Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-02-07
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= So, e5Is Il
: THE MOTORMAN I
= Observations from the Front Platform on the Ways of Women 8
s. Who Patonhse Electric Cars 8
3 Copyright 1875 By CHARLES 3. LEWIS :,
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SSGvTyHt 1910
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II used to believe in all this talk
about women being next door to an
GELS" said the motorman, as he checked
up for a sand wagon to pass ahead of
him, "but I had it all knocked out of
me In three months after 1 took a car.
They may be good enough angels
around home, but I'm tellin' you that
the average woman, when out on the
street, is the biggest kicker on the face
of the earth, and has the least respect
for other peoples feelings. She also
shows less average intelligence about
street cars than the boy seven years
old"
He sounded the gong at a side street,
shook his fist at a boy rolling q hoop
in the street, and continued:
"This car line is 20 years old. It runs
straight across town. There is a sign
on every car. 1t is not the Green Ave
nue., Park Avenue, Tenth Street OF
Union Depot line. It doesn't go to the
post office, the Academy of Music, the
Geological Gardens, or the Museum of
Natural History. Every car which does
go to those places has a sign on it.
Now, then, after explaining all this,
how many women do you suppose
board this car daily under a mistake? ?"
Give, perhaps" 1 said.
"Over 90, sir. There are AZ cars on
the line, and it is safe to put the num-
Der of women who get on the wrong
car at 200 every day. Why do they
do it? Because the average woman
goes sloshing around, thinking of any
thing but where she wants to go, and
she wouldn't read a sign board IT 1t
was held under her nose. There's a
woman right at the door who got on
two blocks before you did. I'll bet a
dollar to a cent she wanted to go up
Fourth avenue. She's lookin' into va
cancy 10 and thinkin' about a sale
of gloves for 80 cents, but We'll soon
hear from her"
He was right. AT the next corner the
woman began to look around in a puz-
zled way and suddenly sprang up and
called to the conductor:
Hi there-stop the car! This Is not
Fourth avenue!"
"No, ma'am, it isn't" was the reply.
"Then why did you take me on this
car? You know very well / wanted
Fourth avenue. I'll go to the office
about this!"
"That's the STYLE" said the motor
man after she had descended and given
the conductor a contemptuous look.
"She stood on the crossing and took the
first car which came along, trustin' to
the Lord, as 1T were, that. it would be
the right one. Then she blames the
conductor because she was wrong. 1t
happens so often that I sometimes
wonder how the average woman ever
gets down town and back again with
out a guardian. There's the bell for
that woman in weeds to get off, and you
just watch the programmed"
The widow rose and moved halfway
down the car. There she stopped to
shake hands with an acquaintance, and
to explain that she was getting ready
to go to California. After 40 seconds
the conductor called out to her t. step
lively. She made two lively steps, and
then stopped to shake hands with an
other woman, and ask her if she went
to Albany the week before and how she
liked the town. Thirty-six passengers
were detained nearly two minutes, and
then the widow tossed her head and
sauntered slowly out.
"If she didn't know anybody on the
car she'd drop a hairpin and spend
two minutes lookin' forit," laughed the
motorman.
There's a score like her who think
this line is run for their benefit. Now,
then, we are in for a row. That old
lady on the corne always picks a fuss"
SIS this the Green avenue carp
queried the woman, as we came to a
stop.
Not to-day, ma'am," was the an
swer.
"Then why didn't you say so at
irst!"
"You didn't give me time, ma'am, and
as you've lived on this line for ten
years I supposed you knew it wasn't"
you've no business to suppose" ex-
claimed the woman as she slowly adj
vanced. Don't make any difference
how long I've lived here; ] au not
obliged to burden my mind with the
different street car lines. Conductor,
why don't you help me up the step!"
The conductor assisted her up and
she fell into a seat with a sort of
groan. When the car had gone two
blocks he came for her fare, but as he
held out his hand she said:
"Why don't you carry a sign OF this
car that it is not the Green Avenue
line 2"
"We do, ma'am."
"But l didn't see it. You have no
right to mix people up the way you do,
l shall get off down here, and l shan't
pay no fare for this little ride!"
"Pve seen that performance fifty diff.
ferent times" said the motorman, as
he went ahead. 81 have often wondered
whether she ever got the Green avenue
car or not. I think not. I think she
simply wants to kick about something
This woman waiting on the wrong
crossing is the one we call 'Girly.' She's
fifty years old, but she'll try to show of
like a girl of twenty. If she could do il
and not waste our time it would De all
right. but now you watch how things
GO"
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