The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-09-07
STREET CAR MANNERS.
Observations Upon One or Two Commo
Types of Boorishness.


Types OF Boorishness.
One day last week car on one Of
the Traction Company's lines became
pretty we'll crowded with passengers,
mostly ladies, before its trip was half
made. In the corner next the rear
door sat well-dressed lad of sixteen,
evidently the son OF parents in good
circumstances. Within space of two
squares three old men, none OF whom
were less than seventy, one nearly
blind and all more or less crippled, got
In the car. Seats were furnished for
two of them by gentlemen who stood,
and gray-haired lady gave the third
her seat The boy never moved or
gave the least indication that he knew
or cared whether older or helpless peo-
pie were standing while he was COM
fortably seated.
II this boorish and ill-mannered boy
was the only one of his type 1t would
be hardly worth while to refer to the
matter. But unfortunately he is not.
There are hundreds and thousands like
him. In many cases, perhaps. these
lads are more to be pitied than blamed.
Any one who witnessed the selfishness
and want of courtesy shown by the lad
in question recognized that defective
home-trainipg wns at the root of his
ill-mannered sdfishness. He has not
been taught respect for age or sym
pathy for helplessness. Therefore he
failed to exercise either. Would it not
be worth while for parents and teach
ers while teaching the boys a good
many other things to teach them man.
ners, tooP If they cunt be induced to
do it from q love Of good manners on
their own part, they should do it for
very shame, for every exhibition of
selfish boorishness like the one above
mentioned is an advertisement to the
world that all the world reads of a lack
of proper home-training. The boorish
boy gives away his boorish parents or
teachers.
In the same car, before it became
quite so crowded, was another boor-
the fellow who folds and unfolds his
newspaper, digging his elbows into the
passengers on each sido of him while
doing so. This fellow is in almost
every morning and evening car. His
elbows are worn sharp by constant
practice, as thousands of his fellow
riders can testify from painful expert
encc. He is worse than the boy who
hasn't been taught good manners and
isn't old enough to have learned him
SELF for the newspaper boor is usually
n full-grown and often middle-aged
man. There is another type Of the
newspaper boor found in most street
cars. He is the fellow who gets in
soon after the car starts and becomes
so absorbed in his newspaper that he
can't see other people standing, while
he and his newspaper occupy the space
of two or more seats.
Really, it is hardly to be wondered
at that half-grown boys sit in supreme
and unconscious selfshness while Grip
pied age stands. when they are furnish
ed so many examples OF boorish selfish
ness by those that should be their teach
ers and exemplars in courtesy. Can't
some kind-hearted and wealthy philan-
thropist be induced to found an institu-
ton for the reformation of the various
adult street car Doors, including, be-
sides those just mentioned, the cross
legged boor. the fellow whose cane or
umbrella is stuck out to trip other pas
sengcrs, and all the other examples of
the genus boorP If these ill-mannered
fellows were reformed, perhaps the
half-grown lads might learn street-car
courtesy by the process of imitation.
Philadelphia Times.