Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-02-24
THE MAN AND THE WOMAN IN THE CAR.

4, a contest with a man who had annoy
ed the passengers in a crowded car by
squirting tobacco juice all over the
floor so that in a short time he had
quite a little pond in front of him.
The woman stood it as long as she
could and finally leaned across and ask
ed politely:
do you see that sign in front OF
you? What you are doing is against
the law"
He made no reply. In a few mo-
ments he expectorated again. She call
ed the conductor, who came slowly
and unwillingly, evidently seeming
trouble.
twill you kindly read that sign to
| this gentleman? He does not seem to
! know how to read, else he would not
I continue what is absolutely forbidden
and very unpleasant to every woman
in the car"
The conductor mildly expostulated
with the offender, who made no reply.
Then he meandered to the back plat
form. with the consciousness Of a nan
who had done his duty. At the next
corner the man rose, and as he started
for the door, fired this parting shot:
you're one of those damned new
| women who are going around trying
to reform the world"
If a had said it, every man
would have exclaimed: How like a
woman!" AS it was, the men all smil-
ed and the ONE all glared.
What excuse is there for a man
boarding a car with a lighted cigar in
his fingers? This is strictly forbid
den, yet the conductors all turn their
heads and are busily engaged attend
ing to something else besides the Of
fender. Can anything be more annoy
ing than to have that cigar shoulder,
filling your lungs with the fumes Of a
cheap five cent cigar? How long do
you suppose a woman would be allow
ed to annoy everyone around her like
that before the public would be jump
ing all over her.
The smoking and expectorating nui-
n is nothing in winter compared to
what it is in summer, when the open
cars are put on. The four gack seats
of a car going down town are the four
front seats of that same cars going up
town.
Any woman of sense knows that she
is almost certain to be less banged and
crowded and stands a better chance of
having no one standing up in front
of her by taking one of the double
seats in the front of the car.
Getting into these open cars at the
South Ferry is a trial to any woman.
The floor is covered with tobacco Juice,
cigar ashes and stumps. How can a
woman keep her skirts clean when she
is Obliged to sit in such a place? And
what is she to do?
l have seen men board a car and row
the conductor about the condition OF
the floor. What good does it do? What
can the conductors do? The man must
have some place to smoke. ditto to ex-
p~ectorate, ditto to throw their ashes.
1t is a free country, therefore the COM
pany cannot make laws which would
force men to be gentlemen.
So I suppose We must go on bearing
the discomfortS until some day the
community at large will wake up to
the fact that those expectorated and
ash bestrewn floors are microbe breed
ers. Then some action will be taken.
What woman cannot tell you of the
agony she has suffered from the over
crowding of some man next to her.
He generally fills his pockets with
papers. He always lifts up his coat
tails before he sits down. The extra
bulk of heavy cloth and newspapers
take up extra space. he generally sits