The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-06-28
HORSE CAR ETIQUETTE.

Various Modes of Illustrating How to Be-
have Properiy-Common Blunders.
The young man who has drilled him
self and been drilled by his dancing
school teacher in the proper ways of
entering and leaving a room when ac-
companied by a young lady frequently
gets very much mixed up when he be-
gins going about on horse cars with
young woman Perhaps he has been
the fortunate possessor of mother or
sister who had accompanied him often
enough to give him points upon horse
car etiquette. If he has not, the New
York Recorder thinks he is more than
likely to make some dreadful blunders.
He usually gets the girl on the car all
right Sometimes, when the car is
crowded, he is bold enough to politely
request several wide-spreading passen-
gers to move closer together and make
seat" for his companion But the un-
sophisticated youth seldom ventures so
far.
If there are plenty Of seats he is all
right, however, although not once in
fifty times does he think to seat himself
on the side of his companion that is near
the horses, SO that in talking to him
she will not have to turn her back
toward them-a position that is disa-
greeable to many women Then when
he pays the fare he does not always
have the change at hand, but he usually
has to unbutton his overcoat and de-
scend to the depth of his trousers pocket
to find the needed coin. Meanwhile,
the girl, if she is young, looks the other
way and tries to appear unconscious. If
she Is an older woman she does not
care. By and by the car fills up and
some one is obliged to stand. The well
trained young man has the knack
of rising at just the right moment, lift
ing his hat at precisely the correct
angle and yielding his seat with man
ner that certainly ought to call forth
an expression of thanks-though it
doesn't always.
The unframed young man, on the
other hand, sometimes keeps his seat
because he does not know how to give
1t up, or perhaps he cherishes the Doors
belief that it is not worth while to
stand for the sake of woman when
it's an even chance whether or not she
thanks him. Even if he rises, it is in a
weary, perfunctory fashion. He nudges
the woman to attract her attention,
does not lift his hat to her words of
acknowledgment or to the salute of the
man who accompanies her any more
than he would uncover his head in re-
sponse to the courtesy of stranger
who gave seat to his companion. He
probably does not mean to be rude, but
he either knows no better or does not
care to take the trouble to be civil.
There are several different ways in
which man signifies his desire to leave
a horse car. Sometimes he makes a
wild rush for the door, stumbling over
the feet and skirts of the hapless and
helpless passengers and waits on the
platform, holding the door open until
the car comes to standstin so that the
woman with him may descend safely.
Again he signals the conductor from his
seat and when the car stops stands aside
to let his companion make her way out
and get off unassisted. It is boon for
which she thanks the gods when he no
tiies the conductor at the right moment,
times his exit so as to reach the plat
form just as the car stops and gets to
the ground in shape to aid her in her
descent