Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-22
ON BOARD THE LAST CAR.
What One Disobliging Passenger May
Do to Make Things Unhappy.

You might have guessed it was the last car
from glance at the conductor-he looked SO
awfully sleepy. At the same time his manner
betrayed very acute anxiety about something
or other. He kept his eye upon the solitary
passenger in the front corner under the lamp
in nervous sort of way, shutting his feet the
while and making beneath his breath such
remarks as:
'Cuss it ALL say, cuss it! Here I've
been and run the whole way from street
to Dupont circle without soul on board, and
just as I'm turnin' down street TO the stables
and thinkin' how immense bed will feel this
chump climbs onto the platform. know by
the look of him he's a Georgetown man, and
that means an extra hours work for me to-
night"
The passenger referred to looked pretty
sleepy himself. He was a brown sort of man,
with brown beard, a brown overcoat and a
brown hat His very boots were brown, being
CLEARLY UNFAMILIAR WITH BLACKINa.
Huddled up in the corner he sat, with the col
lar Of the brown overcoat turned up about his
ears and the brown hat pulled over his eyes,
He couldn't have heard the conductors remarks
referring to himself, nor did he overhear the
words of the driver, who, bundled up in
great coat, apparently made OF two or three fur
rugs, was sitting out in front within his semi
circular cage, holding the reins in one hand
and shaking his other fist. inclosed in an
enormous glove, at the off horse apparently.
1t was not that much jaded beast he was apos-
trophiZlng, however, when he said:
''D-n that Georgetown son-of-a-gun. I've
seen him afore and I'd like to lump him in
the eye. He'll make US take the whole trip
tonight, and me dead tired. Hellenblazes!"
The driver gave the near horse a thwack
with his whip and the car crossed Twenty
second street at an accelerated speed.
With jerk at a rope over his head the con-
| ductor announced the street through the
| medium of an unfolding advertisement which
praised Squibobs pills in hugh capitals, dis
closing also-as might be discovered upon
somewhat painful scrutiny-the number % in
small print out of the light at the top.
PATHETIC APPEAL.
"Tll try it, any way" he said, and, evidently
acting upon a determination arrived at, he
made his way to the front of the car and
| touched the brown passenger on the shoulder,
| Querying:
May 1 ask where you live, sr?"
The passenger raised his head slightly out
| OF his turned-up coat collar and replied
hoarsely:
Two blocks the other side Of the bridge"
won't it be far enough if take you to the
| to walk"
"Why shouldn't you take me to my door?"
inquired the passenger
"Of course 1 will, sir, il you wish it." said
| thc COuuuCtOT. Dut-tT-yOu see, Sir, tQlS Is
my last trip and if we go past the stables even
| SO much as block me an the driver'll have to
take the car all the way to the other end of
| Georgetown"
| "Well?"
| REFUSAL SUBSEQUENTLY, AVENGED.
Sand SO, sir, 1 thought you might be willing
to get off at the stables and US an hours
extra work.
| "Ah, indeed?'
/ ttWiil do oiroo
| NO." responded the brown passenger in q
| husky but decisive tone, imme diately there
upon Withdrawing his head into his coat collar
| again.
| That settled it. So the conductor retreated
to the rear platform disgustedly, while the dri-
| yer, who had been listening anxiously to the
! colloquy, withdrew his nose from the crack of
the front door of the and devoted himself
to objurgations in an undertone directed at
pretty nearly everything and more especially
| addressed to the brown passenger, who got off
| little more than a block beyond the stables
Either that disobligiAg person was much
| overcome with sleep Or else he had taken
glass too much, for he tumbled over the curb
| stone in front Of his own house and fell on his
nose, to the infinite glee Of the driver and con-
ductor, who both saw the accident as the car
was starting of and were only restrained by
the urgency of duty from rushing to embrace
one another in their gladness.
| PASSENGERS BY NIGHT.
The conductor told all about it to a STAR
writer who jumped aboard at the far end Of
Georgetown, agreeably surprised to find car
en- route at that hour.
"Most times We don't have this extra trip ct
night" said the conductor. There's not usu-
ally anybody belonging in Georgetown ON the
last car going home. People over there, you
see, go to bed early. And then passenger
who doesn't live very far beyond the stables
| will generally walk the rest Of the way rather
than give US the extra work. It's the same
way on the Boundary cars with red fronts. On
the last trip at night il there 10 no passenger
who wants to be carried beyond P street the
car turns down p street to the stables and the
conductor and driver can 20 home then a.
soon as they have cleaned out the car. Funny
people get aboard the last car sometimes. One
gentleman rode with me the other night who
was quite intoxicated. He took his shoes OF
and wanted to put them out ON the front plat
form to be blacksd in the morning. Then he
wanted to 60 to bed in the car. But here yvu
are ct your street. sir-whoa-"