Evening star., 1925-01-16

street car of the same company. 1t
was pouring down rain. The car
came to a stop and two or three pas
sengers sought to alight. rather
large man sought to enter
LET 'em outlet 'em out blurted
out the conductor. No soorfer had he
uttered the words than he came forth
with the command, Right up-get out
Of the door SO l can shut 1t now.
Right aroundp
Perhaps many people do not know
II Is mark of i'll breeding to refuse
to be courteous. Perhaps they may
think 1t gives them an aristocratic
appearance. Perhaps they are just
naturally yellow. But as friendly
city Washington Is far below par"
Well, what do you know about
| that!
1t may be laid down as a basic
proposition that ones opinion in
case of this kind arises as a result Of
| his personal contacts
| Now a person may be unfortunate
| in his goings and his comings around
Washington, or in New York. or in
| San Francisco. He may be the
sweetest tempered man in the world.
but IL he happens to run up against
! succession of mean persons IT Will
be no wonder IL he comes to the con-
| clusion that the whole city Is mean.
II he goes into store and gets III
| treatment there, scant courtesy. lack
of attention, he is not to be blamed
| for thinking that that particular
store is one for him to pass up. II he
| Is so unfortunate as to run into the
sameAort of thing in several stores.
undoubtedly he will feel that all the
| stores are alike.
Whether or not one thinks a city
| is unfriendly, then, must necessarily
depend upon ones own reactions TO
others, as we'll as the reactlons OIL
those others to himself
This is certainly a fair statement
| of the case. and IT must be kept IN
mind always in dealing with this
question OF friendliness-or lack or
it-in washington.
Because there are two sides to this
question, of course, as there are TO
almost every other question under the
sun.
| had this strikingly brought out to
me the day of the big snow by the
conversation of two friends, who we
will call Mr.. A. and Mr.. b.
Friend A was fuming: This is the
| worst city in the world" he declared.
| The people here are the most un-
friendly in the world"
| why, what is the matter now"
Bunch of NUTS" he swore. would
you believe it-nobody would believe
| it"
Calm down, calm down"
| We'll, 1 got out to the car tracks,
and there wasn't car in sight, OF
course" he managed to settle down.
| There wasn't any street car tracks
in sight either. A dozen automobiles
came along, while / stood there, ana
do you think one of them hailed me!
| Not on your life, The bozos run
ming those autos just let me stand
| there. sailed on by with empty seats,
| down town, and had no way or get
| ting there except to walk.
| II don't believe there is another
city In the United States where at
least 10 out of that dozen would not
have hailed me and given me lift.
Friendliness in ashington-shucks,
there amt no such animule
Friend B smiled.
why, 1 had just the opposite ex-
perience," he said. II got down to a
car track where cars were running.
and Just as / was about to board
car, discovered that In my excitement
| l hadNeft all my money at home. Not
| a cent on me!
'T turned to the man at my elbow.
| Say could you lend me a token?'"
asked him. With a smile he pro-
duced one, and refused to give me his
address SO that I might return II to
him He did give me his last name.
however-so here's to Mr.. Waldron!"
Well, what do you think-as a
| friendly city, is Washington far be-
/ low par?