The sun., 1890-05-27
AN INTOLERABLE NUISANCE.
TIE PUBLIC LO1FER WHO INVESTS
THE HORSE cans AND ELK-
VATRD TRAINS.

and positive indecency In manners to which
everybody is exposed who uses the public con-
yeynnces OF this city and Brooklyn2
That is a problem to which THE Sun asks the
attention OF the selfrespecttnR people II the
creator metropolis That II IL a pressing prob
lem affecting the daily comfort Of hundreds OF
thousands in the big towns between and TO-
yond tho two rivers, which make the rapid
transit pu22lo so difficult. will be certified TO.
frat by q great chorus OF female voices which
will take up the cry the moment the note Is
sounded. The male chorus ought not to be
less In volume but 1t will be.
IL is not the purpose just now ut any rate. to
take up any OF the disputed points in street-car
ethics regarding the tired clerks duty to sur
render his seat to the Fifth avenue young
woman who has been out for an hours shop
ping, or the moral obligation to look pleased
and murnur an apology instead OF swear
word when the fat woman climbs upon your
pet corn to tell the conductor TO be sure not to
forget to let her Off at Park place. There are,
unfortunately, far more serious offences
against good taste and personal rights 10
deal with.
Tho whole town has Joined in months hue
and cry OF Indignation over the detestable
work OF q rascal who out OF pure malice has
ruined perhaps a score OF dresses by dashng
ink upon them as their wearers passed along
street. But what has his offence been COM
pared with the work Of deiilement carried on
daily all over the city by men who openly defy
all rules OF decency and good breeding 1t
will hardly be an exaRgeration to say that
there are few women In New York who daily
use the elevated roads and street cars who
have not had one or more gowns ruined by tho
unceaniness to which the habits Of men who
would resent q charge OF indecency have ex-
than hn
platforms and the stairs of the elevated
railroads are everywhere used as pub
lie splttoons. Tobacco ohewers are not
the only offenders by any means. though
they are the worst. Men who would scorn to
commit such an offence indoors are regardless
OF all sense OF propriety when In the presence
OF half a hundred fellow passengers. Not only
are the consequences Of hie vieness disgust
ing. but the act itself is repulsive at least to
every woman of fine sensibiities.
Many a crusade against the splitting habit
has been made and not one word as far as
known was ever publicly said In defence OF it
1t Is an Improperly which to large degree is
peculiar to Americans. Even the lower classes
OF Great Britain md on the Continent are not
guilty Of it to such an extent as 1t is indulged
in here. Tho evil seems to be II ifanythinR on
the increase. though the tobacco chewing
habit is said to be falling off, climatic reasons
probably have something t2 do with the or
throat anu catarrhal affections furnishes some
excuse for 1t. but everybody knows that its
public indulgence is absolutely unnecessary.
The Traction Company of Philadelphia the
recently made rule forbdd ing passengers t.
spit In the cars. and the employees have been
one one which viii be watched with In interest crest, in
Philadelphia and out of it, and it is one which
should be tried on the important lines, of this
M hn Hntt g
ruie than there is OF their right to, prohibit
siVeness i it is an open % one Smoking m is COM COM
paratively clean habit, and 1t ottends small
propoItion Of people co. M Splitting is offensive to
man or lady.
The Philadelphia Jress unreservedly en-
dorses the now rule, saying:
city vigorous effort made put stop the OBJ
IL S the ~ S"ssi 81
S az do
It w be comDel!ed g aiandon i in ,slt.dsIenee
nS
shsWes The Sen
sye Men who would would resent even hin! that hey are
most refined taste strangely careless in respect
the mose paos
As The eye has 70 OS
tobacco Juice ejecea by men who consider themselves
aS % an ne ss nse Ia sr H Of Gs
as h. at home xd It is not on GOOD taste that
s na'tT ent '6S ATs nsS!I
practice reinforced by public opinion the obnoxious
ban.
Even the general rule against smoking is mol
as strictly enforced in New York and Brook
smoke openly urdcr the eye of the guard on
an elevated train, but many mon who get
h 10 koe them ehed G an ev eaxs
tho cars. When it comes to that the man who |
smokes merely to keep his cigar alight is not
into II ear a lighted cigar and allows II to 20 |
out. The odor OF an expiring cigar is far more
bridge railroad is the only line on which the |
q iGdatSSd cd tobacco s pEohi6sd b9t
on the bridge. In fact better order is |
preserved on tie bridge cars than on any OF
New York or brooklyn, with the exception. |
perhaps, of The Kings County Elevated Rail- !
Bu, the offences above mentioned are only
the less serious and m0le common OF those to
which passengers on the most crowded lines
proane and even obscene language. They are
compelled TO ride in close companionship with
asainst decency are Ignored or laughed ut by
Euarts and conductors. They are exposed TO
genuine physical violence at the hands OF yul-
gar brutas, sober and dressed in mems clothes
who tTamplo upon. crush. or push aside all who
stand in their way. 1t has come TO PASS too.
that 1t l. not safe. especially in the evening for
u woman or Ia man eli her to sit down IN a pub
lie conveyance without first looking carefully
20 sec If the seat has been deled by some
body s dirty feet or some other uucleanliness.
Take. for instance the result of tho obscrNa-
tiOus OF a single individual Oh various lines
within two or three days
A ilashily dressed man with very dirty boots
occupied one OF the Cross seats on a down
town Harlem train on tho Sixth avenue ele-
! ated road. His ieet occupied the scat oppo-
ste, and q plentityl supply OF sticky mud was
scrapel OIL upon tho cane seat Tho car filled
UP nj Forty-second street. and the fellow un-
graciuusly restricted himseli first TO two seats
and then to one. richly dressed lady, with
ont looking where she was to sit, took the scat
which his boots had occupied. She did not
discover the ruinous efect upon her costume
probably until she reached home. and then
very likely she was unable to explain tho NOR
tifying disaster.
A lady occupied half Of one OF the cross seats
in Il ThiId Rynnue train going up town.
horsoy looking man, bulker shan Grover leve.
land. staggered In and hung himself into tho
space beside tho lady, and AS there wasn't
room enough to comfortably accommodate his
unusual bulk he deli erately crushed the other
up against the side OF the car. Ifthe
lady had had an escort lie would have been
justified in pitching The fellow into the aisIs
and kicking him. Fortunately The lady he self
nossossed spirit enough 10 resent the insult