New-York tribune., 1899-07-30
THE COMMUTERS PLACE.
A RECENT EDICT THAT INTERPRETERS
WITH HIS GAME ON THE TRAIN.
THE SOCIAL RELATIONS OF MEN COMMUTERS
A CONTRAST WITH THE WOMEN.

THE SOCIAL RELATIONS OF MEN COMMUTERS
CONTRAST WITH THE WOMEN.
The commuter has for years been a source Of
revenue to the writer Of humorous stories and
the maker Of funny pictures, and his place in
the same class with the mOther-n-law the
young housekeeper and many species Of impos-
sible foreigners seems to be secure. But the
commuter goes and comes and commutes, de-
spite the fun that is poked at him. and. on the
whole. he thinks that his lot is not altogether
an unhappy one.
The recent edict OF Of the railroads lead
ing out of New-York, by which the brakemen
and baggagemen were forbidden to allow com
muters to sit in the baggage car and to supply
them with playing cards, caused some comment
in the fraternity Of commuters, who thought
this order useless and tyrannical A veteran
train catcher said: The man who goes TO the
station and buys a ticket. and then takes
seat in a car where he remains until he reaches
his station cannot appreciate why the order
should be looked upon as distasteful. To see
the matter in its real light one must be a COM
muter The cars on which travel are more
to us than cars. Every commuter enters the
car as he would a room in his own house. with
an air of proprietorshp for which his commuta-
ton card is his license Looking upon it as his
home. he feels called upon To be a host and he
is one. and does his share toward making his
fellow occupants Of the house on wheels com
Portable.
WHERE NOBODY KICKS.
Nobody who is thoroughly versed in the
ethics Of committing ever kicks on a suburban
train-not even when the train is late or un-
comfortable. They take things as they come
and look pleasant. We always know just whom
We shall meet at the station and who viii be
on board the train when get on. and who
Will join the crowd at stations further on. and
II We don't know the 10y name We DO 'Dy
sight and would not hesitate To address any
Of them without the fOrmaIty Of an inuoduc-
ton In fact the commuter looks upon the
smoking ear in which he comes to town daily
as his exclusive club.
Now for years it has been custom To set
aside certain seats for men who play cards on
the way to and from town. and the commuter
knows that when seat Is turned % face an
other and i lapboard is laid across them that
he has no right 10 sit there unless he wishes ~
play cards l have known men 10 stand IN the
aisle and not complain when there was a seat
vacant which was being reserved for tn fourth
man in a game These card parties have al
ways been a source of gain 20 the trainmen,
board and the cards. The custom is for each
PLAYER 10 leave = cents for the brakeman. and
this makes quite a l.ttle income for the man.
No man wants u carry deck Of cards down
town with him. and playing board is much
more convenient than us ls suit case or
newspaper, and the nominal sum IS paid will
ingly by the card playing commuters.
THE BAGGAGE MASTERS REVENUE
Then there IS the baggage car source Of reye-
nue. to the baggage master. Th.s comes from
renting camp chairs to passengers who prefer
TO sit there rather than in the cars. There Is
rarely much baggage on the early trips to New
York and many men like to sit near the broad
onening in the side Of the car and smoke and
chat or read and to accommodate such people
the baggage master carries number Of chairs
Which he rents at ~ cents trip. But the
company evidently thought the practice wrong
and that part Of the baggage masters income
has been cut off. and the commuters VIII nave
TO smoke in the regular smoking cars. ana be
satisfied with an open window Instead Of an
open door
The commuters who travel in the regular
coaches do not develop the club feeling as
strongly as the patrons Of the smoking cars
and to them the card playing and gossiplhg III
the baggage car are unknown, and they % Eot
understand why the commuter is being deprived
of some of his cherished comforts when the
Drakemen and baggagemen are compelled TO
give up their places as employees of the club
one Of the pecuLariti,s Of the system as sen
by the man who patronizes the ordinary day
coach is that the women commuters know one
another just as the men 90, but the bars which
are let down as far as the men are concerned
who ride in the smoking cars remain up ana
securely fastened as TO the women. When
woman appears in a new gown her sister COM