The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-12-06
TOO BIG A HURRY.
Advice to City Peop1e-The Craze for
Rarfd Transit.


Advice to city People-The Craze for
Rapid Transit.
Rapid transit. So that is what you
want? Well you don't want anything
of the kind, taking want to mean need,
as properly it does. What you mean to
say is that you desire rapid transit.
Very well; you are q very foolish per-
son; that's all You desire rapid transit
as children desire things not good for
them. Why do you pine for rapid tram
sit? What are you in a hurry about? To
get to business? Then start ten minutes
earlier and take your time; you will do
your work better and more easily if you
take it up with mistaken nerves. To
get home? Home will be ''there' at
5 80 p. N. just as surely as at 5 :25;
''the kids''--children, if you are too pro-
per person to accept the classic slang
and their mother lad rather see You
come home in a placid than in ruffied
state of mind. What are you in hurry
about, anyhow
For every beating pulse we tell
Leaves but the number less.
So sung a very pious and truthful YER
sifier of tie last century. Why do you
desire to double the number of pulse beats
by the uncomfortable excitement Of
rapid transit?n 1.-The numberless'' Is
accomplished rapidly enough by the
slowest process. ssSoon shalt thou forget
all things; soon by all things shalt thou
be forgotten, - said Marcus Aurelius some
1000 years ago. Why do you desire to
quicken the trot of the procession toward
the inevitable chasm Of oblivion?
What you need-no matter what you
desire-is comfortable transit. Transit
that jars no nerve by rumbling cable,
jolting spring, clatter of hoof on stony
pavement, direfGl groan of laboring en-
i CINE, more direful shrek of steam whistle
or most direful jang!e of brass bells out
of tune. You don't want to be packed in
a sulfs ce travelling car of any sort; you
don't want your nerves to culver with ap-
prehension for the fate of the reckless
neWsGoy-too often newschild-who ex-
poses himself to more danger while
'thopping cars for an hour than many
battle field disclosed in a day. And
you don't want to be hoisted into an
enlarged edition of a cash and parcels
basket, and whirled by steam or
electricity at an elevation too high
for safety, too low for comfort High
enough to insure disaster in case of acct
dent, low enough to catch the smoke Of
household chinneys. and the odors Of
household cooking. Still less do you
want to be shot through the bowels OF
the earth by atmospheric or other force.
AS has been said, you will explore the
subterranean regions soon enough. jam
tespremet nox, fabulaeque Names" said
Horace. They were too wise to banker
after underground railways in his day.
But the more comfortable transit, how
are you going to get that? Easily, If
you have a talented pair of legs; other
wise, with difficulty or not at all. And
even the most gifted legs will suffer dis
qt1fet at the bridges and crossings of the
most crowded streets. Comfortable
transit is as yet afar off from you Your
grandfather had it; your uncle who
lives in the country has it. But your
grandfather was never in a hurry, and
your uncle never is. Therefore your
grandfather's nerves were and your I'M
cle's are as of steel. The fierce jolt and
hideous rumble of the tbimble skein farm
wagon are and were to them luxurious
ana musical. You have hurried your
nerves into a tumble of. sensitive mucus
For you comfort means quiet. 1t will be
so-''only more so''-with your unfor-
tunata children. Science and humanity
will provide for them; they can hardly
be expected to help you, who are the
original sinful hurrier The coming man
may cease from being in a hurry, or
humanity may decree that every other
street be reserved for passenger traffic
and foot travel enly;; OF some large and
strong tamable birds, graceful as the
swans of Loeda, may be discovered, upon
whose backs, or drawn by whom in
aerial cars, the tired and nervous may be
borne quietly, and quickly, too, to and
from business; or balloons may convey
people at salubrious heights through the
calm of air, OF chloroform may be ad-
ministered to each street car passenger
by. the conductor in such quantities as to
render him or her oblivious to the perils
and discomforts of travel This latter
experiment might well be essayed under
the existing condition of street transit,
i which is neither comfortable nor rapid
Chicago Inter Ocean.6s