The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-20
SAY THEY LIKE IT
Street Car Co. and Patrons on
New Stop Order.
Near Side Stop Worked Pretty
Well This Morning.

! The near-side stop at the crossings
seems to be working almost too good
to be true. The motormen like it, the
conductors like it, the drivers, pas
sengers and the Pattens like it. With
the exception of a few people who
waited in the cold, rather than eros
the street, the new plan seems to be
working without a hitch.
The plans a dandy Howard Patten
this morning enthusiastically declared,
its really marvel how we'll it's
working. A few of the people forgot
yesterday, but / didn't hear of a sin
gle motor1nan who made a mistake.
We expected all schedules to be late
this morning, owing to confusion at
the rush hour, but every car was on
time"
i Mr.. Patten is obliged to state again
that it's the front of the car, not the
BACK, that stops at the near side of
the street. The average car is proba-
bly, about 20 feet long, and passengers
are requested to remember that the
back PLATFORM cannot be boarded at
the sidewalk crossing. The motorman
and conductors unite in saying this
seems to be the only trouble with the
new plan, and will probably be over
come within a few days.
What's going to happen to street car
passengers in a heavy snowstoFm?
That's one question that arises in con-
nection with the new plan. The city
attempts to clear the crossings in time
| of a blizzard, but the path is not
plowed beyond the sidewalks. People
| may object to wading to the back plat
| drifted snow. However, no use of
blowing through your snowdrift until
| you come to it.
A general feeling of good will pre-
vailed among the street car passen-
gers this morning
H. =,
asked Jones of his neighber, who
promptly responded, TT suits me fine.''
Yesterday a few people waited on the
| wrong corner, saw a car sail by,
couldn't imagine what was the matter.
and waited in a temper as warm as
| the weather was icy for the
next car to pass. When it
/ finally dawned on these gentlemen that
| they We're twenty-four hours out of
date, they either stalked across the
street with dignity, and boarded the
third car. or growled at the street car
| service, and walked to their destina-
| tions in high dudgeon.
Most of the men, however, were ready
| to laugh at their forgetfulness. "Hey.
| mister. you're on the wrong side"
shouted a youngster. and the thought
less pedestrian crossed the street
with a chuckle.
Better cross the street, old man.
called one boy to another, who shot
| to the other side of the crossing and
| boarded his car just as it was start
| ing, much to the delight of the con-
ductor
Passengers on one downtown car
We're much amused at the antics Of a
maidenly old lady, who stood on the
wrong corner, witiioa black bag in one
hand, and a fat umbrella in the other.
When her car shot past her, passen-
gers on the back platform were rather
distressed at her bewilderment, for it
was plain she was much too sedate to
chase the car in unmaidenly haste. Not
So The little old lady was a true sport.
She realized what was the matter, stuck
her umbrella under one arm, grasped
her bag tightly, threw back her chest,
stuck out her elbows, reached the plat
form in flying leaps a yard long, and
sailed triumphantly to the only vacant
seat in the ear.
The success of the new plan is rather
remarkable. There are usually a large
number of grumblers over a radical
change Everybody wants to receive a
bit of glory over the success of the
scheme The officers at City hall re-
mark with urbanity, Good plan? Why,
| of course-it's great I've been ad-
vocating it for number of years"