New-York tribune., 1907-06-20
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
CONDUCTORS MANNERS.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: On the editorial page of The Tribune recent
ly appeared article entitled Conductors Man
ners in which you rather indicate that you con-
slider it nearly impossible to improve the manners
Of these so-caled servants the public and speak
of the trying conditions that surround the poor
conductor, and, altogether, take the part of this
abused and misunderstood individual against a
pessimistic public.
am not old maid, a young girl of
prepossessing appearance. but merely an ordinary
who has travelled much. and l will differ so
far from the article Conductors Manners to
say that many Of the abuses which | have wit
messed almost daily I'm this great city of New York
from conductors who not merely rude
but unwarrantaby brutal; that most of them-no.
l will correct that and say that some of them
the kind of brutes that fill our penitentiaries,
that many of them have absolutely no respect for
old age and infrmity and are, therefore, unfit to
serve as public servants one of many instances
will illustrate:
On a 59th street crosstown car going west got a
gentle looking old woman, very intirm and dressed
in mourning. She evidently lady and looked
foreign. She paid her fare and said something
to the brute who acted conductor, to which he
paid no attention ana made no answer. When he
came her way again she held out trembling hand
to detain him, but again he paid no heed. A third
time he ignored her and / told him the woman
wished to speak him, at which he asked her
what she wanted. She asked him with an un-
mistakable French accent. but in good Eng
sh' where she should change to get to 9Sth street
and Broadway. He said roughly: Take Broad
way car AT ue circle Nllere 90 you lnh yOu
are, anyway" at which l told her l would show
her, | did not attempt any heroics with the con-
ductor. for | had the uselesness of such pro-
Ceeding many times before. To my mind man
who find ii III his heart to speak TO ttmtd
old gentleWQman as he did is not fit to live and
the he gets the electric chair the better.
Fhis IS only. of many instances that have
Witnessed in suppressed rage. but there seems no
redress, because the managers of the companies
that hold the franchises to thus abuse old women
and invalids bad the conductors them
selves. Do not suppose that never commend a
courteous conductor. On the contrary, never tall
do so, and l glad to say / often have a
chance, but much more often 1 have to condemn.
The article in question says: 1t Is hard to buy
this admirable social quality for s. day, refer
ring to ability to discriminate between good and
of contradiction that in almost any city in the
country outside of New York, Brooklyn and Jer-
sey city many courteous and consderate men
10 act as conductors be obtained the COM
panies require / have travelled in nearly every
state in country, ana Will aver that In
all but IN the great city of New York and It's dor
mitorIes' have met with universal pOliteness
considerate and gentle to all alike Particularly is
this true of Southern cities. OPTIMIST
New York. June 10, 1901.
[Our correspondent has misunderstood
stretched the meaning of the article to which he
refers We have repeatedly condemned the
offences of which some street car conductors are
guilty, and censured their employers for ap-
parent indifference to such abuse OF the public.
But great many passengers are to blame fo-
piling needless and cruel burdens whose
work grows constantly more trying with the
increase Of traffic in this city.