New-York tribune., 1908-02-16

properly assimiIated. But when the delayed COM
muter arrives he is not only in good trim
for work, but is perhaps ready for a rousing
luncheon.
fee late is quite limited for Manhattan dweller but
lie who commutes always describe the terrific
snowfall in Jersey, washouts. wrecks andslides and
all the delay-causing accidents in the calendar Inc
employer may growl and suggest that you ought 10
have started for the office day in advance but
he knows that you telling the truth. or at
least approximation to it.
Some commuters who have been out late the night
before attending a donkey party a dramatic
circle have time take little morning maps aboard
the train 'and thus refreshed for the days
labor. Others who used skim the newspapers,
with perhaps Improbable dwelling on exciting
articles only, enabled to improve their minds
by reading serious editorials articles on economics
and the prospects for growing spring wheat in ST.
beria want lads" and real estate announcements.
Cards are another resource while the train is loi-
tering along the Hackensack Meadows. The polite
brakeman generally has deck and lap table,
which he viii lend for a small kitty" Many a
commuter has acquired such skill at cards while
crawling back and forth from the office that he
has prizes at neighbors parties and has some
times got disliked that he has had to move.
Some of the most successful poker players among
travelling men began humbly with a scent limit
a suburban train: they had time to study the
game ana human nature. Chess players also. who
like TO spend an hour thinking out move, have
complaint against the slowness of suburban
travel. They make three four moves
day and finish a game in week,
Diabolo is another game peculiarly adapted to
commuters, although the motion of the train which
is generally in undue ratio 10 speed. is slight
drawback. There are at least many halts which
could be improved by the gleefuI tossing Of the
elusive spool in the baggage In fact, special
payroom gymnasium car, with suitable appa-
ratus. punching bag. trapeze and the rest. would
not only healthfully reduce the grth of ieshy
commuters but would while away the time
in charming manner
Scholarly commuters perhaps do not realize how
much solid literature they could consume in year
by keeping it in their pockets in small packages.
1t is estimated that half play of Shakespeare
could be read the ordinary schedule every morn
ing and siX-tenths of play with any kind of
sonable delay. Two months ought to suffice for all
Shakespeare's tragedies and comedies, and special
accidents might permit the perusal Of the sonnets
and other poems.
After getting through with the Bard of Avon
the commuter might improve his acquaintance with
time of year, he ought to reach Lamentations in
early spring. arrive at Habakkuk by summer and
wind up with Revelation time in the fall.
There is plenty of long satisfying reading in some
OF the government reports agriculture and the
difficulty of bulk would be by feeling the
brakeman to keep the books for you. A Eng
lish author to have taken up the pen es-
pecially for the benefit of commuters He writes
uouDIt sIZeu novels lhat take long time 10
read Henry James is also a good time killing
thor.
The amount of culture that could be imbibed in |
this way by all the serious minded commuters of
New York in year is estimated to equal 6S per
cent OF all Chautauqua courses plus six months |
confinement in Yale, Harvard. Vassar, Tuskegee |
and the University of Nebraska
Whit-How does the travel?
Skit-Fine Took my girl out driving yesterday |
and she went great. My arms are sore from hold
ing her in.
Withholding who in?''-Illustrated Bits.