Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Street car lines have personalities
just the same as people. They have
their names, Of course, and certain
physical properties, but deeper than all
that lies the lines personality.
The Mount Pleasant line, for in
stance, Is well dressed city sort Of
person, while the Wisconsin avenue line
is country person. Both run from the
heart of the city to the suburbs, but
each retains its individuality.
These characteristics are given by the
men and women who ride them every
day, going to and from work, morning
and evening, or coming into the city
shopping or pleasure bound.
Like all the machines, mechanismS,
devices used by man, street cars come
to take on the features, traits, peculiar
tiles of those who use them. Strictly
speaking, a car on one line Is like one
on the other, but every one knows that
there Is a difference.
Unconsciously one lifts over from the
thousands of people who patronize one
line or the other appearance, dress and
manners, and fastenS them tightly on
the cars and the entire lines, so that in
the end the line itself takes on per-
sonality Of It's own.
When a Washingtonian thinks of the
Mount Pleasant line he sees far more
than so many miles Of track, so many
hundreds Of cars, so many motormen,
conductors, inspectors, and SO on.
He sees, even before the patrons, the
streets along which the cars run, and
the houses which line those streets.
The right Of way, or franchise, is the
basic personality of any car line. AS
the streets are, so will be its patrons,
atty.
Dupont Circle sets the tone for the
Mount Pleasant street car line. It did
so in the beginning, long before there
were any residences at Eighteenth street
and Columbia road, or farther out to-
ward Mount Pleasant street and Park
road.
The graceful curve at the circle,
which then was not crowded with trat-
flc, and therefore was more beautiful,
settled once and for all the destiny OF
this line. 1t was to be way of mod
erately well-of people, and even Of rich
people.
There were to be city people, in the
full sense Of the word, the sort OF men
and women sometimes referred to-but
erroneously-as snobs. Many OF them
came from mansions. but most from
comfortable, well kept dwellings.
X \ r
Riders on this car line mostly dress
well, use the latest toilet preparations,
read books, magazines. newspapers,
keep up with the times. like the theater.
They are cosmopolites - in other
words, the true type of city people.
Right here, let us get out Of our collec-
tive heads an idea which may linger in
some of our heads that there Is any
Discrimination" complex involved.
Especially does this writer wish to
avoid the appearance even of setting
nriC until ~ coRfiOrc
the city to their detriment. He hopes
that no one will draw comparisons and
impute them to him.
None are drawn here, and none meant
to be drawn. We speak merely of the
physical appearance Of street car lines,
their rights Of way and their riders.
All of these do have personalities.
If one would seek one phrase to de-
scribe the folk who habitually ride the
Mount Pleasant line, it would be nice
people"
That much-abused phrase. sometimes