The Russellville Democrat., 1889-07-11
LOOKING FORWARD.
Polite Females as Regular Empioyes of
 English Railroads.

Polite Females as Regular Empioyes or
 English Railroads.
 One of the last places where we should naturally expect the ubiquitous female to turn up seeking for employ ment is a railway station. If the con templated movement of the North western directors is carried out in grim reality, women win, without doubt, be limited at first to the clerical department; but who can tell where the flood, once let in. wili finally stopp It is possible, though, we admit, not very probable, that in the near future we may see female guards, porteresses and ticket collectoresses, not to mem ton stokeresses, pointswomen and lady signalers. Railway travelling un- der these circumstances might lose some of it's security, but would gain a charm which must not be lost sight of in an impartial survey of the coming condition of things in the world of rolling stock. There would be q competition between the different companies to secure the services of the most beautiful damsels to "conduct" trains, and the amount of tips which these feminine guards would receive from impressionable male travellers would be simply incalculable. The scene at the great London terminus on the departure of long-distance ex- press would be both novel and strik- ing. Obviously all the old pushing, showing and rushing about would have to be given up, or we should have porters in mysteries, and the engine driver declaring that it would be inn possible for her to start the train un- less her smelling bottle was fetched by the stokeress. Then an immense ad- vance in railway platform manners we are not sure that the ex- pertinent is not worth trying, just for the sake of this change, and nothing else. Who would not be willing to risk a collision or two Ton the line if perfect politeness could be guaranteed from the railway working staff The old familiar methods of apostrophizing porters would, of course, have to be given up. Instead of the frantic 'Hii you fellow!" or "1 say, porter" which can at present be heard on every side, we should have requests that such-and-such lady "would have the kindness to step this way,n or ''would it be troubling you too much to ask for foot-warmer?n Gentlemen whose luggage had un- fortunately been left behind while the porteress, who ought to have put it in the van, was carrying on Irritation with two fascinating male passengers, would have to keep a watch over their lips, and not allow any violent or inn proper language to issue therefrom. A diff culty, of course, would arise when the question of hoisting heavy boxes on to cabs and into vans arose; but we can not suppose for a moment that gentlemen would be so ungallant as to allow women to do this sort of work for them. In the good time coming ''every man his own porter" will be the prevalent motto; and what will happen to poor unpro- tected females arriving at q station with several trunks and bulky port manteaus we should prefer not to sur mise. It standsato reason that lady porters would rather wait on gentle man traveller than on one of their own sex, and we fear that, however, ad- vantageous the new arrangements might be-except as regards luggage to the sterner halt of humanity. the female part of it would soon clamor for return to regime of good strong men porters with no nonsense about them, able to carry half bullock if necessary, and whose only weakness is a pardonable desire for modest tip ondon Standard