Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-22
OUT IN THE SUBURBS
Trolley Car Ride Gives Fore
taste of Christmas.
RECORD OF A SINGLE DAY
Points Which Conductors Find Diff
fculty in Deciding on
an Inspection Tour.
RECORD OF A SINGLE DAY

| If You want to get real good foretaste
of Christmas get on a suburban trolley
| and ride out and back for a few miles in
| the evening. Suburban trolley tours
| around Christmas time are a source of
| keen enjoyment to city folk. On a car
to suburban town last evening the seats
and aisles were crowded with whole
| families returning from their annual pill
grmage to the shops of Washington.
Everybody except father was present,
and mother had quite a bit Of trouble
Keeping the family of children together.
Say, ma, make Willie stop kicldn' me. -
| Ma. does this train belong to Santa
Claus?''
| ''Ya-a-a, Mildred's got my candy. Say,
ma, have you ever seen Santa Clause"
At Door Wearing Whiskers.
| And before ma could reply the kid near
the window interrupts:
| Want to see i'm? There he is up by
the door with white whiskers.''
| This. delivered in high soprano, at
tracted the attention of every one in the
car. The man in white whiskers was
peevish anyway, for conductor had
| just looked at him and yelled. or at least
the gentleman thought he yelled. You're
a carp"
|
muter.
! Nobody said you were a carp" replied
the conductor; Il called Luna Park
| oh" said the passenger, as he sat
| down growing.
On a rear seat reposed a mother and
daughter. almost hidden behind bundles.
/ They were looking over list of presents
they had bought for their friends and
| relatives
1t seems to me-" said the mother, that
We have left some one Off this list
oh. l know cried the daughter. with
a smile of discovery on her face, 1T was
| father
And the rest of the car hoped that
| father would get his
Point Hard to Decide.
| In the other end of the car a woman
was throwing big bluff for the benefit of
those sitting near her.
| Il can't quite make up my mind whether
/ want string of pearls or a Russian
| sable coat from Jack this year. He said
/ could have either one i wanted Where
| upon she brushed bit Of dust from the
sleeve of her near chinchilla coat
| About that time the car struck a curve.
| "Ouch,' exclaimed a middle-aged man
| wedged in between several women whose
/ hatpins projected over four inches. It's
bad enough to have to go Christmas shop
ping, but when it comes to being skewered
up in this fashion l object
Conductor, oh, Mr.. Conductor, you
went right past my station, and"
| But conductors on suburban trolleys are
well trained in methods of insuring peace.
| The woman rode to the next station and
then rode back again.
Is a Real Artist.
Next to a barber, suburban con-
| ductor hears more tales Of woe and has
more trouble than any other artist-for
suburban conductor really is an artist;
| he has to be.
| Some rurals have an idea that in addi-
| ton to carrying them and their families
| to the city the railroad should also carry
| anything that can be taken inside car.
| Christmas trees are especially annoying
| to conductors at this time OF the year.
Commuters insist on shipping them into
| the city to their friends. Many Christ
mas tree has been lost off the plat
1 FORM.
Washington. But the police are also
| numerous, and if there Is anything
| faker detests it is policeman. Tney
are SO active. But in some towns near
stables not quite so particular.
Hence, the faker, with a tray of SIS
penders, chewing candy. or Imitation
snow, HES himself to the suburbs at
| this time of the year.
Cars Crowded Morning and Evening.
| In the morning the suburban cars are
crowded with them going, and in the
| evening they are crowded with them
coming. Some takers can't resist trying
to sell things on the cars, for a COM
muter with a pocket full of Christmas
money will usually buy anything that Is
offered for sale. And there's where the
one can't sell things on trolley cars-not
even to commuters at Christmas time.