The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-22
Street Railway Claim Station
Articles
inc them suspiciously. as if to say. ct like
your nerve -

inc them suspiciously. if to say. ct like
your nerve @
A market basket was brought to one of
the stations not long ago which had a COM
ical experimental least to every one except
the owner-who, upon the discovery that it
was empty, flew into a mighty rage and
tore around the station threatening to bring
legal proceedings against the company and
in addition to thrash certain conductor
until he was blue In the face. 1t was dur
ing. the last week thatsthe open cars were
run that the incident occurred. 1t seems
that the gentleman who belonged to the
basket-or the other way, If you Ake-had
made a special trip to market and pur-
chased half bushel Of large. red apples
He boarded the open car we'll down town
and fixed himself comfortably on the seat
next to the screen the off-side of the
car, with his basket Of apples between his
feet, The car filled up with passengers and
when il arrived at his street it was a math-
ematical problem almost for him to squeeze
himself out along the seat-not to mention
the half bushel Of apples. A happy thought
suddenly struck him and he straightway
formed a compact with his next-seat neigh
Dor, whereby as soon as he should get him
self out of the car he would hurry around
and the neighbor would hand the basket
out to him under the screen. No sooner
had the quick-witted gentleman stepped
from the running board than the quick
armed conductor rang the bell and the car
pulled away before the man from market
could find his voice. Conductors are used
to singing remarks sent after them from
passengers, so no hand stayed the progress
of the car. The neighbor in whose care the
apples had been left looked about guilty.
Some one remarked that the apples looked
good. That ended it. The neighbor said he
would see and he did. The juice fairly sz-
zled about his lips as he sank his teeth into
one of the red cheeks and the rich cider
smell became so keen that a man next to
the neighbor said "go to- to his conscience
and reached over and picked out the next
biggest apple. In few minutes the con-
sciences of every person on the car had
'"gone to- and every one of the fifty people
on the car. including the motorman and
conductor, were munching juicy red apples.
The basket, empty and bare, reached the
claim station.
There are many things left on the street
cars that people would think it impossible to
lose. Imagine losing your girl on the street
car-deliberately forgetting her. 1t seems
preposterous, but conductor on the East
Washington-street line says it was done.
The young fellow boarded the car with his
girl-it surely wasn't his best girl-and sent
her inside while he stood onsthe rear plat
form and finished his cigar. 1t must have
been very bad one, for when the car came
to his street. he calmly stepped off and
turned homeward. The girl patiently rode
on, thinking. no doubt. that her gallant was
on the rear platform and would tell her
when they arrived at the right street How
ever, when the car turned the curve at Cen
trail avenue, in Irvington, she sprang up
Mortified. All the conductor knew was that
nobody was on the rear platform and he
hadn't the least idea what had become OF
her beau. The girl had no money, so he was
stuck for her fare back to where her sweet
heart was. He was waiting there In an
awful stew with string of apologies that
would reach around the monument.
According to the conductors, young men
who ride on the street cars keep an eagle
eye out for handkerchiefs dropped by pretty
young girls, for 1t is an excuse for an ac-
quaintance-consequent few violet per-
fumed, ACCOMMODATED handkerchiefs
reach the claim stations. Conductors be-
come pretty well acquainted with their pas
sengers just by their actions on the street
cars. They can always point out the per-
sons of absent minds, either by the things
they leave on the car OF the number of times
they ride past their streets Many people,
one conductor said, cannot help leaving ar
ticles on the cars and take precautions
against 1t. The story is told of one old man
who has always with him an abundant
supply of stickers bearing his name and
address. Whenever he rides on the car he
Immediately attaches a stieker to all his
possessions-himself included, no doubt
Everything that il purchased down town Is