The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-09-17
SARGE PLUNKETT.
ON THE STREET CARS AND AMONG
THE MONTGOMERY.
Watching the People Who Ride Upon the
Cars and Estimating Their Char
acter by What is Seen.
For The Constitution.

play the part of spying upon people and
upon giving out their observations to the
world there would be no end to the trouble
they would cause. The fact is that good
ness of heart and gentlemanly QUANTITIES
does not pertain in any other class to
greater extent than among the trained re-
porters of the country's newspapers
Especially are these men impressed with
the wisdom of prudence and, say what you
may, they shield more people than they
ever expose to the harsh criticism or the
world.
Brown nor Plunkett do not rise to the
dignity of reporters, yet neither of us would
spring an Improbable subject nor would we
utter word nor trace line which would
reflect upon another or cause one rifle Oh
vulgar sensation. If we are plain IL Is LOT
the purpose of correcting an evil; IL we are
harsh it is for the purpose of warning the
innocent After saying this Il shah give
you somewhat of the things learned III
day among the motormen.
1t used to be that the police were recKoheu
as the best calculated to give a correct
estimate of the characters of the people
among whom they moved and watched-
especially was the dark side of life the best
understood by these guardians OIL uhc
peace. This has changed. Inc
spread of electric wires OUTSIDE the
limits have put the electric car men clear
innate upon the people who pass 10 ana ITO
about the country.
1t would astound many man ana many
a woman to learn of what the average mo
torman knows of their movements Inc
cunning woman and Infamous man VINO
think themselves SO smart with their Sc
cIets are an open book to these street car
men. Verdant innocence, just making It's
first wrong STEP may well tlutter at the
heart and tremDe, for more than the eye
of the motorman is upon you. You can
hide your inmost thoughts from hlhl' 50
experienced has be become. They see your
first little imprudence and they pity you
while they know they are powerless to ap-
ply a remedy. SO innocent you are, so hght
this first little indiscretion that no way can
be found whereby to approach and warn
YOU They watch you then through each
stake of your departure and it is study
to see how easily you glide away from the
period of bushes 10 that point where you
can exclaim and feel that Il don't care!
The mortormen say that this Il don
care" is a great danger line to young nno-
cence. They have glided step by step, each
step being easier than before, TIL they ar
rive to where IaeE can toss their hedls an 4
say glibly, II don't care, and then they
are nearly at the place where they are too
common" for a busy motorman to waste
much more time upon them. This, Il don |
care is a dangerous condition to arrive at
but it leads up gradually from that first
little indiscretion.
\ What this first little indiscretion may
have been matters not. 1t might nave been
the company you had fell In with, or tue
place you were persuaded to visit. One
is more than apt to fall into bad company
if they visit a bad place-bad company ana
bad places are generally companions. Inc
important thing that / wish to impress Is
that the motorman is sure to find you out
This is not SO much to praise the notcr-
mans shrewdncss as 1t IS 10
give wicked people tip. IL
* lust way I have of warning
nany. who think themselves so cunning,
that they are mighty well understood-an
omen book to the street car men-and then
| may pursuade some innocent To avoid
"loose" places and thereby avoid loose
company, and thus may be avoided that
first little step of imprudence.
Everybody rides on street cars and street
car people know everybody. They know
what places of resort you visit, and they
know the character of that resort. They
know the hours you keep and the very
days you visit these resorts. Ii your day
happens to be the holy Sabbath for visit
ing these resorts, it IS noted, and in this
connection it is noted whether your visit is
for fresh air and u pleasant stroll from
the heat of the city, or if it is to desecrate
with fun and frolic such a day. You are
estimated by the motive in this matter,
and your name IS put over on good
moral" column. if one, and If the other
your name goes not upon that column.
They only bother themselves with ts~
good They have another way, though, of
keeping the bad" in their mind-and this
is all In the mind. An inprudent action,
and YOU are known to the moJOrman as
n black dot-a period, as 1t We're. They
know not names. nor wish to know them,
but you will occur to his mind as dot
one dot two or dot three. They keep no
further than this-after you get down three
dots you are dismissed. 1t is so easy for
some one to arrive at this last point in the
uotormun's estimate after they get upon
the road With Others, il moves slowly.
After the first step, some just say, 4 don
care" and glide into anything. Others
must be coaxed all along. Some are 50
shy and have such great struggle with
conscience, but there are plenty of coaAeiS'
and these arrive at the last stage just as
surely as any after they have well started.
These street car men know whether you
drink lemonade at these resorts, anu win
whom you drink. Whether you dance ana
with whom you dance / don't know why
they take notice of such as this, nor what
their rating is on it. one thing kho" -
that L like lemonade pretty well myself
and / wouldn't mind waltzing WIN
a pretty girl if L could call back sfeat
many years and could md the rlsht sHl
at the right time and places.
All in all, these street car men are shre"u
fellows. and. like the newspaper men, they
take no delight in their notes If pad put
it does please them to say pleasant th'hSs
of people who ride upon their cars. III the
young girls of this world knew as l know
how these railroaders and all other men
admire sweet modeSty, there would De
mighty few flip girls. Modesty may stahu
back in the shadow while there IS mucn
brilliancy just at the footlights, put never
mind-the eyes of all the audience VIII hiiu
you out, and you will be carried nome III
every heart as Just the incest thinS OF all.
While l have never heard street car man
directly mention the name of any as belhS
a bad" girl yet it is common TO mention
a good girl. Your department, the coih-
pany you keep and the places you frequent
by these you will receive your estimate by
a class whom Brown and L have decided
are almost infallible.
We are apt to mention girls in such CON
nections as this for the reason that al the
world depends upon the goodness Oh Wo-
men. The world would have been gone IoIss
ago had it not been for good women. Anu
can whisper in your ear that the very
best women of this world are seldom heard
of in a public way. They are too often, may
be- back in the shadow, but never mlhu,
they are known and they are thought OF
and admired when it is the least expected.