The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-01-21
IN AN ELEVATOR CAR.
PERSONAL PeCULIARITlES OBSERVED
BY THE MAN THAT RUNS IT.

Difference Between the Actions of Men
and Women Who Ride in Elevators.
Hunting for Lost Pocketbook-worth
Remembering.
"Do you observe many peculiarities or Cd
dities on the part Of your passengersr asked
. q reporter of a man who runs an elevator in
a large building down town.
"Oh yes, was the reply. Sometimes it
is quite amusing. II a person has "A peculiar
streak in him. or her, at all he or she is pretty
sure TO show it on the elevator. For one
thing, the person running the elevator is al
ways supposed to be a perambulating direc-
tory, and the less the passenger knows about
anything, the more the elevator man is ex-
pected to know. Well, as a rule, We are able
to direct people to any part of the city as
well as to any part OF the house in which
We work.
QUITE INTERESTING.
"Do you notice any difference between the
actions Of men and women who ride on
elevators!'
Eyes and it's quite interesting. Awoman
from out of town will call at store with
some of her lady friends, do some shopping,
take a ride on the elevator and do some more
shopping After having purchased all they
intend to, the party sometimes find that they
have neither money nor pocketbook. Then
away they rush to the elevator and go for
the man in charge after this style:
"'Have you seen my pocketbook' I was
in the elevator an hour ago, don't you re-
member? | sat right there. Just look on the
floor and see if it amt there. If it amt it
must be in the elevator at the hotel, for I've
only been in that elevator and this one
"She seems to think that she could not lose
her money in any place but in an elevator.
The man, of course, remembers her, as he
has only carried about hundred such people
since she was there before. Yes, women
always come to the elevator to inquire about
their lost umbrellas, parasols, spectacles,
portmanteaus and anything else they may
chance to lose Women who are not used to
riding in elevators don't like it very well at
first; they say it gives them such peculiar
sensation, and they often declare that they
would rather walk up stairs, and that they
will walk down. But they often can't tell
whether they are going up or going down.
They'll get on at the street floor and ask to
be taken up. They're apt to get confused you
see Men don't do shopping the same way
women do. They hardly ever go in crowds,
they don't carry SO much stuff with them,
and they rarely lose anything. If an article
is left in the elevator, it's generally n woman
that leaves it there.
A MANS WAY.
"Men seem TO be almost dummies when
they're riding with us. If man inquiries for
a certain department, and is told that it is to
the right; in nine cases out of ten he will go
to the left; and it's just as bad when he is
told to 20 to the left, for he will then nearly
always go the right it doesn't matter whether
he is in the habit of riding in elevators or
not. While woman, if she has any expert
encc in the matter at all, always knows what
to do. She catches on as quick as II snap.
The reason for the difference may be, sup
pose, in accordance with the law which says
that man acts from reason, while woman
acts from instinct, woman's leading char
acteristic being perception while mans is
reflection. He may be bordering over some
thing which has no immediate connection
with that which he may be doing at the time.
But when woman is out shopping it's all
shopping and nothing else. She seems to pos
sess the happy faculty of combining business
with pleasure When she starts out shopping
she generally calculates to have good time
as well, although she may not admit it, The
greatest trouble with men and boys is that
they want to open the doors and run the ele-
vator themselves generally. But there is one
class Of men that l ought to except from
pretty much all that have said, and that is
old soldiers. They always 60 where they are
told and act with courtesy"
as the tipping system to the elevator men
in voguef'
Eyes, in hotels to, some extent but no.
where else in this country. In England,
where they call the elevators lifts the at
tendant expects tips from everybody. There
is one thing you might say, if you are going
to print any of that" the reporters inform
ant added, land that is that everybody ought
to know that if they simply grip hold of the
rope and hold it firmly without pulling it up
or down, it will stop the elevator. Perhaps
that's the most useful thing for people who
ride 'on elevators to remember in case of ac-
cident. New York Commercial Adver-
fisnr