River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-03-19
THE sTREET-cAR HOG.
How One of The Selfish Creatures wa.
Put to Rout.


Here is story of the street-car hog
which has the merit of exact truth.
A petite lady. with a child of about
three years of age, boarded down
town car one morning about eleven
o'clock. The car was full of ladies,
every seat being occupied. There was
but one person of the masculine gender
aboard, and he was dressed in the
height of fashion. He wore also the
vacuous expression which marks the
average specimen of the genus dude.
The lady who entered grasped strap
just in front of the gilded youth. and
the little girl chung to her mammals dra-
peries. | have often thought it strange
that street-car companies do not pro-
vide elongatable straps for persons
especially women-who are too short of
stature TO hang to the regular with
comfort. The lady ! speak of found it
difficult to maintain steady position,
and when the car turned a curve she
bumped against the dude, thus render
ing him painfully conscious of her pres
ence; but still he kept his seat and
gazed into vacancy.
A lady who sat at his right said to the
woman: won't You please take my
seat? ! am afraid your baby win be
hurt when the car lurches So"
80, no, thank you" replied the lady
who was standing. 81 think | can pro-
tect the little girl"
The dude looked triHe uncomforta-
BILE, but held bravely on to his seat.
mamma" said the little girl, plant
lively, IL want to sit down"
There is no seat, darling" replied
mamma.
Isn't dat man doin' to div you his
seat?" was the little girls next ques-
ton.
Hush said mamma.
The passengers snickered. and the
dudes face got a shade redder but he
was glued to his seat.
You win at least let me take your
little girl on my lap" said the lady
who had offered her seat to the tired
mother.
Thank you. You are so kind.
The tot was transferred to the lady's
lap. but She was not satisfied.
Tell me story, mamma" she com
manded. with the air of one who al
ways had stories served up on demand.
20, no: not here" replied mamma.
Whereupon the infant set up such a boo
hooing that for the sake of peace mann
ma consented to tell story, and this is
what she told:
''Once on a time, long time ago, a lit
tie fairy went to take a ride on street
car. When She get in. although she was
very tired she could find no vacant seat.
They were all occupied by men, though
there were no gentlemen on board. The
little fairy looked piteously mp and
down the two rows of seats, but no one
offered to make room for her. Sudden
ly She remembe her fairy wand. and,
waving it before the faces of the nen.
10 their great surprise every one was
transformed into a grunting pig
by this time the passengers were
much interested in the story, as much,
if not more, than the child who had de-
manded its recital. But it was clear that
the dude did not enjoy it, although he
could hear every word in with ease.
What did she do dat for2" asked the
little girl, interrupting the narrator.
30, Just because. Wen. of course the
men didn't want to be really pigs. They
liked to act like pigs, but being pigs
sruly was very different thing. So
now they all began to grunt, and as the
fairy understood pig language she
knew what they wanted to say, which
was: %, please, Miss Fairy, do make
men of us. We don't want to be pigsn
So the fairy replied; Certainly
if you'd rather, but first you
must promise that whenever
you see little lady get in a car and
she is tired and you are not, you will
always give her your seat All the
pigs answered indeed they would, just
as fast as they could grunt it. So the
fairy waved her wand before their eyes
three times forward and three times
backward, and the pigs were all
changed into men in moment. That's
all
The passengers laughed ont loud
when the story was concluded, and the
little girl expressed her appreciation.
but the dude, with ferocious scowl on
his blazing checks, rushed to the door
and jumped off, while the story teller
demurely took the seat he had left so
precipitately -William Henry Siviter
in West Shore.