Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-10-06

There must be a peculiar v~iciousness about
public conveyances, street ears and elevated
railroads. They exert a demoralizing influ-
enee which works upon male travellers, to the
temporary extinction of their natural and.
acquired politeness. Men whose manners arc.
without blemish in the parlor, at the theatre,
or cup, develop into s1perlatiye Doors the
instant they breathe horse car atmosphere.
The New York man makes the earth, toll
erably bitter for women who are Obliged to,
travel mainly in the cars. AS q .~tnatural
protector he docs everything but protect.
Ladies can only board O car at, the peril of
their lives where he is numerous. The picture
above represents the difficulties encountered
blythe fair and delicate sex when undertaking
TO get aboard a car for which several OF the
most gallant In the worldp have been wait
ing. The men rush in. Knocking the women
70 the right and left, with no more care for
Their comfort than they would have for so
many flies. Feminine hats must be held on
by the hands, sachels and parasols are
knocked out ettheir grasp, broken and posi-
Oily trampledt ON. The gentlemen must get
aboard at whatever cost. Being always first
on the car they have d chance to get the
SEATS which tfsy ut once take possession of,
and never relinquish till they reach their
journeys end. When the ladies do at last get
aboard, with crushed hats, disarranged gar
fnents, and bruised bodies nothing is lett for
them but the aisle. Every male biped sits as
hrmly IN his seat as a cowboy in his saddle,
evidently anxious to prevent themselves from
pelng betrayed into some act of politeness-
an altogether unnecessary self supervision.
These are the creatures whom Dom Piatt
has sinTapTacinfalrr t,I -al N1.- t--.t " & y
man, who pretends, to possess the instincts
of a gentleman, would be caught sitting down
IN a parlor whilea woman stood for want Of
a chair, Does the nickel he pays for a ride
absolve him from the claim Of being d gentle
MANI Can he afford to sell his polteness at
such n igureaor any figures Occasionally
One comes to the defense of the street
car hog, and in explanation of his selfshness
that the women, for whom he vacates
his, seat, do not thank him or smile upon him.
Could any plea be more childishf No one is
honest simply for the pleasure of being
thanked for his honesty. Why should a man
be polite only when be is rewarded with
'gratitudea He owes it to his self-respect to
be polite, thanks or no thanks. One wonders
9 many Of them can SO unblrshingly adj
vertase their bad breeding.
Ii keeping their seats were their only Of
tense against manners, they and their SELFISH
ness might go unrebuked, but their coarse
ness goes to disgusting lengths. Behold the
in tho following picture. He is one of
thousands who always, while on the horse
ear, cross their legs, letting the upper foot
reach clear over the aisle and into the lap of
their Opposite neighbor, man or woman. In
this case it is a woman, whose morning ride
to her place Of business is made uncomfortable
by the smell of dirty leather within a foot of
her nose. The owner of the foot would
probably fight any man who told him to his
face that he was no gentleman. He dresses
like a gentleman. There the resemblance
ends. He certainly would never win the
prize at Princeton college for being a gentle-
man, the definition of the term being, zone
who habitually prefers the interests of others
before his own
How could any person, man or woman.
pass the man of the elevated foot7 BY crawl
ing under like a dog, or jumping over like
an athlete. Four or five such monsters in
ear do much toward adding picturesque
disagreeableness to a mile trip.
Another excuse frequently offered in be-
half of Gear hogs'' is, that they are business
men, and tired, and that mostly the ladies
who crowd ON the horse cars Mt 5 or s o'clock
have been doing nothing but shop all day.