Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-13
Broad Street Station

pRoAD STREET STATION is to me
~ place of extraordinary fascination.
Among the cloudy memories of early child
hood it stands solidly, home of thunders
and shouting. of gigantic engines with their
fiery droppings of coal and sudden Jets OF
steam. 1t was a place in which delighted
sense of adventure was closely mixed with
fear. | remember being tOwed along, as
very small urchin, among throngs of hasty
feet and past the prodigious glamour of those
huge wheels and pistons. (Juvenile eyes are
very close 70 the ground Then, arrived
within. the rampng horses carved opposite
the head of the stairs and the great map
orfe the northern wall were a glorious ex-
element to my wondering gaze. Nowadays
when | ramble about the station its en-
chantment is enhanced by the recollection of
those early adventures. And as most peo-
ple. when passing through station, are
severely intent upon their own problems and
little conscious of scrutiny, it is the best of
places to study the great human show.
A SfINSE Ol DtihiuS NA'itVhNhc anu INV
"A tion keeps the mind alert as one wan
ders about the station. In the dim, dusky
twilight of the transhed this is all the
more impressive. A gray silver haze hangs
in the great arches, Against the brightness
of the western opening the locomotives come
Gliding in with restful relaxation of
effort black indstinguishable profles. The
locomotives are the only restful things in
the scene-they and the red capped porters,
who have the priestly dignity of oracles who
have laid aside all earthly passions. Most
of the human elements wear the gestures
of e,gerness, struggle and perplexity. The
Main Line commuters, it is true, seem to
STROLL trninward like breed apart, with an
air of leisurely conquest and assurance.
They have the bearing of veterans who have
conquered the devils of transportation and
hold them in leash. But this superb care
lessness is only Fictitious. Some day their
time will come and they will fall like the
ro.t of ms. They will career frantically to
and fro. dash to information desk and train
h,,Ilot;n rummage for tickets and wipe a
boaded brow. What gesture, incidentally
s 90 Significantly human as that of mop
,;ro the forehead? If | were sculptor at
,,,ork IN a symbolic statue of Man ] would
carve him with troubled and vacant eyes,
dehvdrating his brow with handkerchief.
TAKE vour stand by the train gate a few
moments before the departure of the
Now York express. What a medley OF
tvnes and what a common touch of anxiety
ond wistfulness makes them kin. Two
ladies are bidding each other a prolonged
farowo,I ''Now, remember, Rowland
street Cambridge" says the departer
',Re sure to write!" feverish man rushe'
hacl, from the train, having forgotten some
thing, and fights his way against the lint
yrhich is filing through the gate Another
man hunts dismaily through all his pockets
@ for his ticket, rocking gently and thought
f,,ily On his heels. The ticket seems to hav,
vanished. He pushes his hat back on hi
forehead and says something to the collec
tor This new posture of his hat seems t.
aid him. for in another half minute tn
ticket appears in a pocket that he ha
already gone through several times Th
ofBcial lamps his watch every fye seconds
A clerk apparently from one of the ticke
windows. rushes up with long strip ticket
There Is some question about sailor wit
su,loueh ticket to Providence, Has b
gone throuxhs Hayep't seen him. IN
sateman Gate cIsps the gate 70 and switches q