The Washington times., 1910-03-07
QUAKER CITY TAKES
TROUBLE SERIOUSLY
Part of Populace Resorts TO
Bicycle Riding, Almost a
Forgotten Art.

PHILADELPHIA, March There's
an intimate relation between the face
muscles and the par, Of the toe where
the h'isters grow that prevents Phila-
delphians from laughing at the street
car strike as they might roar over a
strike in New York, for example. even
il they were the sort Of persons given L.
laughter.
But they are not; they are by nature
and by heredity serious. And when a
person by nature serious feels particu-
larly serious il is a serious matter i'm
deed. That should give a mild impress
sion OF how the denizcns of the Quaker
City take their present trouble.
In all that has been written abou,
these big and un-Quarkerlike goings-on
between the car company and its. mas
tcrful employees little has so far been
said about the human Side of the pro-
ceedings. In the description OF bricks
agreements, directors opinions of strike
leaders. and strike leaders vapid i'm
pressions Of directors, very little has
leaked out regarding the Incidental hu-
Tuan beings and how flesh and blood
stood the strain.
Hamans Are Incidental
Yet the incidental humans who happen
70 make I'D the population Of Philadel,
phia, with the exception Of an enor-
nous population OF household cats, who
don't ride on trolley cars anyway. IN IS,
humans play an important part in the
situation, il not in the action, as might
be said Of the mat on which a wrestling
bout is decided. For a quiet lot Of peO-
ple-they are quiet, though the term
LlTg LrGrE "A Of lao hll
players, does not seem 70 imply it-foT
quiet people. the residents of Philadei-
phia have been having the most nerve
racking experience since the Masonic
Han was burned down in lS5S. and. in
deed. perhaps since the British soldiers
left these parts; and the experience 1Riil
DO Tor another century OF 50.
one elderly woman who lives in one
Of the big Philadelphia hotels was driv-
~ pretty nearly desperate this week
She managed to hang on last week
though her aged constitution was shak-
en- every morning and evening by the
accounts Of shooting and long distance
bricklaying, as detailed in the local
press.
But when at last ths news OF a gen
eral strike, 70 come on possibly. prob
ably, almost certainly, at the end Of
the week reached her, IL was the nm
ishing touch. Calling the hotel clerk
TO her room she informed him in a
feeble but determined voice that &.
there was going 10 be much shoot lg
IN the nefghbOThOOd OF the hotel she
would really have 70 so 10 New York.
The hotel clerk assured her that II
she found the Tioting too annoying she
could be moved from her room on the
seventh floor up 10 the fifteenth. This
and a slight prospect that general
strike might be 4Verted finally induced
the old lady IN question 10 stay on.
Her feelings are those OF a good
number Of Philadelphians- COnstena-
tion and readiness 10 do something
desperate.
Bicycle Craze Lingers.
Fortunately the town never quite grad
us,ted from the bicycle craze. A few
trlie conservatives used Up 20 the time
Of the strike 10 be seen riding about on
bicycles: now the few have become
hundreds A person who has forgotten
the we'll nigh lost art OF bicycle dodging
is reminded now and then, on trying 70
cross the street. that bicycles have to
be lodged Just like automobiles or NOV
ing vans. But the bicycle IS not nearly
so big a factor in travei, such as IL is
during the strike, as the horse and
wagon.
All sorts Of wagons and ali sorts OF
horses. TOO, have been impressed into
the public service Those who would
ride have an infinite chice. They can,
for 10 cents head, be packed like
sardines into a wa son bearing the mod
cheerful enough they can climb into
the long. low, raktsh craft known as a
picnic wagon. One-horse express wsg-
Ons abound. These eXtempOrIzed rigs
are all htted UP with seats made OF
secondhand planks nailed along the
shelves.
Most of Them Walk
II is really much more comforra BILE
and safe to- walk. which IS what the
greatest number Of strike victims do.
Not only is II more CommOdiOUs and Sc
cure TO walk half hours or an hours
distance between work and home-it IS
more healthy and above all more he
roic TO tell about. Every one has a tale
TO tell OF how for he walks.
Along the far-stretching ends or
Broad street, along the less Well-sWept
thorOughfare OF Lancaster avenue.
droves OF pedestrians: over the bridges
Of the SChUylkill regiments Of them.
OF course. the cars are running far
short Of their usual numbers, and those
that do run lose the passengers who
haven't sufficient patience 10 wait for
the rare car 70 turn up. There IS a sur
prisinS epidemic OF excuses to employ
ers fer late appearances at the desk
are generally behind their schedules.
too. there is no good way 10 foil the
popular excuse.
81 Walk" Spirit Fades
The walking and otherwise beating
ones way home has ceased to Yield
the delight Of real adventure. Just as
much as a show endured for a week or
two Of successive nights would cease
to present Jokes.
The Il walk spirit, the ambition to
help the strikers by keeping of the
cars until the company got tired, lasted
only for a few days. The feeling now
is occasionally expressed in the desire
Of one man that he might kick a direc-
ror or labor leader or some one just
40 do good to his biisters
What the usually placid inhabitant
hates to hear above any Of the various
things that he hears several times a
day all through the strike is the in
formation that the car service is helm .