Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-30

| will do under the most favorable circum-
! stances. 1t also showed me that the owner
/ OF the watch is very methodicai man,
with a disposition that is never ruffied. He
| is punctGaiity itself, winds up his watch at
| the same hour each day, walks at about
/ the same gait and the same distance daily
| attending to his business affairs, goes to
! bed at the same hour each night and on
/ retiring leaves his watch in his waistcoat,
! hung over chair. Thus for the same num-
4 Der of hours each day the watch has rested
| in the same position Give this same time
| piece to nervous and excitable person
| who runs for and jumps off cars, whose
| habit 1t is to wind his watch retiring
| and who retires at all hours and the re-
! suit will be very different. His watch win
| simply resent such unreasonable treatment
| by showing variation of from five to ten
l seconds or more in the time 1t keeps daily.
| Another strange thing about watches is
| that they vary more or less, as the case
| may be, between Saturday and Monday
! than in an equal length of time during the
| week. for the reason that the average man
\ Is less active on Sunday than on other
| days"
Speaking of cheap restaurants" said
| gentleman who has just returned from q
| visit to London. to the writer yesterday,
| reminds me of a dining saloon in the
| Whitechapel district of London, where a
relishing and fairly substantial meal may
be had for half penny, or 1 cent In our
money. This cheap repast Is not served up
in the shape of cut from joint and two
vegetables 1t is big brown pie, very juicy
and very hot. The absence of beefsteak Is
evident when you cut the pie, but you find
| inside a liberal sprinkling Of Sleeps liver.
onions and turnips, and a plentiful supply
of gravy. For half penny extra two
slices of bread and a cup of tea are sup
piled. Between the hours of L. and the
poor and hungry from all parts of the east
end of the city flock to this dining room.
Most of the patrons are shoeblacks, penny
toy men. CoStermongerS, and now and then
young clerks whose salaries will not permit
them to indulge in a more costly dinner
X
There have been many changes in COM
| muter' railroading during the last few
years" said veteran conductor to Star
reporter. Nearly all the companies have
kept abreast of the times, the improve
ments being especially noticeable in the
service and cars furnished. Very few of
the urban population of this city know any
| thing of the care and attention given to
this class of riders, who, as you know, are
rapidly filling the outlying territory of the
| District. This feature of railroading has
assumed such extensive proportions that
there are frequent consultations between
the higher officers for the purpose of per-
feeting the service. While it is an impossi-
bility to please all the riders, it is the boast
of the companies that over 80 per cent ex-
press themselves satisfied. There are
two periods In the year, though, when tile
schedule makers feel like taking to the
woods-spring and fall. AS soon as the
commuters learn that there are going to
be changes made in the time table the let
tiers commence to pour in by the score Of
fering suggestions as to just what changes
are desired. Even the conductors and
brakemen are importuned to use their in
NTH he of jrin r -
that the Washington commuters have
national reputation among railroad people
for intelligence and reaSonableness. We
very seldom have the slightest trouble with
our riders. They are naturally quick to re-
sent any seeming neglect on the part of
the companies, and do not hesitate to ex-
press themselves At this time Of year or
principal trouble is with the so-called fresh
air riders. Some of them come into the
car and throw open the window. Then the
rider just behind them complains Of the
draught, and we are called upon to arpi-
trate We usually settle the matter by
putting down the window as It is ALWAYS
more or less dangerous to have the WIN
dow open at this time. Then there are
some who complain of the heat, yet keep
their oyercoats on. But the women folks
cause the most trouble in this respect. 1t
was only the other day a lady asked Inc to
put a window up for her 1 suggested that
1t might be Objectionable to the other pas
SengerS, and then limited that II she took
on her coat the heat might not be So o.
pressive. She insisted, and / 'inaIIy c,r,-
promised by escorting her to the rear end
OF the car and raising the window for her"
X x x X X
A Star reporter recently walking through
Scott Circle overheard the following con-
Versatfon In regard to the new Hahnemann
memorial. The speakers were two colored
men. evidently returning from their days
work.
Whats dat you say his name was"
why, L tole yo' dat was Mistah Hanna's
man-Mistah Hanna OATS so thick with
Mistah Mckinley"
Sho, didn't 'spect dat'ar".
Yes, sir, he's Nistah Hanna's fren' I
reckon Powerful man. dat Mistah Hanna
Must ha paid heap of money to fix all
dat up dar-jes TO one of his folks
The explanation seemed to be entirely
satisfactory.
X X !. X
Very few of the many men who enjoy
the fine flavor of the Egyptian cigarette
are probably aware that tobacco raising
has been prohibited by law in Egypt since
1880, said an importer of cigarettes to the
writer recently. This drastic measure
was adopted, curiously enough, to maintain
the high reputation of Egyptian cigarettes
1t was discovered about thirteen years ago
that many OF the smaller cigarette makers
were realizing large profits by mixing the
inferior tobacco of the country with Turk
lsh tobacco and selling the cigarette made
or this mixture at the usual high price
commanded by the Egyptian product 1t
mad won place among the luXuries of the
! world, but it was in danger of losing it's
pre-emnence through the deterioration of
the product. At first the government
|, sought to mitigate the evil by restricting
the acreage devoted to tobacco raising but
1t was finally decided to stop the cuItiya-
ton of the weed entirely. Today not a
pound OF tobacco is raised on the 100000
acres of land under cultivation in Egypt.
In fact there is nothing Egyptian about
} Egyptian cigarettes" except that they are
made in Egypt The tobacco all comes
from Turkey, the paper from Austria, Ger
many or Italy. and most of the labor en-
pioyed is Greek, except for the common
brands. which are consumed in Egypt and
are made by the natives. The greater part
OF the trade is conferred in Cairo where at
least o.ooo persons are dependent for their
daily bread upon this industry. OF course.
the government derives considerable reye-
| nue. from the tax it imposes upon tobacco
experts" -.
small boy living on Dupont Circle has
distinguished himself again Early In the
I1