Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-17
DOGS WERE BARRED
so THIS ONE WAS NOT ALLOWED
TO RIDE.
Showing What a Little Thing Will
Draw a Crowd on
Busy Street.

A vivid illustration was given the other
afternoon on 7th street of the trifilng
things which are sometimes sufficient to
attract crowds in large cities. 1t was
during the usual rush of bargain day.
which every woman of Washington knows
is Friday, and small procession of busy
women shoppers was hurrying in and out
of one of the department stores. One OF
the women laden with bundles, made her
way toward New York avenue with the
evident intention of catching the car which
was rapidly approaching the corner. when
she observed a large crowd and paused at
it's edge to make observations and deter
mine the best way by which she might
make a flying entry and preserve intact the
bundles in her arms. The space between
the intersecting streets was pretty well
filed with people, and more were peihg
every minute added to the throng until IL
soon had reached immense proportions:
People hurryng up 1th street all stopped
to wonder what was the trouble ana TO IN
auire Of every other person until the sloe-
walks and the streets alike were damned
with humanity.
Presently car came along New YORK
avenue and stopped near the intersecting
cross street Hundreds of eyes were TO-
cUsed on the conductor, who simply shook
his head to some one in the crowd. Jerked
the bell cord and the car went ahead All
this time the interested woman grew more
So but as vet had not put her interest into
the form of Il question. In minute or SO
along came another car. 1t stopped, pul
with the same result as to whatever was
calling the attention of the conductor, who
also shook his head and pulled the rope.
The woman now determined that some
thing serious was the matter, made her
| way slowly. and with many Jolt. through
the crowd to point where she thought she
might be able to what was going on.
Near her stood a neatly dressed young
man of whom she ventured to ask II ne
knew the cause of the trouble, If trouble
| there was He did not. and furthermore
informed her that he had himself been ask
ing for ten minutes about it and had found
no one no knew what II was.
Maybe they've run over some one," she
said.
NO I guess not" he replied, smiling. IF
they had thered have been a policeman
here before now. I've been here some time
and every car that stops does the same
thing-that is, l mean the conductor shakes
! his head and rings the bell to go ahead
ooh, dear; l wish l were a man so l
could look over their heads and see for my
self" she sighed, and just then a jostling
Of the crowd carried her toward the curb
and she lost sight of the man who knew
no more of it than she did.
She tried to peer above the heads of the
crowd and at the same time around the
corner of the building in front of which the
swirling maelstrom was surging. So great
had the crowd by that time become that
motormen We're having all they could do TO
direct their cars through it without injur-
ing the inquisitive ones. 1t was getting Sc
rious for the little woman and she deter
mined that she would get through that
crowd if she broke her arms and lost her
bundles doing it. Home she had to go, and
that right soon. crowd or no crowd, and
with this resolution firm in her mind she
began to wedge her way slowly forward
Had she been a man she would not have
gone far but her diminutive size and her
sex were both in her favor, and after much
tussling with refractory fellow citizens she
finally emerged from the mass within three
feet of the cause of all the trouble. And
what did she find had occasioned all that
excitement, all that noise, all the hubbub
and the many frantic signals of every con-
ductor whose car mad passed that point
since she had been there?
Merely little old woman, with a little
old dog wrapped in her cape, his ugly head
peeking out at the crowd with an occa-
must surely have been injured in some
! manner she inquired kindly what was the
matter.
old woman. II live long way from here,
miss and none of these conductors will let
me on a car with my dog. They say It's
against the rules to let a-body carry dogs
ON the cars. But what am l to do?
can't walk all the way home, and goodness
knows the poor little fellow won't hurt any
body"
The sympathy or the weary little shopper
was by this time keenly, aroused, but just
then an eastbound car came along. which
| suddenly awakened in her the realization
that she must catch that particular car
or else be late for dinner-an unheard-of
| thing during her three short years Of mar
ried life AS she hailed the conductor he
| pulled the bell and the ear stopped. AS
she got aboard the little old woman and
| the little old dog followed closely behind.
| but this conductor too, was on the alert
| and he quietly, but firmly, barred the way
| of the unwelcome passengers. The car
| sped down New York avenue. Evidently
having seen her talking TO the woman with
| the dog the conductor, as he collected her
| fare smilingly sald
I'm sorry, ma am, but you see it's against
| the rules OF the company to lei folks on
| the car with dogs unless they've got the.
necessary permit from the Office"
| The tired shopper perhaps did not hear
| him. or maybe she was thinking of her
| husbands late dinner, at any rate she only
smiled YEARLY and glanced out of the
| car, then at her watch. She had been at
| i,,Sf min,