Daily camera., 1897-02-13
THE CABLE CAR JOKE,
lie OF the Jaded Taste Tells Why 1t Does
Not Appeal to Him.

Not Appeal to Him.
Il have never been told by my
friends" said the dyspeptic man, that
lacked sense of humor." His man
ner was earnest, although it was per
fectN plain that anybody who had at
tribnted such an amiable quality to
him had flattered the man unconscion-
ably. Il can see a joke, and | have oc-
casionally got off a few myself that
have made my friends laugh because
they did not happen to like the other
man. Usually they were about man
| didn't like, come to think of it. But
at all events, people laughed, and have
never been accused of lacking sense of
humor.
But 4 refuse to laugh at the one
thing which Is most frequently pre-
serted to me in the light of a joke. l
refuse even to smile at circumstances
which seemed to me deficient in every
element of humor. But, perhaps, three
or four times every day l am asked, if
not by word, at least by manner, to eX-
l'ibit hilarity over one particular Incl
dent of the kind | mean.
ut confronts me usually in its most
aggravated. form at Fourteenth street
and Broadway, or at the corner of Fiji
ty-third street and Broadway. Then it
is liable to occur at any other point
along the cable line when a person of
inferior mentality and an unframed
gripman come into temporary cOnjunc-
TO 10 ut
comes about in this way: The cable
car dashes around the curve. \ man
thrown violently Torward Jramps all
over my feet, or dashes headIOng at me,
knocks off my hat, and leaps into my
lap. Then he looks at me and smiles
at the joke with a geniality that plain
ly invites ne to laugh with him. It's
very funn b. says his manner unmis-
takably, and we'd better laugh to-
gcther.' l am asked to laugh because
my toes are crushed, my hat mashed or
clothes mussed. Naturally | refuse to
respond to any such invitation. When
go into any joke of that kind want to
do it voluntarily, and if I'm to be sub
jected to any such physical strain, l
won't laugh unless En- allowed to have
a much of chance at the game as the
other fellow. If I'm allowed to jump
on his feet, mash His hat and other
wise damage him, III smile back and
think the joke just as good as he does.
But l see no humor in the thing when [
am reading a newspaper and he goes at
me without a word of warning. The
game is too one-sided to amuse any but
one of the men Chat is in it.
every time they look into my face
and expect me TO laugh at anything of
the kind, whether it be a man or a
woman, or only a 90-pound cash girl
going home from work, | can't help
thinking of the magnificent prospect
for a philanthropist's efforts that very
question opens up. Think of gen
erous-hearted citizen who would give
some of his millions toward the estab-
lishment of a branch of kindergarten
learning by which people would be
taught to ride in cable cars. No more
sudden and. disastrous rushes from one
end of the car to the other, a finish to
the desperate clutching ut elusive
straps, and the resulting tumble into
The lap of the passenger beneath. What
a saving of narrowed tempers, strained
nerves and damaged feet. Possibly some
people would never be able to learn.
but, the younger generation might take
to it What an achievement for phil
anthropist! What a generous use of
1noney.'-N. Y Sun.