The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-02-28
STREET-CARS AND PASSENGER
TYPES.


passing each corner at given moment, pauslng not
for bowling storm or ptlless winds, and surrender
ing only at rare intervals I'm our lattude> for few
short hours TO some drifting snow-storm which
blinds drivers and horses aud obllteratcs the track
Aud yet these rumbllng juglIng, joltlng, slow-go-
ing, punctual conveneuces carry fify thousand pas
sengers day here in this little city OF Washington.
ranging In classification from potent, grave, and
reverend segnors aud dainty, fragrant, silk-clad
ladies to brutal, ragged tramps and wiid-eyed, be-
lated debauchees seeking an hours broken slumber
after being elected from the last OF the closing bar
rooms. What field OF observation here presents
itself to an Intelligent passenger whose daily life in
cludes from one to two hours spent on these same
street.cars How one comes TO be familiar with all
the different types of passengers. How the courte-
sizes, the meannesses the brutaties Of life develop
themselves under our eyes. How we come to recog-
nize the cool and experienced veteran who knows
the most comfortable corner, who remembers the
sunny side, and bears In mind the hour OF the day;
who buries his nose in the Bpenin0 Star and takes
no note Of small con-seeklng change at the drivers
wicket, and is utterly impervious to the Indignant
glsnces OF the raw-boned young woman with the
lunch.basket and the novel from the library Of the
Department OF the Interior, who forces her way into
full car at the corner Of Seventh and streets.
AS rule the men passengers here In Washington
are patient and long-sufering, and humbly submit
to the imperlous claims OF the genter sex to turn
them out Of their seats but there are two sides to
this question, and 1t may he well doubted whether
| the woman who deliberately stops crowded car
and enters with the intention of securing the seat OF
some male passenger by reason of the appeal her
makes to his chivalrous feelings is entitled to
the consideration she expects and demands For
my part, confess that gracefully yield my seat to
very young and pretty woman, to q very old an
in1rm one, white or back) or to an acquaintance
pour les a,res, am utterly engrossed in my news
paper 1t must be acknowledged that women who
are 30 lovely In most relations Of life, and whom we
know to be mlnisterlng angels when pain and
anguish wiring the brow, and delightfully."- uncertain,
coy, and hard to please every other time, show to
singular disadvantage In strsetcsrs. Who has not
marked their naughty aud hearess disregard Of the
overworked and overaden horses7 Miss A. brings
the car to full stop on an upgrade to get out on
side Of the street, and the poor beasts, having
almost broken their hearts aud their knees to get
fresh start are brought to another stop by Miss B.,
who desires to disembark on the other side, twenty
yards further on. No man would do thing like
that Observe also how the stout lady In black silk
| seated In yonder corner, as we go rafting down
| long grade keeps fast hold OF the check-strap,
glances nervously through the window, and finally
| pulls Violently, and finding the car Immediately
| stopped, haughtily orders the driver to pro-
coed, she being fully forty yards from the point
where she proposed to leave us. Let us not fail
also admire the thrifty young matron, with her
shawls and basket and pretty gmcracks, and her
four irrepresslble children, all under i've years,
whom she arranges on either side of her on their
knees on the cushion to look out OF the windows,
| while she cooly passes up single ticket, and dis
tributes huge doll to Mary Ann, tin trumpet to
|
ding two-year.old, and when Mr. St. Leger gets in,
pale and worn, who had been eight hours on his
feet behind the counter at Riggss bank, and looks
longngly at the struggling BENCH does she gather her
brood around her, as hen doth gather her chickens
| under her wings, and make space No, not BY a
long sight. She spread her rustliny SKIRTS reviews
her little usurping column OF infantry, and holds
her position with all the confident irsolence Of null
tiplex maternity. Mark, likewise, the two pretty
wel-dressed girls who got In on Connecticut avenue
how they Sit facing each other, with elbows the
wlndow.ledge, aud when the oars fills up, and the
feeble old gentleman enters opposite the Ebbitl
House. how they ignore his mute appeal, and prune
their glossy feathers, and coo complacently to each
other, and take heed. Verify they shall have the
reward-some day, when this writer has good sea
and those foolish virgins cliugng to the straps
And again, have we not all admired in their season
receptions, and Of all the Mondays" ,""wednes
days." "Frldays," etc., of our serene arstocracy
Do we not know that fine slkplush dress, thos
many-buttoned gloves, the natty little card case
All, wise, pretty, scheming little woman, you stol
your humble conveyance half block OF, and lool
for all the world as II You had stepped out of vel
vet-lined coupe, but note tell-tale straw cllngnl
to your dainty skris you trip the steps and disap
pear In the stately doorway. And who does not ad
mire the ndefatigabe little maron for holding hel
own and sticking her pretty little nose into sp.end'
houses, and having her name In the Post next morn
ing cheek by jowl with Mrs. Admiral Jones, thu
Countess Blank, and the beautiful wife Of the Bul
garian Minister? What would society be II on
wives were not ambitious? And tell me, ye happ!
denzens Of thar rare and happy atmosphere where
poverty s vulgar and even hackney-coaches are no
admitted, was there never muddy tell-tale straw
on your laced pettcoat, madam? or on your patent
leather boot, Mr.. Senator?
But this is morailzng, and not telling OF typca
passengers In street-cars; 80 we turn again to on
favorite line and note our fair frienls going II
church. You may tell what church they are seeking
by their looks and air and Dress Thismss, severel.
elegant, with the much be crossed prayerbook AM
the lovely handkerchief will get out at the
Sixteenth street. She Is OF old West End society
the rtiele noo,esse, and worships only at ST. Johns
"Nymph, in thy orisona, be all my sins remem
bered!" The Jolly, handsome lady with the pretl.
daughter stops the car In front OF st. Matthew's,
the serious, elderly person In the corner with th
shiny ysllk dress and large gold chain and brooch dis
mounts at Foundry Church. God bless them all
and let US male and miserable sinners, as we slim
out Of the car Sunday morning at the club stroll
into the Arlington, seeking the straight and marrow
way that lesdeth into the bar.room, thank God tina
there are good women, whose boots we are no
worthy to button, who are praying with pure heart
and humble voice to Heaven to have mercy on u
miserable offenders, and be grateful that our lltt
ones at home are In their keeping and not In ours.
Ah me! here Is more moralizing, and the them
grows tedious and other passengers, fair and other
wise, must only be mentioned, not described. VIII
does not shun the grim clearinghouse keeper witt
her great basket on market days7 Do we not Civ
Wide berth to the strong.armed sable washwomal
: and her unsavory mlsshapen bundle on Monda!
morning? Do we not sometimes pry curlously Int
her basket Saturday evening and note pretty lttl
frills and tucks and platngs and what not? VIII
not? Men will be men, and they fondle and cares
whatever is pretty and feminine and dainty, an
this writer, though grisly streaks be In his beard
will make low bow to q soft lace rune and stoo
down and kiss the toe OF number two French boo
have spoken more Of types than individuals, bu
one might make many sketches Of familiar hgure
that would be easily recognized by folks who ride
street-cars; the present commentator with bit 0
indla.ink or sepa could draw dozen heads OF peo
pie whose names even he doesn't know, but whom
your readers would recognlze veteran passengers
, know the sirong-minded woman who serves he
country In the Patent once; the very book sh
reads is solid leather, as to binding and her lunch
basket has no decorative prettiness; note tn
, eager, queer old lady with the white curls an
. wonderful hat and costume; look with ever-re
newed curiosity at the quaint, tall meagre old maj
, In the dress OF other days, with many wel-wor
. papers, always going to the Capitol. ! know on
: faithful, learned wise old man who holds his corne
seat year by year. and pores over his book, befor
whom the great and the famous have passed II
review for NIFTY years, and who knows more OF tn
: diplomatic and personal history OF this Governmen
, than all yonder Senators put together How uset
to regard with awe the substantial leather -bount
despatcb-box, tue nvarisble companion OF his Jour
ney, and fancy II packed with erudte manuscrlp
In Latin, Greek, sanscrit, what not! And when en-
said 1t was only lunch basket own was disap
. pointed. As for members OF Congress, they ar
d worthy whole book to themselves. We don't sc,
? Senators often; Rich men only come to the senat
these days, and the senatorial dignity comports no
with street-cars; but the other House IL a stead