 81
gave me q good nickel / was glad whsr
she left the car. I was afraid she would
pick my pocket Now if We had . monarchy
and that kind Of . woman happened to be q
queen, what hard time of IL We conductors
would haveF
do the dudes ride much on the carl"
"Not much, but there was one on this sar
yesterday He acted as if he owned the car
He was dressed In the height Of the fashion.
There was an old woman in the corner Of the
car. She was poorly dressed and had a
black eye. She looked as il she was on tho
shady side Of a century. Well, as sure as
am descenied from the Montmorencies, that
dude made the old lady get up and stand,
while he took her nice comfortable seat in
the corner. When 1 rem onstrated with him
he said he had right to take her seat a. she
was his great grandmother, and so she was
Now, just suppose fellow like that should
happen to be born king have no use for
people who dress fit to kill Gnd who scent
themselves up with cologna I'm . COM
munist. have got ducal blood In my veins
I'm friend Of the workingman."
"Isxpect you have to look pretty sharp to
avoid being cheated" remarked.
ayes, New York conductor ought to have
eyes all over him. just like . psrtstsr."
There Is no telling how much more infor.
nation might have obtained, II the work
ing man had not come out to stand on the
platform bscauss It was sultry inside Of the
car, 30 he said. I dismounted from the car,
and as looked back saw tho working man
picking himself and his cheese up out Of the
street, from which inferred that Duke d.
Montmorenci had eject cd him from the plat
form.