The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-10-29
A Woman Street
Car Conductor
X X X + X X *x X X X X
Fare, please

Fare, please"
gruff-throated man, is to deliver this
command In future to street car pat
rons in Philadelphia, Pa, the City OF
Brotherly Love.
When the Philadelphia Rapid Tran
sit company decided the other day to
employ women street car conductors.
1t let down the bars to almost the
only occupation in which the gentler
sex Of this country has not engaged,
at least to a limited. extent. From
blacksmithing to private detective
work. from running a chicken or a
dog farm to playing cowboy or sheriff,
ing to which woman in the United
States has not applied her hand.
But street car conducting Is a brand
new occupation for the American .wo-
man. Over the counter she has TAX.
en- in money for. 10. these many years;
but at gathering in the shekels on. the
trolley cars of a big city, she Is a
stranger. That. she will do It with
grace there is no doubt. The transit
company officials hope. also, that she
will draw trade for them: and they
have no fears Of her ability to handle
rush-hour crowds without getting her
self too unpopular.
Curiously enough, It is to the wo.
men of Latin America. to their sisters
in far-away Chile, that the women OF
the United States must look for theil
precedent in managing street cars
They have always thought of the wo.
men of South America as sheltered
retiring. protected. The Latin Ameri.
can woman makes her home almost a
prison. go the United States reader
thinks. She goes on the. street only al
certain hours of the day, and then U.s.
ually under restrictions which do moi
admit Of her making too much public
ity of herself.
Custom Conflded to Chile.
Women in Chile for years have
served as conductors on street cars
They are seen in Valparaiso. Santiago
the capital: Conception and other i'm
has not spread to other countries o.
Latin America or anywhere else in tn,
world, despite the fact that It has pre-
vailed in Chile ver since the wa
against Peru.
I'VE can get women for S12 a week
Why should We pay mel from SIC Il
SIS a week ?" argued the officials o
the Philadelphia Rapir Transit. "Th'
difference will pay in one years tim,
for the cost Of having u cars re
modelled from the present type to tn
middle-of-the-car entrance type"
Will other large cities follow Phila
dephia? is the question which Is som
what %agitating the minds Of labo,
leaders throughout the country. The.
laugh at this first step as q fad Of on
city which will o o die out: but II
should spread throughout the entir'
United States. it would affect 10000
men. the number employed al presen
as street car conductors on the $1,000
miles of electric lines.
Then there are $4,000 railroad con
ductors in the country. earning almos
100000 0 a year, an average Of 81;
per week. Having made one conques
in this direction. will women keep oil
pushing man into a narrower AM
yearly more limited field by taking hi
work from him?
Cupid May Abolish Custom.
But Philadelphia's fair street ca
conductors probably will marry OF
rapidly. as they do In Chile. .-
The pretty ones, or rather h leas
b~ad-looking." said a traveller recentl,
returned from Chile, rarely remain Il
the service. They soon find husbande
or get otherwise provided for by Sc
curing some easier work. where the
are less exposed"
In Philadelphia a young fellow VIII
rides TO office every morning for o
time with a fair condustress. Ia likel
with his blue trip-slip for a 5-cen
fare a ote worded thusly:
How would you like to travel il
the me car with me for ltfe?"
Would she give him A "transfer?"
Well, they say hat young Dal