The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-30
BECKY SHARP DAY.

hTore) for tho Orphans Home.
Today is becky Sharp" Orphans
Home day on Kansas avenue. It's rainy
but rain "cuts no ice" when the STATE
JOURNAL starts to do anything good and
the long expected, decorated, music dis
persing Orphans Home trolley car, sur
rounded with its halo of charity and joy
aud evergreen is trailing up and down
Kansas avenue wet as it is, crowded with
passengers and greeted with shouts and
smiles.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the car started
and il is a beauty. 1t is Il bower of roses
anc evergreens and asparagus, and flags
and the front windows on Kansas avenue
are packed everytime it makes its ap-
pearance. Its success is financial, too,
Tor it is playing TO standing room only
which is going at premium even out on
the foyers
becky Sharp" is a success as a con-
ductor. She has beautiful blue suit cut
bias and7shirred with things on the front
and brass buttons and cap and sleeves
and mansard skirt Ia man wrote this)
and she rings the bell just as though she
were used TO ii.
The windows of the car are obscured
with decorations, evergreen boughs on
with wreaths of beautiful red aud white
and yellow roses on the outside and
sprays of the same roses on the inside.
Three hundred roses alone were used on
the interior. Ribbons and bunting and
flags are everywhere inside and out,
aud the car is lighted with colored
electric lights. 1t has been specially
upholstered ia rich red aud pale green.
Part of the Alhanbra Mandolin and Gui-
tar club is furnishing good music. The
members playing today are William NJ.
Lyon, j. w. Kraemer and Frank Shell
don. They ought to be ever held in
warm remembrance by the orphans and
the patrons of the home
miss Sharp" has to have an assistant
to do the street and station calling for
her. His name is James BuzzelI, and
he is a regular conductor. He is one of
the oldest on the line. The motorman's
name is E. s. Travis, and he is good
looking young man who knows all about
the business. The first cash passenger
was Mrs. ]. n. Patton. On the first trip
the car carried twenty passengers and in
the first hour the register showed 73
fares rung up.
OF course good many of these paid
great deal more than the regular price,
so it will be hard to get at the exact
amount of business the car is doing until
the receipts are checked up at the end of
the day.
The noisiest crowd that has been on
the car today was dozen Washbu col
lege students. who bulged out its sides
with the happy "Rah, 'rah," and left
their colors and their card on the center
lights.
Becky Sharp" is having experiences
by the score. and the readers of the
STATE JOURNAL will find an interesting
"story" about it in tomorrow's paper.
On her first trip we'll dressed elderly
woman sat near the trout with look on
her face that was a bewilderug mixture
of joy and doubt and almost apprehen-
sion. As "Miss Sharp went through the
car collecting fares the first time the
woman arose, steadying herself against
the rocking OF the car and the trem bling
of her declining yeHrs and took her by
the hand. There were tears in her eyes
and she held the woman conduc-
tors hand while she said in
voice almost choked with sobs of
happiness, Il am so glad to see
that you do not look like 1 thought
you might. l had said to myself that a
woman who would do a thing like this
must be of the brazen sort, but your face
is gentle and your heart must be kind to
do SO much for Charity"
Miss Sharp was almos: taken off her
feet by this unlocked for speech. but
she thanked the old lady kindly and the
passengers smiled.
AS the day grew wetter a messenger
was sent into store for a waterproof
wrap for the conductor. When the
package came, on the return trip Miss
Sharps womanlike, stopped the car
until she had tried il on and sent it back
because it wasn't just what she wanted
Altogether the car is a great success
and the public is with it, and d great
deal of credit is due President C. c.
Baker and Superintendent J. N. Patton
for their kindness and enterprise in see
ing that everything was done ia the right
way. Mr.. Patton looked after every
necessary detail and the STATE JOURNAL
is quite sure that he will have his reward
in heaven if not sooner
Florists Hulse and Bird 6 Rodman did
most excellent work on the car, and it is
beautiful example of their skill and
ability.
It is to be hoped that rybody will
patronize the car tonight that can and
help swell the receipts. Don't be afraid
to pay dollar or a half dollar for your
fare. The conductor will not make
change if you request her not to do So
in sufficiently audible tone of voice.
The car will run tonight from 3
o'clock till 8.
u,-rr, ~, e,y@ra