The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-06-25
GLASGOW STREET CARS.
How They Strike a Visiting
American.

Municipal ownership of street rail-
roads, which all good Americans have
been taught to think an altogether
wrong and unavoidable plan, seems in
Glasgow to be complete success. The
conditions however, are so very diff
! ferent from those existing in New York
/ that comparison Is almost out OF ques-
tion. In Glasgow politics do not enter
into the matter at all Graft has not
/ TO be taken account Of, and iii fact all
the arrangements that make the street
car system in Glasgow 50 admirable,
would be impossible to apply in Ameri-
can cities. The cars are all double
| deckers, some with covered tops and
others without-these last providing an
almost ideal mode of seeing the city.
/ The fares (no transfers) paid in so
| different a way from ours. are about
cent a mile; so that YOU tell the green
uniformed conductor your destination
and hee charges you accordingly. For
/ long distances this il more expensive
than our way, but as Glasgow is crowd
ell into comparatively small district
It makes a great saving in going about
/ in the business quarter of the town.
One thing that strikes New Yorker
as snperfuous is the giving of q small
ticket 10 show that the passenger has
Paid his fare. IL, Of course, depuyes
one Of the exciting disputes as TO
whether or not you have paid your fare,
and it also stops those free rides that
on the New York cars are 80 numerous
/ but Il filters thte floor Of the car with
discard tickets, which is perhaps not
50 q great drawback after all. as they
are the only dirt the Glasgow ears have,
and one or two flaws are always needed,
/ If only TO keep general interest up. The
advertisements are, oddly enough, all
/ on the outside OF the car, and as the
cars are never crowded, and the CON
/ duetors are spiritless creatures who
never shout OF push, an atmosphere Of
restfulness is really felt in these foreign
cars.
At the crowded hours the cars follow
SO closely on each other that Il is one
continuous train, and if IN few of the
cars (the ones that have strongest
springs and that the makers felt were
| equal to an extra cram) some half
dozen extra passengers are allowed to
stand, every one exclaims and savs:
4 HIS - AFiAlRlt lhNAf 1911 ~ NV
cars 60 at very good speed, are not
upholstered in dusty carpets, but have
not uncomfortable hardwood seats, and
though the alighting passengers are
/ not allowed to get of before the others
crowd on perhaps this hardly matters
either, as the need 10 "step lively Is
never felt, and every one bumps into
/ every one else in an extremely cheerful
way What 70 all masculine minds II
| highly important is that the car lines
pay very well indeed while feminine
/ passengers are checred by the know.
| ledge that neither their clothes nor
I their disposition will be completely
ruined by half-hour's ride on a tram.
American women have never been
called mpTogrcssive they have been
called other things, but so far this one
word has not applied 60 them now let
/ them look TO their laurels. The women
of Scotland are ahead Of them in one
respect They board the cars when
they are moving and moving at d goodly
speed, too, The cars which stop at red
posts and no where else will consent
10 slow down TO half speed If people
signal. and then women with bundles
hop on and women with babies in their
arms swing themselves of, aud the poor
American girl who has never reached
/ this stage Of recklessness Is left blink
iug amnzedly at the fast disappearing
car New York Sun.