New-York tribune., 1900-11-25
ON THE TED TRAINS.
SCENES CAUSED BY THE SCRAMBLES TO
GET CROSS SEATS

The scramble for seats the elevated trains
leads to many amusing situations To begin with.
there are only four seats in each car where most
people want 10 ride These the four cross seats
facing the engine The great superiority of these
seats over all others is first, the occupant
looks the way he is going; second the seat is a
good broad one il he occupies II alone, which he
generally does as long he can. BY sitting plumb
in the middle OF il: and third, there Is seat FAC
ing him which is generally empty If the train Is not
crowded because person sitting there must rioe
backward and there, in consequence. IL the travel
Ter be man. he has a restfu prop for MS legs. or
II a woman a convenient depository for babies,
bundles both.
The contest for of these seats Is especially
exciting when three of them are occupied suppose
a back seat is vacant. Several persons rush in
simultaneously at each door. For the hrst man In
the front door the distance the coveted goal
is about four feet further than for the first man
in at the door. If the front door man is un-
usually active he may sometimes be able to beat
his rival, the door Often the race re-
suits in a tie and each tries to sit down In the
others lap. AS is generally the case. however, the
door gets in just ahead. throws himself
headlong into the seat leaving his heated and
Inundated antagonist to take the seat opposite,
where he must ride backward.
The man who is vanquished in such struggle. of
course. appears TO give the impression that the
undesirable he is In is just the one he would
have chosen under any conditions He spreads
out his newspaper and tries to bury himself in
article His more fortunate neighbor across
the way occasionally gances at him sympatheti-
cally. smiles to himself. looks out the window
and then back at his paper again
But MS beaten adversary is not asleep II he may
ton; the man in the rear cross seat the other
side Of the aisle is picking up his papers prepare
begins to slack up. the man gets up. and In a
fash the defeated front door man leaps into
He may have just thanked himself for his alert
ness when man escorting two women enters the
front door has at last seated himself in com
n O
Shall we sit here, mother?' exclams the young
can't rde rs says mothsr queruous
1T always makes me sick at my stomach"
front Door who out 6 h oe the
isn't he rude?" whispers the daughter then in
she adds. Mother you sit here" pointing to the
seat In which is the front door man. and papa and
The attention of the whole car has now been at
the front door man How can he retreat after What
ne has experienced in getting that seat? The
curve, and thus spreads the rustlng folds OF her
dress all over the front door Stifed, and
struggles to his feet bows deeply to the
women as if he would not stop short of any sac
back into the next car: where he may be freed
IN consequence of such scenes many have asked
Why the cars are not supplied entirely with cross
seats may face front as in the ordinary railroad
coach Such a plan, however, is said by Manhat
on the ground that too much delay would be
casioned in people getting on and off at the sta
seats are not made reversible so as TO provide
eight comfortable double seats, instead OF four.
shown by most men in stretching out their feet on
tive sn the the oTE rhy no p9s ay
only that 1T would cause the trainmen incon-
when the trains out in the opposite di-
rection. But. surely passengers would be only too
comfort.