Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-02-24
BY Mrs. e. M. Cherman.

by mIS. d. WI. SHeIIldH.
Much has ben written about the wo-
man, the conductor and the pennies,
but little about the idiosyncrasies OF
the man in the car" it has become
SO much the habit of the general public
to look for the foolish things women
do, even If they are obliged to use a
magnifying glass for the purpose, that
the male offenders have been passed
by.
This constantly finding something
ridiculous that women are doing, or
have done, is rather a backhanded
compliment to us, for If we were not
of SO much Importance the people
would not worry over us as they do.
So far we have borne the brunt of
all the misdeeds in the street cars. 1t
seems about time now to turn and say
to the men who are guying us do
not throw stones. Before you start in
to try to cure women of the very wo-
manly timidity the supposed loss of
which you are all bewailing so loudly,
suppose you institute a crusade for
teaching your brothers the common
rules of politeness."
Who is it crowds the back platforms
so that during the morning and even
ing hours it is almost an impossibility
for a man or a woman to board a ear?
Who is it makes it so difficult for a
woman to leave a car during those
hours? Is it the women who stand
crowded together ON the steps, SO that
1t is not only a dangerous but a very
unpleasant matter for any self-respect-
ing woman to be obliged to squeeze
through this solid wall of men?
1t is said that a woman leaves a car
awkwardly. In many cases the blame
for this originates with the men. You
will ask why? Simply because men
have grown to consider it more manly
to jump off a car while it is in motion.
In consequence, the conductor becomes
impatient and irritable when he is
when he is Obliged to hold the car long
enough to permit a woman to get off.
Therefore, the poor woman knows she
is expected to hurry. She becomes
flustered and gets off any old way, SO
long as she finally gets off. She has
no time to think of right or left hands.
or facing front or rear.
How many times have you seen a
man, interested in his paper, oblivious
of where he is going. look up sudden
iy, discover he has just reached his
destination or been carried beyond it,
jump up and push through the al? If
1t is crowded he tramples on women's
gowns, grabs the straps to steady him
self, treads or mems corns, pokes his
elbows into ~everyone's ribs, knocks off
hats, never says pardon" and, finally
reaching the platform steps off.
He rushes to his appointment with
out an idea that he has been rude.
That never strikes him. He has an en-
gagement-he must get there. What
ever stood in the way of his keeping
1t must go.
What can be worse than the expec-
forating habit? The strangest part of
this nuisance is that it is not confined
to poorly dressed or common men.
Men whom you would suppose to be ac-
customed to all the n~iceties of life will
e~xpectorate In a car, regardless of
whether a woman's handsome gown
suffers or not.
The sign placed in all the cars by
the Board of Health is ignored. have
heard men argue that there is no au-
thority which can enforce that order.
IT men would only take up cudgels for
ome in this respect the splitting
would soon be a thing of the past.
A member of the Woman's Health
Protective Association not long ago had