San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-12-13
SLEEPING CAR MANNERS.
Two Girls Tell of Experiences With
the American Man.

the American Man.
There were three or four young wo-
men in a parlor car on New Jersey
railroad the other day, and two of
them gave their experience in travel
ing alone at night, says the New York
Sun. One ventured the remark:
1.-The American men are always pO-
lite to women travelling alone. If they
are not, it is certainly the woman's
fault She is forward, or common, or
something"
That started the conversation.
One girl didn't know about this, and
protested:
Girls, you know | am not forward
at least | hope | am not, or common,
and yet | had very unpleasant ex-
perience once. l was going to Pitts
burg alone. Father and brother
Frank went over to Jersey City with
me and went on the Western express
at 6:30 Frank had the tickets and
found my section, No. s. There were
a satchel and overcoat and umbrella
there, which he moved to the next
section.
I'VE had only time TO get the illus
trated papers, say good-by, and l was
off.
Il hadn't turned the second page of
| the paper | had taken up, before we
| We're crossing the meadows, when
was startled by a gruff voice saying
| Who moved my thingsP | found my
paper too interesting to look up.
Again he shouted. who moved those
| thingsY This is my section, and
want my things put back in it,
Il felt my face getting hot, but said
nothing. He picken up his satchel, sat
down in No. opposite, unbuttoned his
shoes, kicked first one, then the other,
across the aisle under my feet, put on
slippers and a travelling cap, hung his
hat over my head, then went for the
porter, who had just come in. He
growled something at him, and
heard the porter say, Domino, sab;
have to see the Pullman conductor.
He went into the next car. l called
the porter, found my tickets were all
righr. and wondered what would hap
pen next. | didn't have TO wonder
long. In he came again, and, girls, he
was tail. broad-shOuldered, elegantly
dressed-lOOked like a gentleman, any
way, though he wasn't one. He said
something to the porter about a mis-
| take then came over to me, and,
| bowling. said:
| 81 made mistake. | ask your
pardon
Il know my face blaZed then. / did
feel so Insulted to think he could kick
his shoes under my feet and then apo.
lOgiZe. | looked straight at him and
said, Il think it time you asked my
pardon; you are the rudest man l ever
met in all my life He stood there
long enough to tell me that if he had
known that | was that kind of a wO,
man he never would have apologized
and then went back to his section.
AT Philadelphia some one he knew
came in and he must have told him all
about it for. in one of those mystic.
rious lulls which on the train are just
like those of a concert, we all heard
him say Il went up and told her I'd
made a mistake and asked her pardon
but she was so d sassy l was sorry
did Now, girls, was that my fault
You see even an American will BIZ
rude sometimes to women"
The champion of men took a bach
seat, and jOlly-looking girl gave hel
experience.
Mine was just funny, girls, and
guess, my own fault. / was alone
too. One night we were going across
the Aleghenies, and the train rocked
like mad. | had watched several PEG
pie land in the place they hadn't want
ed to land in, and was getting a goot
deal of amusement. | called the port
er to have my berth made up, wake,
up the car, sat down without a mis-
hap and wondered why the other pas
sengers weren't so agile. AS | cam
back | noticed a man sound asleeT
arms folded. head down, and hat owe
, his eyes. AS / came opposite him tn
train gave a fearful lurch: felt my
self going. and grabbed at something
r 1t was the mans neck; | was on hi
lap, arms around him. My hea
struck his head, and his hat dew int
!. the next seat. He said merely. Goo
D Lord" and / was gone. ] didn't loo
e back. | just crawled in between m
S curtains. Then | had to laugh"