The San Francisco call., 1913-08-06
FERRY TALES
BY LINDSAY CAMPBELL

--~~~ - -
Here is a bouquet for the Southern
Pacific. brickbat for the Key Route
and United Railroads and disserta-
ton on manners All OF this and more
is contained in a communication re-
ceived through the mail from Berke-
ley commuter-a woman. Here Is the
letter:
you have done so much good through
your ferry tales Could you not go q
little further? Living over here we
travel both on the Key and the s. p.
OF course, the 8. P. is slower. but one Is
assist ladies and children and in gem
eral conduct themselves in a polite
manner.
Have you ever seen q Berkeley Key
Route train pull in at the mole7 The
conductor jumps off and turns his back
to the train Children and women pile
off as best they may The only atten-
ton they receive is to be told TO hurry
or they'll have to wait for the next boat.
q q o
ne Satelnen On tnc hey ROutc. IN
stead of signaling. at the different sta
tions, from the ground. to the motor
man or conductor or whoever they Sig
nal to, close the gates and signal from
the inside--and seem to enjoy the sight
of a belated woman and child losing the
train
AT the 8. p. mole the conductors
lift all the children down and assiat
every woman. You know, for great
many women ii Is no easy task to board
and leave train, and little Kindness
and courtesy goes a long way.
The same lack of politeness IL also
noticeable in the San Francisco street
car conductors. Have they orders not
to assist any one? / saw a woman
board a streetcar the@o other day with
three small children and the conductor
might have been statue, for all the
assistance he gave or offered her.
Just observe these things for your
self and give some space to this matter
in your ferry tales for they are read
by every one"
In justice to the streetcar employees, I
would like to tell of an incident wit
messed not very long ago at the corner
of Ellis and Powell streets. 1t was a
windy day. The breeze lifted his hat
from q pedestrians head and waited 1t
trian pursued the hat and was almost
up to the ear when the chapeau went in
among the wheels
Wait a minute. he yelled to the
conductor as he dived under the car.
He had some difficulty In locating the
The hat was rather spoiled and he had
ruined q pretty good looking suit of
clothes in getting 1t. But the point to
which 1 would call attention is this:
Although he didn't say please" when
he addressed the conductor, the con-
ductor's heart was in the right place
and he did not ring the starting bell
until after the hat chaser had emerged.
Q O q
She said she was toe fat, and I'm not
SOtnS To- QueStiUn ucK WOIu. hAoW
she spoke the truth, for we shared one
of the seats on the narrow" side Of q
Southern Pacific train the other even
ing. 1t wasn't much OF a share, either.
for I take up little room when all
spread out, and next to none at all
when compressed. as I was on that oc-
casion.
She had boarded the train with
friend. who found seat on the wide"
side, across the aisle.
This fat OF mine is getting some
thing awful said the woman who over
Tapped me- She was addressing her
friend. but spoke so that all the car
could hear.
'I was. once told" she continued,
that sorrow would make one thin. I
pray for disappointment. Sometimes
my prayer is answered and then the
mere expectation of growing thinner
gives me such joy that put on more
weight than ever