Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-15

| WOULD NOT BE FOOLED.
n INDICATOR. said the late Mr..
IH& n. Webster (whose works did not
NV follow HIM is that which shows or
~ q points out" This definition is testi-
| Smony to the effect that there were
| either no street car indicators" in Webster's
time, or that. being in existence, Mr.. W. did
| not feel justified in risking his reputation for
veracity by calling them by the name
which custom gave them and which the
waggishness of this wagging world continues to
| cali them. Less than year ago that portion
OF this city's population which is too lazy to
look out for the street at which it desires to get
| Off AGAR hailed with non-energetic delight the
advent OF a something which would. it was
claimed. place before their eyes the name or
designation of the street which the car was
| approaching. In order that there might be the
| least possible exertion on the part OF the
passenger 1t was announced that the ringing Of
| bell would mark the appearance of the before
mentioned designation"
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INDICATOR.
The indicator" as it first appeared has
| changed but little Blu. the changes which have
taken place have all been in the line of i'm
proVement. The first Of these advances was
| the wearing out of the bells which rang per-
| slstentiy whenever a new curtain was lowered
| TO where the car-patronizing public could see
| 1t. The next improvement was in the enlirg-
ing OF the names of streets and the diminishing
| OF the size OF the advertisement. This would
| have been joyfully received had the
| indicator really indicated anything.
In the beginning the name of the
street was up in the ALMOST invisible roof of the
| box. while the visible s pace beneath was occu-
pied with notices to the effect that DIR.
| Mississippi's election pills (12 bore) were GER
| tain cures for attacks of the fifteenth amend
mcnt aud other like interesting information in
| which the travelling public is much interested.
| Now the name OF the street is larger and the
| advertisement somewhat contracted, but the
cord is not pulled with any greater regularity
| or accuracy than it was i'll the earlier days of
| the indicator.
THE BoBTArL DRIVERS LAMENT.
"That thing shows 2 street." growled pas
senger through the 'change" aperture to the
driver of a bobtail car the other evening. and
| then to emph asize the incorrectness of such a
showing he added, This here's only l. street."
The driver swore softly-not at the passen-
ger but at the fact-and then said despairingly
| as he opened the door and commenced to be
socable: Il can't help it. i do every
| thing man can do to keep the burned
thing right, but it amt possible.
I've tried to set a rule to pull the Indicator
cord as soon as cross a street, but often for
get Sometimes don't forget, but think do,
and on such occasions L give the rope an extra
yank or SO until think I've caught up with the
procession. Then l get ahead and unless l
every five minutes so that L can back
in to look at the indicator I'm going
to fool passengers right along. One
trip about week ago l forgot there ever
| was such thing as an indicator and l never
pulled her once from the river up to the
stables. thought of it just as was turning
| around on Boundary street, and says 1: The
advertiser whose curtain is down got his
| moneys worth this time. When l looked at
| 1t thought I'd bust a-laughing, for there was,
in big red and black letters. advice TO people
not to strain their eyes looking for the street
where they wanted to get off, but to watch the
indicator. That was great joke"
Very funny" growled the passenger, "but
why can't you have a system that will allow
your old indicator to be correct at least once
week?'
NOT AN EASY THING.
"'Tan't SO easy" replied the driver.
'Just when / ought to be yanking that rope
the car and ten foot beyond the horses head is
an old gentleman who is bound to stand right
where he is until / start up and
drive toward him; then 1 have to
stop and take him aboard. While this is
going on-one hand full OF the lines and the
| other busy with the brake--two passengers are
fighting to who shall get at me first; one of
them wants tickets and desires to be let off
directly in front of the sixth house from the
corner of Q street. the other is anxious
for change and tiourishes IS bill. Right
| ahead of me are three four little kids
playing on the track and on the back OF the
car two or three young devils are stealing a
| ride. 'Spose I've got much time left to fool
away on street indicators? Hardly L came
mighty near getting into a row the other day.
My Car was full: the rain was coming down
heavy. l forgot to pull the rope for
| four or five squares and then l gave
1t Just about as many jerks as L
imagined would make things even. To be sure
about it opened the door and looked at the
indicator. man about half way down the
car began TO abuse me right away, and said
that ought to be reported for failing to at
| tend to my business. It's no good arguing with
| a passenger-ho'll beat you every time-but l
cou!dn help asking him if he had been hurt par
| tlcularly by my unlntontional neglect. There's
where he had me, for he was an advertiser on
one Of the curtains that had pulled down III SO
| much of hurry that nobody saw it that trip.
| Gee whiz, here's L street and l amt pulled
| that thing since you spoke to me"
| And nc kept on dragging at the cord until he
| had the indicator well started on its next down
| trip.
! ABELL-RINGER's REMARKS
I'm going to quit the and go into the
bell-chiming business. said conductor on a
I two-horse car Of the same line to STAR re-
| porter who happened to ask him how he was
| getting along.
Been studying up On CHINESE" queried the
reporter.
| ply. You wait IA minute or two and III show
| you how it's done"
The reporter did not have to wait long A
| passenger wanted to get of. two passengers
| had their fares III their hands and the Indicator
| WAS overdue. "Cang." sounded the stop
gong; cling tinkled the bell on the fare reg
lister: .'whirri' chirruped the indicator; ''clanC-
| clanSo' siSnaled the ''go-ahead gong. and
! IL the fare register and the indicators nerve
destroyer did brief chorus that would ire
! triovably damage Il deaf mUte'5 peace of mind.
| 1t was an artistic performance. and for those
people who iiac that kind of thing, why, that's
| the kind Of il thing they like.
he WOULD NOT DC FOOLED.
| SIS this NJ streeH' called out man in the
| forward end of the car.
! The conductor pointed directly at the indica-
| tor. which read m street"
/ "Oh. no. ejacuiated the passenger chat
| thing don't catch me twice. | waited until it
marked NJ street the other ght and when got
, out was standing in the rain Oh Rhode Island
avenue. If you deceive me once It's your doing
| # You deceive me second tlme It's because
] III an IDIOT.
That was NJ street, though said the con-
| ductor.
! The man arose hastily and dropped off the
car more than square beyond his destina tiol.
! He was exceedingly sorrowful and swore bitterly
III u wholesale condemnation which included
! everybody from the man who invented indi-
Gators to the simple individual who believed
that they indicated anything but a scheme to