The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-18
AMERICAN MANNERS
with "A Special study of Railroad
Conductors.

Frederick r. Guernsey writes to the Bos-
famous Mexican doctor. who knows the
states well. and has studied us with some-
thing of the scientific curiosity Of a Bour-
get, said, the other day: your people are
the brightest nation on the planet; some
day you will have time enough to learn to
be polite. / have Travelled In the states.
and judge from my experience in hotels.
restaurants, railway stations and the great
shops. 1t Is hard for an American TO be
courteous, bat he. as you say, means all
right He will give you a rude answer
and then, seeing you are a foreigner, will
repent and 60 out of his way to aid you!
extraordinary people. / believed you are
ashamed to be civil"
/ had been reading on the train coming
down to Mexico Robert Louis Stevenson's
Across the Plains" wherein that lament-
ed author makes an almost Identical CON-
plant regarding our national manners or
what passes for such. / had noticed ON
the train how difficult 1t was for con-
ductors to be really civil. They intended
no discourtesy to the passengers, that was
evident enough, but they plainly felt II a
loss OF dignity to pay much heed to the
questions OF those who had contributed to
Keep the train a-going. They treated US all
de haut en- bas, as the French say. and wa
felt that we were only so much tyvo-legray
freight, something to be put in tabular
Columns ana analysed at the end of the
corporations fiscal year. The train peonle
had no malice against us; they did NOT wish
TO ditch the train and kill or MAIN us nov
did they wish us to be uncomfortable but
they did not propose to be bothered h,s
members OF what is euphoniouslv called
the travelling public"
In some sort railway men regard the
OuISi0e e 4.
something to be protected and LOOKED a.
ter out merely the background To blua-
coated and brass-buttoned glory T,hn
trouble with some railway conducta~s 4.
that they imagine they are nanaginer an
entire property. / had just come eron.
an interview with the president of a great
railway system, touching New yorL
Washington and Chicago, and he had -
celved me In his shirtsleeves, for Ii was a.
aWfuliy hot day, and felt that fha 49,, -
one gets to the throne the less there is
OF etlquet- l fancy 1t is the same ii al.
relations TO the chief of the universe
on all the airsl pus
There are exceptions. There are eondrc-
tors who are peregrinatng Chesterflelds
l recall one on the Piedmont Air I sna
who made us feel that all Georgia az.
Is, all we could see from the windows ~
the train, was ours, and back-lots fhroxvn
IN! he was 9 peach among conductors.
for sure. And / must never omit the an.
tirely polite and accommodating officials
of the Pennsylvania railway, Of whom +
may speak with impartiaIity, as I have.
no pass on that great system When ria
weary traveller gets on Pensy train ba
feels that he has right to be happy. FOR
the train people try to make him SO
A conductor down In Louisiana / also
recall as a man who knew how to 10
polite. He was a true product Of that
ever-delightful and well-mannered state
and he was as full of courtesy as pen.
per bird Is fun OF plquancy. 1 should
like to live on his train, just to form NV
self on him, for he Is a model. We NAV
be mannerIess nation, but one sees that
he must make exceptions.