Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-07-11
LOOKING FORWARD.


Polite Femalea ~ Regular Employes Of
Enxlish 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 will. without
doubt, be limited at first to the clerical
department.; but who can tell where
the flood, once let in. will finally stop?
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 men
ton stokeresses. pointswomen and
lady signalers. Railway travelling un-
der these circumstances might lose
some of its security, but woald 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 a 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
onp.fn in hx,cfo,.foc orad tho onninn
driver declaring that it would be i'm
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
would be at once noticeable, and
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
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 Hi! you fellow!' or 81
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" or ''would it be troubling you
too much to ask for foot-warmer?"
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 Guilty, of course, would arise
when the question of hosting
heavy boxes on to cabs and into
vans arose; but we can not suppose
for 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 a station
with several trunks and bulky port
manteaus we slould prefer not to sur
mise. 1t stands.t ito reason that lady
porters would rather wait on a gentle
man traveller than on one of their own
sex, and we fear that, however, adj
vantageous the new arrangements
might be-except as regards luggage
to the sterner halt of humanity. the
female part of it would soon clamor
Cor return to a regime of good strong
men porters with no nonsense about
chem, able to carry half a bullock if
necessary, and whose only weakness is
pardonable desire for a modest tip
London Standard.