Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-18
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

many things which interest me now, in
q grown state, simply did not exist at
all then, as far as my memory goes.
ION a street car you run into all sorts
and conditions Of men. II you are
finicky about your personal habits, you
will sit next to people who need baths.
IF you dislike oeing touched by
strangers, you viii be pushed and SHOW
ed and jammed. They will stumble over
you, poke you in the back Of the neck
with their papers. and punch you in
the ribs with their umbrellas.
Women, in particular, have most
uncouth methods of carrying umbrellas
on public vehicles, especially street cars.
I do not know why it is the street car
brings out more unpleasant traits than
buses. Perhaps 1t Is simply that there
are more people in car.
Many women hold an umbrella
clutched under the left arm, not with
the point down, as you might think
natural, but with the implement held
almost. horizontally.
This makes 1t a nenacing weapon,
one fit to punch out an eye, or impale
an ear with If you innocently think
to dodge the ferrule, do 1t secretly, for 1t
the lady sees you lodging, she imme-
diately becomes offended. There you
have some of those mental toes I was
talking about.
"Ill bet you can't guess what hap
pened to friend of mine on a street
car the other day." went on Templeton
Jones.
He got up to give his seat to a lady,
and sudden start Of the vehicle threw
him against one of the brass hand
holds.
HE has been in the hospital ever
since
THAT ought to cure any man Of the
lingering custom OF getting up to give
a woman a seat. Think OF the argu-
ment you have when some standing
lady glowers down at you'll
Madam you can declare I would
get up and give you this seat, but a
friend of mine is now in the hospital
because he did 1t, and can't afford TO
take q chance
sometimes I think you can't please
people on street cars, no matter what
YOU do. Maybe one has poor fortune
In getting seated next to certain types
of humanity.
Occasionally a friend will play a
JUNG lOA AL VIC AAoAAS Va oNA ecu N&A
merriment.
You know about that incident Of
mine and the man who glared at me
because I couldn't move ever any
farther. He thought I wouldn't move
over, you know.
well, a friend of mine happened to
read about that and he thought he
would play little joke on me.
so when he saw that he had man
aged to board the car without my seeing
him he took a seat directly behind me
and began to unfold his paper.
Il felt a good punch on my right
shoulder, but. being in a forgiving frame
of mind, thought no more of 1t until he
fluttered the paper some more and
picked me vigorously In the neck.
This was almost too much, but I
have matriculated In the street car
school of manners and am proving my
self ready scholar.
$50 I said nothing even when he
kept rasping the back of my neck with
the sheet. My attention was diverted
by a large lady who lunged into the
side seat ahead of me and fell mostly
on my left knee.
Ibid hurt you?' asked the large
lady.
mot at all, madam I assured her.
You are well padded 1t was a good
joke and we both enjoyed it. 1t kept
me from bawling out the man behind
me, when he gave me a tremendous
thump in the back of the neck. If it
hadn't been for the fat lady I probably
would have got my name in the paper
again -