The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-08
THE CAR AND THE SPLITTER.
Railroad Official Relates His Expert
ence With the Train Hog.

| 1t IS currently reported that the
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad COM
pany has declared war on the splitter
This is, however, not altogether found
ed on fact. The company realizes that
| eXpecteration may be an evil but that
II IS at times necessary one. In an
interview had yesterday with one of the
high officials of the road he said ::
There has been no crusade declared
against expectoration by this company,
for the reason that such things never
accomplish their purpose anyhow. A
gentleman Will not indulge in indis-
criminate eXpectoration, and a multi
plicity of signs would not deter an
other class from so doing. The truth
OF the matter is that a letter was re-
ceived from one of the associates of
ladies that flourish in Philadelphia, re-
Questing US to take some action in the
matter. and to Oblige them we had
signs posted in our passenger coaches,
requesting the occupants not to spit on
the floor. Such signs do no harm and
they may have moral influence for
good, but there it stops They cannot
be made compulsory.
Human nature is nowhere so we'll
exemplified as in a crowd of railway
passengers. One day last summer I
was going down to Atlantic City,
when l noticed a man with his boots
pumped up on the cushions of the seat
in front Of him. l sat beside of him
and began to talk, gradually drifting
on to the subject of The treatment of
public conveyances by the occupants.
By the time we got down to Egg
Harbor l had my man converted, his
feet down and promise that never
again would he act in a first-class pas
senger coach as he would not act in his
own home.
Another time l was going down TO
the same point in a parlor car, when
the conductor came to me and told
that a passenger in one of the day
coaches had refused to surrender his
ticket, because there happened to be
no seats in the car he had entered, al
though plenty were to be found in the
one behind Ask him in here; tell
him he can have parlor seat / said.
The man jumped at this offer and en-
tered the car in which / was sitting. l
recognized him Immediately as a prom
inent resident of Atlantic City, al
though he did not know me. rose
at once and told him he could have
my seat which, after a slight demur,
took, although, naturally, somewhat
astonished. Now, conductor 1 said
take this mans ticket This he did,
and turning to the obstinate passenger,
i SdiQ ~NOW. StI, YOU may nave lIllS
seat, which have paid for; I am going
into the other car. where there are
plenty of seats which you might have
had, had you so desired Then I told
him who L was. The man looked as
though he would like to sink through
the floor, but he had placed himself in
so awkward a position by accepting
the seat that he clearly did not know
what to do or how to get out of it.
talked with him a while and explained
to him the rights of passengers and
carriers on the point of seating 1 told
him that a man paid for his transpor-
tation and this was furnished him by
the carrier, who made all reasonable
provision for his comfort while en-
route. If. however. he persisted in en-
tering a crowded car, he took upon
himself the risk of not finding a seat,
and was by no means to be exempt
from the payment Of his fare.
No; what's bred in a man cannot be
shaken out of him. 1t has to be drawn
out, and that's how it is with those
who esteem it their privilege to spit
People have TO be educated UP to this
sort of thing"