The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-06

Montreal, P. O., Oct. 5.-The rub
berneck wagon, which few years
ago was confined to cities with
unique sightseeing features, is now
without exaggeration, ubiquitous.
Practically every town of any size
or distinguishing features is equip
ped with at least one line of buses
to show strangers its millionaire
row, city hail and normal school
The rubberneck wagon is typical
~ an institution of the day. lmag-
inc, if you can, any one of your Vic
torian ancestors with his ideas of
dignity and reserve. climbing up on
the seat by the driver and rubber
ing with animation while mega
phoned individual shouted facts and
jokes in his ears. This Is what
travellers want nowadays. If there
was any doubt of this, a glance at
the neatly packed buses rolling
over the streets of any< big city
would prove it.
Here in Montreal, an unusua
situation prevails. The quaint old
cabs and victories have stood out
against the invasion of the big, ef-
icient-looking buses with their
megap phone spielers. But it is no
use. The buses are here. and the
cabs will go eventually, though a
few people do still prefer their old
world atmosphere.
The real reason why the cabs
have been able to hold out against
the autos is Mount Royal. This
mountain that rises back Of Mon
treal, is a pleasure park belonging
to the city 1t is a favorite drive,
or climb, with residents of the city,
and strangers never miss driving
to the top to enjoy the broad view
of Montreal below and the st. Law
renee winding beyond.
They drive up because the city
permits no automobiles to climb
Mount Royals winding roads. At
different times, sentiment has been
aroused in favor of removing the
restriction on automobiles But
the constantly curving roads are
regarded as too dangerous for
swiftly moving vehicles, especially
if the drivers should be inexperi-
enced, intoxicated, or reckless. So
the cabbies are IN their element
here, and do a quietly busting
business up the mountain.
Montreal further varies the mon
otony of the usual assortment of
green, red, blue and white buses,
by having its own sightseeing
street car. This car is gaily decor
ated in gold paint and electric
lights, so that it resembles the
chariot on the merry-go-round. 1t
goes round the base of Mount Roy
al and offers an hour ride for 25
cents. But elsewhere in the city,
and in other cities, the sightseeing
automobile is what might be call
ed the tourists delight.
The interesting thing about the
buses is the people who do the
spelling. Generally they know
their harangue by heart and deliv-
er it in stentorian tones with about
as much expression as a boy read
ing the newspaper editorials to his
grandfather
Bus Jokes.
The buses hold to one belief,
and that is that the tourist likes
jokes. When the mega phone man
is about to spring a good joke on
a building, he goes through the
same sort of stunts that a circus
star does to preface his chief stunt.
In the circus, the music stops, the
star stands still and claps his
hands, and waits. The audience
holds its breath and is all atten-
ton.
Well, the bus cicerone hands out
a few cold facts, and then pauses.
He is still wearing his megaphone,
and the bus waits anxiously for the
next pearls of wisdom. By the time
the atmosphere is sufficiently tense,
the strategic point has been reach
ed The megaphone man dramatic
ally shoots out his right arm and
says. 'On your left, ladies and gen
tlemen. the Steal Works. sometimes
referred to as the City Hall. On.
your-left"