The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-06-29
THE SWINGING DOOR.


Wrong One.
In olden zines it was said of the
inhabitants of a certain great city
that large number of them did not
know their right hands from their
left. That was a lamentable state
of things, and to read of it awakens
an emotion of compassion in the
breasts of the men and women of
the more favored nineteenth GEN.
tury. But there is reason to believe
that right here in New York city,
as the century is drawing to close,
there are a goodly number of peo-
pie afflicted in much the same way
as were those of Nineveh in the
long ago.
The number of swinging doors in
this town is legion, and it is rule
almost without an exception that
where one swinging door is there is
another also. That is to say the law
of the fitness of things prescribes
that swinging doors go in pairs, and
this is true generally no matter
whether the doors swing in one di-
rection or in both. Now, there is
well established rule of the road in
this country. 1t is that when people
meet they should turn out to the
right If that rule is founded in
common sense, as it seems to be, it
follows that when one starts to pass
through pair of swinging doors
he should take the one on the right
hand-rather than the other.
Observation shows, however, that
there are hundreds, yea, thousands,
of men in this city who consider
this rule more honored in the breach
than the observance. Nor are men
the only offenders. Many women
are employed in Office buildings in
all parts of the city, and they, too,
often manifest lamentable igno-
rance of the principle that oneshould
keep to the right instead of the left.
Why this is thus might be an in
teresting question for the psycholo-
gist. The thing now under consid-
GRAFTON is the salient fact, which
has innumerable illustrations on ev-
cry day of the week.
1t seems easy enough to do the
right thing, as easy as the rule laid
down by Spurgeon for getting to
heaven, 'TTurn to tie right and keep
straight on. The trouble with
many people is that they persist in
turning to the left when they come
face to face with a pair of swinging
doors. A plain duty is incumbent
ON those who know what ought to
be done in such circumstances. Let
them never depart from the estab-
lished rule, never take the left hand
door, even if it is swung alluringly
open at the right moment by some
one coming in the opposite direc
tion.
That is the only path of safety.
By walking in it unswervingly
those who have learned the lesson
will be able to exert some educative
influence upon those who go astray !
as often as the opportunity pre- /
sents itself. Let the former not be
discouraged if the influence is small.
The cumulative force of the right is
and one hazards little in
saying that in time the use of the
right hand door will become univer-
sal The present generation may
not live to see the day, but those
who lend a hand in the accomplish
ment of this reform may rest as
sured that the triumph of the cause,
though long delayed, will be sure.
Keep to the right in meeting peo-
pie on the sidewalk. Above all, keep
to the right when entering build
ing or an apartment provided with
doors. New York Trib-
une.
n<r.s TT. ,.&o-