Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-03
NOTES BY THE BYSTANDER

Los ANGELES, Dec, 2.--1 have been
asked many times why it is that most
men in this city-and also, alas, many
women-have such a strained. hard ex-
preston. accompanied by wrinkles.
rs It the climate?"
am not beauty doctor. but during
several years Of residence here I have
observed this fact, to which attention
is called. and have figured out the
cause in n manner which to me, at
least. answers all questions.
No, it is not the Los Angeles climate.
If you will make a study of the thou
sands who pour into Los Angeles from
all sections of the east and north, you
will readily discover, in the facial ex-
pressions of both the men and women,
that they were reared in localities
where the winters were severe; where
they were compelled to face sleet and
snow, heavy cold and rigorous condi-
uons. They arrive here with the dam
age to their faces already done. 1t may
not be evident at once. but as the con-
ern California begin to harden the
skln--which has not been accustomed
to relaxation-the resultant tan and
glow of health emphasize the condi-
tions which were already there.
And again. 1t is true that a large pro-
portion of people who come to Los An
geles have passed through great men
tai as well as physical suffering. They
have broken down under the strain Jf
the fearful contest with conditions
which compelled them at last to seek
a new home end another chance away
out here on the shores of the Pacific,
remote from the old home and kindred
and friends. Nature stamps men and
struggles. In the face OF almost any
man you meet you can calculate the
stress Of the storms and the battles and
the shipwrecks through which he has
passed.
An eastern acquaintance of mine
calls 1t 1.-The desert face" He isn't far
wrong. You see that same hard, dis
tant and yet kindly countenance with
every miner who comes out from Death
valley. 1t is a very good name for it.
Persons who ride much on the Ver-
non line, out Central avenue, have COM
planned much in my hearing that the
conductors and motormen of the COM
pany not on duty occupy the best seats
in the cars and seem to have small re-
who have paid
One man told me recently: 81 have
frequently seen all the front seats oc-
cupied by motormen and conductors
six railway employees occupying the six
seats next the windows, compelling a
man and wife, or young woman and her
escort, TO occupy different seats. The
other day I counted fourteen conductors
and motormen on one car. They occu-
pied all the available seats in front and
four of them sat inside. When the car
began to fill up at the Arcade depot
the male passengers got up and yielded
their places to the ladies. Did the rail-
way employees bulge? Not an inch.
They sat there like statues and never
offered the commonest civilities. In all
my two years of constant riding on the
Vernon line 1 never saw but one of
these employees offer to give up his seat.
And on every Tuesday-which is pay
day at the barns-the railway en-
ployes simply take possession of most
of the Vernon cars"
1 have heard these complaints so fire.
quently of late, Mr.. Editor, that l
thought l would mention the matter in
my letter to you. l feel sure that the
incivility reported is one wholly of
thoughtlessness, because these men are
mostly young and at times weary from