Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-01-18
England's Great Y STOPS.
What May IL Expected 20 Take Place In
the Car In the Average City.

What May " Expected 70 Take Place In
the Car In the Average City.
Now and then the best regulated cleo
trio road loses the subtle current, and
its cars ere brought to a standstill.
There Is a regular programme for such
occasions. 1t begins with dude on the
right hand seat near the front door. He
ceases to nibble at the head Of his cane,
readjusts his hat and eyeglasses and
carefully tiptoes down the aisle and out
of the rear door. He doesn't exactly
look at the conductor nor speak to him.
but as he dropsl to the pavement he
turns and feelingly exclaims:
"Ah, bal Jove, but how long will
suffering people put up with this rack
ct, ye knaw?"
Next on the programme is the fussy
woman who is on her way to a store to
exchange a pair Of stockings for two
sizes larger She is impatient for fear
the large sizes will be snapped up be-
fore she can get there. She hangs on
for Minute, hoping it is false alarm,
but when she sees the conductor and
motorman assuming positions which
should be labeled, "Only waiting, " she
rises up and makes for the door On the
platform she catches the eye of the con-
ductor and gives him a look which
makes him tired all day, hat she does
not speak. She dare not trust herself to
stop there and tell him her inmost
thoughts, and he's a heap glad that such
is the case.
The next is the innocent young girl
and her ma. As the car comes to a stop
the former looks out Of the window
and says:
"Why, ma, she's lost her power
eyes, it looks like it. "
"But can't we do something's"
Dunno If she's lost her power, why
don't the conductor 90 back and look
around and find it? If it had been tied
on as it ought to have been, it couldn't
have got lost. "
But won't there be an explosion or
something?"
Dunno, but we'll sit right here and
make 'em pay for damages. "
Glow dreadful Iwish had brought
a novel.
The fifth and sixth on tho schedule
are the man reading q newspaper, with
plenty of time on his hands, and the
stranger on the way TO the depot. The
man with the paper isn't saying a word,
and he doesn't care a copper when the
car resumes business, but the other
stands up and sits down and finally
queries:
"She's stopped, hasn't she?'
"Umw growled the other.
Lost her power, they say?"
"Um"
"Going to stay here long?"
Cant say.
"Who finds the power when it is
lost:"
Dunno"
But isis it exactly the right thing
to do:'
4 expect it is, or they wouldn't do
it."
"And will we be detained long:'
Cant tell You are not obliged to
sit here.
ono, Of course not. That is, I'm not
obliged to-that Is. you know
And the stranger Pushes up and looks
hot and mad and leaves the car and
makes for the sidewalk There is one
more out Of a possible % or 30. She is
the fat woman with the bundle and has
been placidly spreading herself over
three seats and congatulating her soul
that she is no hairpin 20 be tucked away
in a corner The bundle is securely
tied, and no public eye can make out its
contents. Two minutes after the stop
the fat woman has made up her mind
what course she ought to pursue. She
rises to her feet with majestic move
ment, yanks that bundle off the seat in
an imperious manner, and marching to
the door calls out:
"Where is the conductor Of this car:
"Yes'm, " softly replies the conduct
or, who couldn't get away as he saw
her coming.
HAS the electricity stopped circu-
lating:"
Il fear it has, ma am.
"And the car may be detained in
definitely"
indefinitely, ma'am, though it is
seldom over Is minutes before the in
definite electricity is all right again.
But I can't wait. "
"No'm, you can't wait.
"And the company is responsible for
any pecuniary loss that may suffer
through this detention. "
eyes m. "
She lifts up her bundle and descends
and marches away, but has not yet set
foot on the curbstone when the car
moves on, and everybody is happy
again. She raises a hand to the con-
ductor to stop, but she is too far away,
and he shakes his head and mutters:
Sometimes it's the indefinite cleo
tricity and then again it's the indef
mite woman, and between the two OF
'em it's a wonder | don't lose my III
definite hold on this ere job. detroit