San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-26
THE WEE SMA' HOURS.
PEOPLE ENCOUNTERED ON A SUR.
FACE CAR AT 2 IN THE MORNING.

FACE CAR At 2 IN THE MORNING.
A Conductor Chats with an Enterprising
Reporter Some Experiences-Country
Cousins and Drunken Outcasts Who
Utilize Street Cars as Lodging Houses.
Probably but few of the units that compose
the throngs daily overcrowding the surface
and elevated cars of New Yorks local tran
sit system ever pause to reflect upon the per-
sons who occupy their vacant places during
the long hours of the night when, with the
majority, they invoke the refreshing influence
of Morpheus
They are of all sorts and conditions rang
ing from men of culture, intellect and refine
ment-such as those who dribble one by one
out of the huge newspaper offices from mid
night until the first glimmerings Of dawn
to the homeless little newsboys, who haunt
the vicinity of Park row and play pitch and
toss in front of the city hall, while the greater
world around is buried in sleep.
A reporter recently rode on Third avenue
car from the city hall to Twenty-third street
One of the occupants of the car, other than
the reporter, was a frowsy looking object,
huddled close to the stove wearing slouched
hat, riddled with holes, pulled closely over
its face; a threadbare coat, tightly buttoned
over its shirtless chest, and pair of trousers
well calculated to excite the derision of any
respectable scarecrow. Strangely enough,
its boots were comparatively decent-perhaps
an indication of the extreme laziness of the
wearer This creature was hopelessly drunk
1t had begged or stolen sufficient money for an
indulgence in Bowery wHiskey, and a few
nickels had been reserved to spend in riding
up and down between the termini of the street
car line until morning breaks, and it could
crawl unmolested into some secluded corner
and continue to sleep of the previous nights
debauch.
The car stopped opposite the entrance to
the Brooklyn bridge to take on a little party
of belated musicians, the members of some
orchestra fulfilling an engagement in the
City of Churches. They were sober, but
wide awake and merry withal, and their gut
tural German accents drowned the noise of
the car wheels for awhile. Then as they got
drowsy they relapsed into silence and quiet
reigned until Grand street was reached.
A PASSENGER NOT WANTED.
Here the brake was applied in answer to a
hail from a woman leaning against one of
the IL" road pillars. As she loosed her hold
on the pillar and approached the car the
miserable creature betrayed her condition.
She staggered blindly against the platform
guard and CALCULATED tipsy oath, but the
conductor snatched at the bell strap and
signaled the driver to proceed, while with
the other hand he gently pushed the would
be passenger against her friendly pillar, at
which she clutched just in time to save fall.
"No," he said, in answer to questioning
looks "We don't let 'em get on when they're
like that. Guess it's lucky saw her in time;
once that sort are aboard it's hard to get rid
of 'em."
"You must see some strange sights and
some queer people during your night trips"
the reporter suggested and the conductor
smiled slightly as he replied in the affirma-
tive. "You would be surprised if you knew
what number Of dodgers we get," he said
"There are this sort-bums and such like lin
dicating the inebriated slumberers)-who get
hold of little money, get drunk and ride up
and down until they have nothing to pay
their fare with. But they are not the only
ones, by a long way. Women3 Why, yes!
and respectable ones, too. That is, don't
say they're all respectable, cause they
amt. But sometimes we have a real
nice country girl who has arrived
in the city late, has no friends here and
don't like to take her chances at a
strange hotel They get aboard a car, and
when they find it keeps running up and down
the road and nobody dares interfere with 'em,
why, they feel safe and conclude to stay with
it until daylight. They can doze pretty easy
in one of the corners. Oh, yes, the DRINKS
make disturbance now and then, but, as I
told you, we won't allow 'em aboard if they
seem quarrelsome, and if by chance we get
one of that sort he has to shut up or get
bounced-thats ALL"
At this point in the conversation the con-
ductor jerked the bell strap and stopped the
car to take on three loudly dressed, coarse
looking women, who ostentatiously displayed
their sealskin sacques and the huge diamonds
on their fat red hands. They only rode a
few blocks, and after they had alighted the
conductor volunteered the information that
they were connected with museum" and
the adjoining saloon.
GOING HOME FROM THE BALL.
By this time we had reached some popular
assembly rooms, where it was evident that q
ball been in progress. Several devotees of
Terpsichore climbed on to the platform.
The first party consisted of a respectable
German, apparently mechanic; his wife,
heavy looking blonde, and a pert child, 10
years of age. They were followed by two
couples Of fashily attired youths and young
girls, and a stout elderly man, accompanied
NV foIl o,,I