The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-07-26


pand as an omen OF blood. Blu; you are
not in your senses; you are in a B!ond-
way cable car. You are not supposed to
have any senses. From the forward end
you hear the gripman utter!ng shrill
whoops and running over citizens. Sud-
denly the car comes to a curve. Making
swift running start il turns three ha nd
springs, throws u cart wheel for luck
bounds into the air. hurls six passengers
over the nearest building and comes
down a-stladdle of the track. Taat is
the way In which We turn curves in
New York
Meanwhile, during ths cars gambol-
Ing. the corrugated rim of the dudes hat
has swept naturally across your neck
and II has left nothing for your head
10 do but to quit your Shoulders. AS
the car roars on your head falls into the
waiting arms OF tile proper authorities
rhu dude IS dead: everything is dead
The interior OF the car resembles the
scene of the battle of Wounded Knee
but this gives YOU small satisfaction.
There was once person pos essing
fund of uncanny humor, who greatly de-
sired 10 import from past ages n corps
Of Knights in full armor He then pur-
posed to pack the warriors in Il cable
car and send them around Il curve He
thought ne could gain much pleasure by
standing near and listening to the wild
clash OF teel upon steel the tumult Of
mailed heads striking together, the bit
ter grind of armored legs bending the
wrong way He thought that this would
teach them that war is grim.
towards evening when the tides of
travel set northward, It is curious to see
now the Eripman and conductor reverse
their temperS. Their dispositions fop
over like patent signals During the
down t;ips they had In mind always the
advantages of being ut Battery Park.
a lat a
Battery Park was before them and
every delay made them fume, made this
picture all the more allurng Now the
delights of uptown appear 10 them.
fhey nave reversed the signs on the
cars, theS nave reVel sed their aspira-
lions Battery Park has been gained
and forgotten. There is IL new goal
dere Is a perpetual Illustration which
the philosophers of New York may u.a
TO good purpose.
IN the fendcrloln, the place of ,heaters
ana OF the restaurants where gayer New
iork does ilrr dining. the cable cars in
Inc evening carry n stratum of society
which looks like a new one. hut II 10 tho
one or the familiar strata in other clothes
II is Just as good as a new stratum now.
ever Ior IN evening dress the average
man teels that he has gone up three
pegs In the social scale and there is
considerable evening dress about n
Drodaway car In the evening. A car with
us el ctric lamp resembles n brIII,a r,,iv
lighted salon and the atmosphere rrows
1uSt trile strained. People sit more
rigidly and glance sideways perhaps as
IL each was positive of possessing social
value, but was doubtful of all others
me conductor says. law, so aim. Gil
on TN EARTH" But this was to a man Mt
Lanai street. Here he shows his versa
tllity. He stands on the platform and
a
| into the car. tHe notes a lifted finger nd
grabs swiftly for the bell strap. He
reaches down 10 help a woman aboard
ierhaps MS demeanor Is 4 reflection of
the manner of the people in the car. M
one is In mad New York hurry: no one
lrettlng and muttering; no one Is
lperched upos his neighbors toes Norr-
over, the Tenderloin. is n glory M nigh,
| broadway of late years has fallen heir
20 countless signs illuminated with red
ana blue, green and gold electric lamns
and the people certainly fly to these as
me moths go to candle. And perhaps
the gods have allowed this opportunity
to observe and study the best dressed
crowds in the world to operate upon The
| conductor until his mood la to treat ne
with care and mildncss.
Late at night. after the dinners and
theatEe-goers have been lost in Harlem
various incbriatc persons may per,
cnhnce emerge from the darker regions
or sixth avenue and swing their arms
soiemnly at the gripman. If the Broad
way cars run for the next seven thous-
and years this will be the only time
when one New Yorker will address an
other In public without an excuse sent
direct from Heaven. In these cars late
at night il is not impossible that some
fearless drunkard will attempt to inau-
gurate n general conversation. He 10
quite willing to devote his ability to
the affair. He tells of the fun he thinks
he has had: describes his feelings: re-
counts stories of his dim past. None
replies, although all listen with every
ear. The rake probably ends by bor-
rowing a match, lighting cigar and en-
| tering into wranGle with tn. conductor
with an abandon. n ferocity and a cour-
age that does not come to us when we
are sober.
In the meantime the figures on the
street grow less and less in number.
Strolling policemen test the locks of the
great dark fronted stories. Night
hawk cabs whirl by the car on their
mysterious errands. Finally the cars
themselves depart in the way of the
citizen and for the few hours before
dawn a new sound comes into the still
thoroughfare- the cable whirring in its
channel underground.