The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-04
ETIQUETTE OF
THE ELEVATOR

I'LL LII v - vi
There is no one to pass authorize
lively upon the etiquette of the ele-
vator," said n critical citizen 10 q
Washington star reporter. but II
strikes me that the line should bt
drawn anu little study 90 the dues-
ton has resulted in this conclusion
with me;
II think the line Should be drawn be-
/ tween the business elevators. those in
ONCE buildings, stores and public
buildings generally and thDse I'm no.
! tels- IN the later a tian shauld re-
move his hat and uncover In the pres
ence of lady passengers. and in the
former he should not. and there should
De no deviation from the rule.
Inc differentiation i'm the estaD-
IlsEed courtesy shown by men as .
great class 10 women may easily be
made clear, though there are some of
our fair sisters who would keep a man
on his knees all the time. as others
would have him uncover in the street
cars, which are nclosed compartments
fTeQuented by both sexes and give
him perpetual cold i'm the head
IF men should remove their hats IN
the presence of ladies i'm The elevators
Of business and public buildings they
should by analogy take them off in
Pullman cars, the ca bins Of ferry boats
IN street and railroad cars and coaches
IN closed carriages and omnibuses. i'm
the stores; go uncovered in the CORR
doris of the capitol. the congressional
library the national museum. the cor
riders Of the public government office
buildings, railroad stations. and. in
snort. i'm all places under roof in which
the two sexes publicly mmgle
certain II Is if a woman expects n
man TO uncover i'm a public elevator
her sense Of discrimination. which the
CynicS OF both sexes unite i'm declaring.
IS not accentuated, except as regards
female apparel II is The height OF alb
surdity for her not to b. indignant If
man rides with her with his hat on
IN closed carriage; yet not one Of our
sweet cousins would think for a mo-
ment that a man should do this.
though he is closer 10 her I'm one COM
partnent than in a public elevator.
ana ne Is either slightly or well ac-
quainted with her in the bargain.
IN the elevator OF a hotel. however,
1t is another matter Here the two
sexes meet upon moro personal terms.
as IL were, and the relationship be-
tween the sexes is more on the order of
that in private houses: there is an at
mcsphere entirely different from that
in the elevator Of a business or public
building, and it is one which demands
or man more courtesy toward the Op-
posite sex than. in the latter place.
i have always thought. therefore.
VIXEN j see men uncover i'm store and
public building elevators that they
lacked discriminating knowledge of
gentlemanly instincts rather than. as
they evidently suppose showing such
TO women shoppers and visitors To the
departments. 1t is an excr:1plifcatioa
Of the same underlying principle of
true courtesy when men fail to retain
their hats on their heads when they
meet member of the opposite sex and
stand bareheaGed on the pavement
during their greeting and ensuing cor
versa ton. after making the usual pre-
liminary bow and lifting Of the hat
To retain the hat IN the hand, as we
see some of the Younger genera ton DO
occasionally todal. rubbing in their
courtesy as it were. TO the eyes OF
the particular fair charmer and the
passersby. is a sight which brings
tears TO the eyes Of the older genera
tior OF men who We're taught to give
all the courtesy possible TO the fair
sex. but to make il appropriate and
BETTING to the place.
In fact. some of the more level
headed and discriminating of our sis
ters with whom l have discussed the
subject, have been free in their asser-
tons that women really lose in respect
for men who fail TO catch on to the APP
propriateness of time and place for
showing the proper courtesy and that
men who overdO the uncovering and
back-bending act are not really cour-
teOuS. but are in most instances bOres
for whom the Well-versed woman has
slight use. and these exhibitions are
accepted as lacking in actual sinceri-
ty. One lady friend thus intelligently
and succintly summed il up: When
men, she declared, are sincere in their
little or great courtesies to us, we are
appreciative. but when we know that
they are merely showing off" we
secretly despise them and il has al
ways struck me that her remarks we'll
fitted the chap who goes to extremes
in the elevator Of a public building or
the like