The sun., 1899-02-19
NEW YORK THAwED orr
GOOD HUMoR THE RULE ouTDoo,.
DURING THE BLIzz4RD


Companions in tho Storm-Fun In n 60,
Car-Sister Ann Mt n Transfer PoIn'
Anecdotes ms to How Cold II W..
A terrific freeze seems TO be the only v,r,.
which to thaw out the average New yo,t."
Under ordinary conditions nobody uon,,
dream OF calling this town the City oi Bro,b..
lv Love. Nine out OF ton OF the ruruloti,.
men. women and children through IN,
with chip on their shoulder II docsnt 90
to make much difference how the shoullor T.,
clad; the chip Teposes there Just tho samo
Maybe people are so careful Of this cbo,
ished chip that they took 1t in out Of the coia
Just for safekeering. II was gone. ,t an.
rate. during the freeze and tho blizzard ma
people warmed no in pretty exact ratio TO m.
way the thermometer went down 4 oo,,
some stranger confded to the reporter on
Madison avenue car one day that hc bad hao1
In New York six weeks and nobody had smiloi
at him or said an unnecessary word TO him
until the cold snap came. Being from, IN,
West, he didn't mind cold ears and tocs "a
much as freezing Hlances so ho was prayir.
for enough billiards. to confirm New lorl',
sudden burst OF good nature into an est,h.
lshed habit
The new cheerfulness was rerhars NOR.
conspicuous in the ears than any rlauc crsa
Generally n crowded car carries more bro.
miscuous cussedness to the square inch than
you can find in any other vehicle On wheels
Women glare at men because the men huyc.oa.,
and men glare at women because the womenare
unpleasant enough not to have seats. hui tobs
standing around causing IA general feeling y,
uneasy discomfort. PEOPLE grow II the, ara
pushed and pulled and hauled hy unf,rtv.
mates who are making difficult cntlHaros or
exits. II looks could kill, an undertake,
should ride on every car Even those two IA.
miliar pearls Of couductora thought "Stgp
lively!" and step forward in tl,c ,.r do
not rouse people 10 anything but wrath
But all this was changed 10y the junr warmth
of social intercourse during the trcr.c. The
reporter got on Broadw car on" Afternoon.
bound for Fifty-eighth street OF the t,9rGto
come. he wasn't sure which. Briu2 rather
more than half frozen he was inclined I,
think that he might be entirely aud literally
frozen out of this.world before he coEll get TO
the end of the line. Tho car was ahsouey
the most crowded carsiEsiLc that ho had
ever seen. The platforms were emmy II
any rash beings had attempted to ride there,
they had promptly been frozen still and had
dropped off unnoticed. When the reporter cot
on he was met by the conductor.
step Lively" said the conductor. a, Ia
pulled the reporter aboard. Instantly a man
Just inside OF the door grabbed the report .- by
the arm. not unGentlv. and pulled hin, inside,
calling loudly a. he did so.
step nvely!n
Step lively" sang out the mon near the
door. and the exclamation was fired OF in a
everybody Laughed. The reporter was as.
sured bv the man who seemed 10 be master
wearing himself nut saying ,.sten lye',." and
that they were hein"g him. Tn" reporter was
sure that d not an9ThsT IN, q, & s@uat East RI ny
into that EAR. but at the very next crtn n'r IL
Now. then. all together" called the nI1ster
of ccremOni ies. and III one s.ento;an shol, The
''Step liveiy!."
palled. looking creature never kent he? Pop.
ping eyes within their sockets. rnr mater
doors. had opened them gn!.antly though they
raked perilously III. buttons with Which his
orercoat was all huttoncd up before.
Plenty Uf room. madam. Plenty % room"
hl The e Toman Ean smIe L shc too 4a taSen The
took the keennes. out Of the icy drau:ht mat
came with her when she luce2ed in AMI
so it went. Clothes were pulled and torn rc.t
were tramped on ami feathers and silk hats
demoralized. but the progress Of the co. G..
came n hilarious ride; from which l'eop,a re.
1arted with evident reluctance.
All through the cold weather this uuusua
spirit of good fellowship prevailed Onc pi,.
ter cold day group of wretchcl transferred
passengers were waiting Mt Fiftv-nlnth street
and seventh avenue for Il Broadway car. There
wasn't one in sight, and the unhaupv trans
iers if were e. huddled behind every little nrolcc.
get out of the wind. There was even Il small tov
behind the ash cart. three wei .dressc! youH.
women stood in the saloon doorway. Will" at
least six or eight women were dancing nv and
down in the lee of the riding acalemy's storm
door. One of this group acted as lookout and
would peep around the corner To see Tha' the
prospect was OF a cars coming. Nonody
seemed to know.anybody else. but all we're get
Finally they dubbed the lookout sister Ann"
And what seest thou now; Sister Ann da-
manded one of them rs the lookout stuck her
head once more around the corner,
- Naught hut the fying snow tossed hv the
wind. SAID the lookout. with very long II in
How now. Sister Ann?'. at the next peep.
rs there no help in sight?'
We'll. I'm not quite sure" remarked sister
Ann through her chatterng teeth There's
a woman behind the other storm door who
Tn2s m2S TeSnG aT f !9 ne hef r. S Sne %2ks ike
All the teeth chartered amablv in recogni.
tion 81 this feeble attempt at ia 'etiousncas and
car wa? coming. and the women Joined hands
and dId an lmpromptu breakdown. Ii would
be interesting e rest to see the faces OF those wo,
days are milder and hearts are colder.
fascinating occupation lately has been
before mentioning II. IL Is not generally con-
sdered the acme of good form to sniflIe;. But
in times like these the population has discov.
cred that sniifie it must even at the risk OF ito
reputation for manners. Consequently III"
variety OF facial contortions than any one
would believe did he not see for himself As
before said. it was most fascinating thing 10
watch these snifies and to hear them. too.
There was the tImid. deprecatory sniine a
palpable makeshift-a mere putting of uf ths
EVIL moment when the sniifler would have -
do the thing in earnest. And there was the
UNCONSCIOUS snitiie: almost AS regular
breathing and quite as involuntary: the CON:
prehensive sniffle, after which n man would
settle back with the air of having got the
worth OF his money: the bass smile. taking
place in some hidden and myste tious passage:
the naive snihle--nothlng hidden or mys'cr:
GUS about that: the genteel sniftie. robbed ~
its publicity by being Smothered in mutt or
kerchiet. on. their name was legion.
Legion. too. was the manner NJ them. Here
was the one which consisted of two or three
little twitches OF the breath into the nostrls.
There was the me e5senger boy who opened his
mouth when he SMILED and always finished
up in way which made it quite possible for
him 70 say and thereunto have ! set my
hand" 1t was always the back Of his hand.
There were the people who furrowe1 tn"ir
foreheads when they SMILED; and those who
wlnked their eyes: and those who thrust ont
their chins; land those who seemed 10 smIls
10 was very curious.
Every time two or three people got TO-
Eether during the cold SNAP they began re-
lating thsir experiences. In one group which
was busy with the weather "a man told that he
had been smoking cigar the street that
day. and that. whenever he put il back into