Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-08-10
REFLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER.

The American railway system is
perhaps all things considered as good
as any other 1t has its advantages,
also its draw backs. On the whole it
is quite we'll adapted to our democratic
social life. To be sure the Jim Crow
car used in the southern states is near
akin to the COMPARTMENT car of England
and possibly IN 'he near future we
may, should the present trend toward
class distinctions continue in this
country, De provided with separate
coaches instead of class compartments
for the different social grades of our
people. The Jim Crow car is the pio-
neer and representative of a policy
which will in tiUe extend to every
part of the United States. However.
with that feature Of American railway
travel we need not trouble ourselves,
the future may safely be left to take
care of itself One of the disagreeable
things with which every traveller be-
comes familiar is the business of the
untravelled anent the car window;
generally, it is a woman, and there is
nothing strange about that either she
may be depended upon to forget that
the car builder has made ample provi
sion for all needed ventilation from
the top as far as it is possible to do so
under present conditions She enters
the car with an airy swing Of pro-
prietorship. said to be peculiar to ouI
American girls, and dropping into
seat breathes a momentary sigh of
satisfaction she Immediately throws
up the window and calls out good
bv4,' for the forty-ninth time to her
dear friend on the platform, and at the
instant lets in cloud of smoke and
dust and cinders to the great discom-
furt Of the helpless occupant OF the
seat behind her. TIE window usually
remains wide open as long as her lady
ship remains aboard the Car.
Happily the long-suffering mobile
public is promised relief, through a
new ventilating apparatus which has
just been devised by the chief OF the
board of health of the city of Brooklyn,
which it is claimed will solve the
problem of providing for the ingress
of fresh air and the egress of foul air
without subJecting the passengers to
dangerous or disagreeable drafts.
Happy man, if he can do that he will
merit and receive the benedictions of
all the rheumatic travelling public.
The brakeman had just called the
name of the next station. There is a
difference in brakemen, and there is a
difference in the way they call out the
stops. 1t is refreshing to be permitted
to ride with good sensible brakeman.
man who knows his business and is
/ not above it. who is not stuck up, who
permits you to feel that you have some
humble rights which even he should
in some degree respect. satisfied to
speak good plain English when he calls
| the names of the stations so he can be
understood. by the common people; who
does not feel that he will not be pro-
perly appreciated if he does not try to
initiate the barker at side show and
talk as though his mouth was full Of
apple seeds. Such a man we met the
other day on a Great Western train.
"If l were president of this road l
would make you a conductor and
would do it on single proposition, !"
we said to him; of course he was SUR
prised and enquired, "what for. " We
replied. lit would be because of the
manner in which you call off the names
of the stations; you pronounce them
distinctly, you speak not too fast and
you are loud enough to be heard by
everybody in the car" He thanked
me and passed on greatly pleased.
"Foson," cried the brakeman on an
other line, as we were nearing stop.
"Can you tell me what he said, sir?"
enquired a lady behind me, mo
madam" replied, II cannot. no man
can tell. but as am familiar with the
names of the towns hereabouts. / am
confident he meant to say, Fort Atkin-
son -