Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-26
THE CHAFFING DISH

still allowed Rollo to watch, as he wished the
boy to study the system carefully. Rollo
was thinking deeply.
''Uncle George !" he said, IT should think
the company would take away the railing
from the front platform of the new cars.
Then it would be evident that the whole front
door is to be used for entrance only and the
motorman would be spared such frequent
reteration."
THAT is a perfectly sound idea" said
Mr.. George, "and dare say that if we come
back here five or ten years hence it will have
been put in practice"
"What are the large numbers painted on
the front of the cars?' said Rollo.
They indicate the route of the car said
Mr. George. ''It is little mystery. Phila-
delphians hate to have strangers come to
town and try to puzzle them as much as
possible. l spent year in the city in order
to study the transit system so that could
explain it to you As far as l can find out,
the transit company has deep dislike OF
anybody finding out where its cars are going
to. Only the old travellers on the line have
any idea where any particular car is going
to turn off. If you are stranger in town,
the thought will occur to you that it might
be nice thing to have a little map put up
in the car showing just where it goes but
then, as I said, Philadelphia does not en-
courage strangers until they have lived here
several generations
| DOLLO had been interested in watching
1N people buying newspapers from a boy
| who stood on the corner. =.
''Why do all the men buy paper before
! entering the cars?' he said. II have always
! been taught that to read while a vehicle is
| ;e barp,ful for the ~
'"They do not buy them to read" said Mr..
| George, 'but simply to hide behind so that
they will not have to rise and give up their
| seats when lady stands in front of them"
They entered car and Rollo looked about
! him with eager curiosity.
| ''Why is it, he said, "that the seats in
the front of the car run lengthwise, while
those in the rear are crosswise? Surely the
crosswise seats are more comfortable, for
| then as one sits opposed to the line of force
created by the starting and stopping of the
vehicle, one is supported by the back of the
seat and does not rock and reel against one S
neighbor.
''Your observation does you credit" said
| Mr. George, but you must remember that
the crosswise seats take up more room and
leave less space for people to stand up. Ant
the more people you can persuade to stand
nm in your car, the better it looks on the
| cash register. fAieuI WhSh Sou oA| III
lengthwise seat it is much easier to see the
advertisement cards. You must not sup
nose that all these matters have not beer
carefully thought out"
tCNITHAT are the advantages of paying
| w your fare as you leave?'' said Rollo
1.-The advantage is largely philosophical,
said Mr. George. 1T is supposed that on,
nays ones fare more readily after the serv
ice for which it is paid has been performed
Seeing yourself at your destination, yol
naturally pay more cheerfully than you d.
when YOU first enter the car and do not know
whether you will really get there or not"
''I wonder if that is always sop ven
tured Rollo II can conceive of a certain
tvpe of passenger who, seeing himself arrives
where he wants to go, and not yet havin
Maid for the ride, would be all the NOR
eager to escape from the car without surren
dering his money. i can imagine, for in
stance, that some bold spirits might eve
hazard an escape by way of the rear win
dows."
'Trhe conductor would Immediately rails
n hue and cry,'' said Mr.. George, "and th
malefactor would be apprehended But ther
are also other types of cars in this thrivin
city. on which we will take journey whe
Won have mastered the simpler forms (
transit, such as they may be observed here Q
|, 4 Chestnut street And here we are at Inde
~ pendence Hall, where we viii get on p
gOCHATHa