The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-24
suRLEsouE OF NEW YORK.

| L.
Pardon me. My hearing is a bit to th'
ead-I don't think l quite caught th
| name
Gentle Reader-Ah. Very glad to know
you, indeed.
Yes. 1 am visiting in New York FOL
the benefit OF my health. l have sui
| feFed for ages with bad attacks OF nerv
Gus exaggeration. / am also troubled
| very often by severe paipitation of III,
prevarieation, disease which break:
out among the vocal chords and cause:
the temperature of my remarks to g.
| above normal, but otherwise my health
is very good, thank you kindly.
In my own land l have often heard
| lately returned travellers speak of tht
| poiiteness which prevails SO generally
| among the patrons OF the street cars in
| New York, so l determined to see fol
myself this delightful phase OF city life
| Accordingly, bright and early yesterday
morning L started out
As the car came TO q full stop in re-
! spouse TO my signal the motorman greet
| ed me with a CHEEKY Good morning.,
and the conductor bowed politely. The
| conductor then ushered me into the III
! terror of the car where he again bowed
| politely, and removing his cap carefully
| busted the cushion seat so that l could
| recline with perfect comfort.
/ / was very much surprised to notice
| three fine looking young men standing up
and holding tightly on to the straps,
| which during the rush hours represent
as much as ten and fifteen cents each.
My surprise was due to the fact that the
| car was empty, with the exception of
myself, and there were seats all around
| them.
Somewhat puzzled. / sought enlighten-
inent from my friend, the conductor.
'Prithee," | said, Why do these young
| men stand up so laboriously when there
are seats all around them?'
In merry sooth," quoth the conductor,
these three young men are of the ultra
polite class. a fear turks in the bosom
Of each that possibly at the next corner
some ladies may get on the car, and in
order that the ladies may not be put to
the slightest inconvenience, these young
men stand up in sweet anticipation. Is
it not a lovely trait of character"
Before l could answer him the car
came 20 a sudden stop with an easy,
graceful. gentle, rollicking motion, that
made the young men swing from the
straps like a series of wet handkerchiefs
clinging to a clothesline in a gale of
wind and a large number of people en-
tered the car.
Without the slightest confusion, this
large number of people SAT down In the
smallest possible space, and. after get
ting their nickels in readiness for the
conductor, they proceeded TO study and
enjoy the delightfully."- interesting reading
matter which the company thoughtfully
places above the windows of their cars
for the benefit of the passengers.
This reading matter, | am told, Is care
fully selected with a view to educating
the public in the arts and sciences. al
though / must confess that some Of IL
was Greek TO me.
For instance, one large sign contained
those words
All, wad the gods the giftie gle us,
To see oursels as ithers see us!'
Then TO his breakfast dish he turns
And eats Hot Oats, does Bobby Burns"
Adjoining this placard was another an
nouncement. reading
'Oswego Oil is very good for Burns"
Does this mean that if one is fond OF
the poet Burns one should rub ones fond
ness with Oswego Oil in order to effect
cure, or does it mean that Oswego OIL
will cure the throat after an attack of
Scotch dialect?
Truly, to a stranger in n strange land
this literature a la transit is indeed
mystifying.
At the next corner the car stopped
gracefully again and seventeen men, wO-
men and children came in with perfect
decorum. By this time all the seats were
yet INFESTED, for. according TO statistics
on the subject, which l have read care
fully and with interest, the average
street car has room for Il, s9S. 456. 1853 peo-
pie, with always plenty room up 'front.'
AS the car stopped from time to time
to take on more passengers l was sur
prised and pleased to note the alacrity
with which the men jumped to their feet
falling over each other in their wild
haste TO be Ihe first to give the ladies' q
seat.
My attention was also directed TO sew
eral little children, who. with their nurse.
were among the first to get on the car.
These little children sat contentedly,
each upon each others lap. four of them
taking up but the space Of one. and muir
muring not. They evinced no desire to
get on their knees and view the scenery
from the window. meanwhile carefully
brushing the mud off their little shoes
through the medium of the gentlemans
trousers who stood near them.
When the conductor rang up some one
hundred and nineteen fares. looked
carefully about the car and was delighted
to see the pleasant expressions on the
faces of the multitude present. Every
body seemed TO be enjoying his or herself
immensely. When a gentleman whom
fate had located in the far end of the car
desired TO get off there was no confusion.
All was perfect order. Ones feet were "a
safe and as comfortable as they would
be at home in slippers.
Taken altogether, the experience was
highly exhilarating. and I shall always
cherish the memory thereof. for. az I
have since learned. one doesn't often get
n chance TO avail ones self of n ride in n
deusely crowded car IN New York City.
Geo. Hobart, in y. Y. Herald.