Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-04
WEAR NO ovERCoATs.
oiasses OF People Who Manage to Do
Without Them.


Without Them.
From the New York World
Man Is clothes-uearing animal" saws
Carlyle in his "Sartor Resartus" Int tiz
description of chese garments would bays
been curtailed had 4 certain class of mo,
VINO never wear overccats, come within the
limits Of lis observation. There are him.
dreds OF men in this city who do not wear
oVercoats at any time during the year
Prominent among them are the letter GAR
riers. They do not wear cvercoats because
IL is against the rules of the Post Office De-
partment uniform of gray was designed
Tor them. and they have to wear it the wear
round. or course the summer uniform is of
hshter weight than those they wear during
the winter months. The only execution ia
the rubber coat which is considered part
OF the uniform, and is allowed on rainy
DAYS. Inc writer asked a letter carrier if
ne ala not feel the need of an oyercoat
II would be little more comfortable
just Itr tooay, he said but this weather
won't last and 50 I'll get through all right
without enc. The first win ter I was in the
thought 1 would freeze, but I've got ,,sed
TO being without ore now and don't mind
the cold eather at ALL"
Anothe' great class of workers seldom
'>NA "Oesi hi6 oScrCOdLS are the messenger
boys NO vercoat is included in their mi
form. either, but there are no rules prohih.
lung them from wearing these garments If
they desire AT times one may see mes
sehser WIN coat ever his uniform, but
ne Is usually new boy or a delicate chan
VINO cannot stand the cold, for the majority
or the messengers do rot care to wear
coats. ~ "eo'
Since the Introduction Of the new uni-
forms in the street cleaning department the
absence Of overcoats on street sweeners ID
much noticed. Prior to this change ines.
men presented motley sight d,,rinp Inv
winter mofths. On cold days they wrapped
themselves in all sorts of ragged and rat
tered costs, ana even tied bageine about
their feet in order to keep warm. Aithouph
the uniform Of white duck does not nrescnt
very comfortable aspect. the men keep
warm by wearing heavy short coat s and q
pair or two Of heavy trousers underneath
and If they stick to their work pronerlV
they VIII never feel the need of n huIkv
overcoat. '
Elevated railroad Guards. az class ~,
not wear tvercoats, aith oreh one is fnclud-
ed In thu uniform. They usually bundle
up very snrgly underneath their short iack.
ct, and, as they are allowed to pass them
.,Ihe between stations inside the cars, they
90 not ma an overcoat at all necessary to
their comfort. Few of them resort to the
overcoat excepting in very stormy weather
sailors never wear Cvercoats, and more
man that, they never bundle up around
tne!r necks 1t Is rare to see sailor with
the collar Of his pea jacket turned rp
around his neck. AS rule they walk along
in the fiereest breeze with nearly one-fourth
OF their chests barred. and. as a class, they
are free from colds and disea shs ~ TIC
lungs.
Many health experts have argued about
the use of overcoats. and the consensus Of
opinion Is that people wrap up too much in
winter time Many men can afrord over.
coats who do not wear them except during
Zero weather. They claim that oyercoat
wearing is habit. and rot only unneces-
sary. but detrimental to health A writer
In this ty has not worn an oyercoat in
five years, and he has not had q cold dur
ing that period.