Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-17
The "End-Sent Hog"

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
The appeal made by the press to the
ladies' against the high hat in the theater
las been successful At present, the ladies
are considerable of the comfort of other
persons at all public assemblies. 1t was
only necessary to call their attention to
the inconvenience caused by their pyra-
midal head dresses; and their Unborn kind
ness and courtesy did the rest.
But the crusade against the "end-seat
hog'' is not apparently making any pro-
gress. Men are the offenders; and their
bad habits are not easily changed. They
seize on the end seats in the street rail-
way cars. At Glen Echo, at the close of
the theatrical performance, when the re-
turn cars approach the entrance there is
mad rush of young men for the end
seats. They spring upon the running
board while the car is in motion, at the
risk of their limbs. and occupy all the end
seats before the cars stop. Last night
when the IL o'clock Glen Echo cars reach
ed the Chevy Chase II ad. the next Chevy
Chase cars were full and made no stop.
Thereupon the crowd made run for the
Chevy Chase post Office station, half a
mile off. When the next two-car train
for the city stopped there, or before it
stopped, there was frantic rush for seats.
Hats and bonnets were knocked off and
trodden under foot, ribbons were torn off
bruised. Some ladies took part in the
melee and were hot and breathless after
they got their seats. Why all this hurry?
The crowd had come I'D from Glen Echo
in two cars and the two Chevy Chase
cars were large enough to take them all in.
But the 'end-seat hog would not have got
what they wanted. Every man of them
elbowed ard pushed crowded, rushed and
crushed until he got the end seat and then
hung on to it like grim death, forcing
everybody else. ladies included to press
by him to the damage of their gowns. 1
have travelled in foreign countries, but
have not seen anything resembling the
American rush for the end seat.
The remedies proposed do not seem to
daiies suggests that every passenger shall
make it a point on entering the car to
tread on the "end-seat hogs corns sit
down in his lap. accidentally but heavily
draw bundles across his face, and on
leaving the to stumble over him, catch
at his coat collar, tear off his necktie and
use other available methods of annoyance.
These methods, though defensible on the
ground that the "end-Seat hog is the
enemy of mankind, not generally
adopted. / find in my own case an indis-
position to use them, especially if the Of
tender is large and strong. No weak per-
son should be expected to resort to them.
Muscular Christians might use them safe
ly.
Let me make a suggestion. Suppose
the car builders should extend the seats
back TO back from end to end of the SUM
mer cars. NJ space would be lost and the
TOUR end seats would have no advantage
over the others: for every passenger would
step straight forward and descend from
the car in front of his seat. A reason as
signed for the American mania for end
seats. is that, in case of fire or collision,
escape Is easier; another is that the per-
sons affected by it are shop-keepers' clerks
at small salaries and the loss of a second
might cause the loss of their places; and
third is, that they are coarse selfish and
brutal. without any consideration for the
comfort of other people. If the third
reason Is the true one, then our preachers
and public school teachers should be re
CURED to teach the rules of polteness in
public cOnveyances and assemblies
June 10, 1898. OLD SUBSCRIBER