The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-06
KISSING AT THE STATION.
Some Interesting Statistics Compiled
by Hoosier Genius.
From the Indianapolis Press.

From the indianapolis Press
An individual who is very prosaic
was standing in the Union Station re-
Gently watching the crowds going into
and emerging from the train shed. He
saw a young man alight from a train
and rush forward to embrace rela-
tive who was there to meet him. He
saw many other affectionate meetings
and partings annong all kinds Of people
and the unromantic individuals love
for mathematical calculations got the
better of him and he began figuring.
His preliminary step was to consult
a time table. He found that 154 pas
senger trains come into or leave the
Union Station on week days and Sc
on Sunday. He estimated that there
are at least 365 special trains every
year. His observation led him to be-
leve that there are on an average of
four acts of osculation performed ev-
cry time a train comes into or leaves
the station. The data were therefore
plentiful the only thing that remained
was to perform a few mathematical
operations. The result of the calcula-
tons led him to the belief that there
are 2.156 kisses bestowed in the Union
Station every year. The record for
week days is 192,SOS, for Sundays 17.SSS
and for the special trains 1,46O. The
average for the number of kisses a
train may be too low. The results
prove that for the number of kisses to
the square foot the indianapolis Union
station has few equals and still fewer
superiors. The places that go ahead
of it must furnish more partings per
annum, that Is all.
OF the 212, ,106 cases of kissing prob
ably 1t is safe to say that in $4,000
of them either one or both partners to
the transaction are women. Once in a
long while two men are seen to kiss
each other. When such thing occurs
fully one hundred people with elastic
necks look and grin. The other day a
young soldier, who evidently was re-
turning home from the wars, alighted
from a train, He hurried along the
platform and the onlookers had visions
of his rushing into the arms of some
fair girl who had stayed at home and
sighed for her soldier lover There
could not be much doubt about it, for
he was handsome and had the appear
ance Of being we'll groomed few
long strides brough him up to a man
who was taller and almost hundred
pounds heavier than the soldier. Some
of the spectators had to take hold of
each other when they saw the ensuing
scene. The two men rushed into each
Others arms and kissed each other
with apparently all the feeling of two
school girls. Similar cases happen oc-
casionslly but 1t Is not safe to esti-
mate their yearly number at above 156,
Sometimes 1t happens that a family
party goes to the station to see some
one off. The group moves toward the
gates as the time approaches for de-
parture. The traveller begins to take
her leave-women are always the stars
in such performances--and proceeds to
kiss the whole outfit. Round the cir
Gle she goes. big and little stepping
forward in turn TO be "Hobsonized.'
Some of the bystanders are indifferent
to the drama, others look amused,
while the ticket puncher at he gate
looks very, very much tired. Again 1t
is blushing bride that osculates an
admiring crowd. She Is going away to
live. All her friends are at the station
to see her leave. Perhaps some black
matron, on whose face coal would
make light mark, takes leave Of her
friends
Scientists have written Of the dang