The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-19
Especial CoErespondence-1

AN ELEVATED TRAIN.
There must be a peculiar viciousness about
public conveyances, street cars and elevated
railroads. They exert a demoralizing influ-
ence which works upon male travellers, to the
temporary extinction of their natural and
acquired politeness Men whose manners are
without blemish in the parlor, at the theatre
or club, develop into superlative Doors the
instant they breathe horse car atmosphere.
The New York man makes the earth toll
crably bitter for women who are obliged to
travel mainly in the cars As a natural
protector he does everything but protect
Ladies can only board car at the peril of
their lives where he is numerous. The picture
above represents the difficulties encountered
by the fair and delicate sex when undertaking
to get aboard a car for which several Of the
'most gallant in the world" have been wait
ing. The men rush in, knocking the women
to 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 of their grasp, broken and posi-
bly, trampled on. The gentlemen" must get
aboard at whatever cost. Being always first
the car they have chance to get the
seats, which they at 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
ments, and bruised bodies nothing is left for
them but the aisle. Every male biped sits as
firmly in his seat as a cowboy in his saddle,
evidently anxious to prevent themselves from
being betrayed into some act Of politeness-
nm altogether unnecessary self supervision.
These are the creatures whom Dom Piatt
Ias appropriately christened scar hogs No
man, who pretends to possess the instincts
Of IA gentleman, would be caught sitting down
i'm "A parlor while a woman stood for want of
a chair. Does the nickel he pays for ride
s,tsolve him from the claim of being n gentle
mani Can he afford to sell his politeness at
such figures or any figures Occasionally
some one comes to the defense of the street
car hog, and in explanation of his selfishness
says that the women, for whom he vacates
his seat, do not thank him or smile upon him.
Could any plea be more childish. No one is
honest simply for the pleasure of being
thanked for his honesty. Why should a man
lie polite only when he is rewarded with
gratittdei He owes it to his self-respect to
lie polite thanks or no thanks. One wonders
how many of them can so unblushingly adj
vertise their bad breeding.
III keeping their seats were their only Of
Tense against manners, they and their selfish
ness might 60 unrebuked, but their coarse
ness goes 10 disgusting lengths. Behold the
man in the following picture. He Is one of
thousands who always, while on the horse
car, 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 n woman, whose morning ride
10 her place of business is made uncomfortable
by the smell of dirty leather within foot of
her nose. The owner of the foot would
probably fight any man who told him to his
face that he was gentleman He dresses
like "A gentleman There the resemblance
ends. He certainly would never win the
prize Mt Princeton college for being a gentle
man, the definition of the term being, "One
who habitually prefers the interests of others
before his own"
How could any person, man or woman,
pass the man of the elevated foot. By crawl
ing under like dog, or jumping over like
athlete. Four or five such monsters in
car do much toward adding picturesque
disagreeableness to n two-mile trip.
Another excuse frequently offered in be-
half of -car hogs is that they are business
men, and tired, and that mostly the ladies
who crowd on the horse cars at or O'Clock
have been doing nothing but shop all day."