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

Of seats are in business, and are much harder
worked and far worse paid than he.
Indeed, 1 have noticed again and again
that the most completely developed car hogs
are well-to-do brokers, lawyers, men who
have good incomes and lead luxurious lives.
The women who hang to straps are mostly
weary clerks, teachers, typewriters, copyists,
sewing women, all orders of Industrious fem
ininity who usually go nightly to their homes
worn to the bone. Their pale faces and ner-
vous hands ought to shame the stalwart men
who rush in ahead and grab the seats before
they can possibly get their noses inside the car.
On the elevated platforms women who
value their lives can't get aboard until the
natural protectors" are all in and comfort
ably provided for. Here, indeed, the natural
protector shows off to great advantage. IHe
protects women from getting on in time to
get a seat. The horse car platform is also
monopolized by the most gallant in the
world" The railing which passengers, by
printed injunction, are commanded to take
hold of to get on and off, is used exclusively
as a prop for male smokers. Ladies can only
get inside the car by squeezing themselves
past the capacious and protruding stomachs
Of these smokers, with nothing to steady
themselves by. They get smoke in their eyes,
ashes on their clothing, and consider them
selves lucky not to have had their garments
set on fire.
When they finally get in, if they are per-
mitted to sit down at all, it is apt to be in
places recently vacated by expectorators of
the most able type. Horrible filth covers the
floor. This is unavoidably mopped up by the
skirts of their gowns, and their misery is
complete. o. p. Bunce, in his little manual
of mistakes and improprieties more or less
prevalent in conduct and speech, known as
Don't" says:
Don't rush for a seat in a car or at public en-
tertainment, in utter disregard of any one else,
pushing rudely by women and children, huStling
men who are older less active, and disregard
ing every law of politeness. IL one should, on an
occasion of this kind lose his seat in consequence
of little polite consideration, he would have the
consolation of standing much higher in his own
esteem, which is something.
Again he quotes from some other writer
with equally correct views:
The manners of the people in public vehicles
seem daily to be growing worse, and if they con-
tinue to decline il will become almost impossible
for ladies' at least, il not gentlemen, TO
enter them. The first thing one encounters when
he attempts to take car Is a cad lazily lounging
against the platform rail, with his legs stretched
out SO that unless you are alert, you stumble over
him, while, perhaps, n puff of smoke Is blown in
your face. Such fellow should be promptly
lodged in the street; but he seems to be under the
protection OF the conductor, official whose ap-
parent business IL is to give moral support to all
the loafers that take pleasure in inconveniencing
travellers. One is scarcely within the car ere he
is tripped up by another mans extended legs;
and il the occupants are few enough, or COM
plant enough, to enable him to get seat, he
may find himself by the side of fellow who is
industriously making pool of tobacco juice on
the floor before him. II is amazing that such
thing should be tolerated; but ladies dare make
no open protest, gentlemen are needless, the con
ductor is complacent, and the brute remains I'M
disturbed, although he has no more right to
n vehicle
other kind of filth. Ere one has left the CIR the
conductor has probably rIidely seized him by the
shoulders in demanding his fare; he has been
compelled to listen 10 idiotic whislers and other
noisemakers, and his emerGence from the vehicle
has been accomplished only after n struggle with
the Doors that congregate on the platform.