The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-17

think of going further west than
Chicago"
AS matter of fact, in no other
part of the Union is more courtesy
shown to women than in the far
West, and the farther West one
goes, the more one finds this cour-
tesy accentuated.
In oklahoma, for instance, there
is an unwritten law which every
man in that state with the Joseph's
coat constitution religiously lives up
to- and it may be summed up in
the words,
Hats off in Oklahoma!
The woman does not need to be
young or beautiful or even fairly
well dressed. Whether she is dressed
in the latest fashion or wears one
of the impossible oklahoma Gre
ations' in the millinery line makes
no difference TO the hats off, reg
ulation. 1t is only necessary that
she be a woman, and Off comes
every hat of every man in the ele
vator, or lift" as the native Ok
lahoman likes best to call it.
SO universal is tne custom that
even the small urchins of the streets
the newsies and messenger boys
together with the toughest types
of manhood, instinctively remove
their hats in the presence of wom-
en-.
TO an Eastern woman, accustomed
to the hurry and hustle of the me-
tropolis, where men do not often
take time to be even decently cour-
teous, the hats off" rule is some
times embarrassing, particularly
when she happens to be the only
woman in a crowd of many men.
as is often the case.
The patrns of hotel elevators. of
course, observe the rule, but no
more so than do the patrons of
the humbest ''lift" of the humblest
building in the state. One instance
occurred of a colored man, evident
ly new to Oklahoma and too fright
ened in the presence of many we'll
dressed men to realize that he was
riding in the elevator of the most
prominent hotel of the Southwest,
remaining with his head covered
while the white men held their
hats in their hands. There was
but one woman in the elevator, and
there We're probably twenty-five
men, The colored man did not need
to remove his hat; he had ridden
but few feet when a white man
knocked it off for him. No words
were spoken, and the incident pass
ed without comment; but the East
ern woman, the innocent cause of
the near riot was undoubtedly
more embarrassed than was the Of
Tending son of Ham.
The other day, in riding in a Mad
iooH Avenue CdT, lne same woman |
had an experience with a New York
er that seems but typical of the
city in rush hours. A very portly !
gentleman, who likewise seemed |
very important, at least in his own |
estimation, hustled into the car lust |
as it gave lurch at Union Square.
The gentleman carried a huge cane,
which he very vigorously pounded |
on the shoulders of the woman.
When he finally came to, and real.
lied that his cane was threatening
to pound a hole through the shoul-
der-blade of his fellow passenger,
the portly gentleman assumed an
air of injured innocence. Did he
apologize? Indeed he did not, but, on
the contrary. looked as though he
expected an apology from the
young woman who stood between
has cane and the edge of the car.
Shades of Oklahoma culture, It's
society may be impossible, its pol
ltics still more so, but here's to
its hats Oft" rule! Long NAV il
live,
EIks' Dance.
On Friday evening at their club
house the Elks will give a dance.