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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1880)
THE WEST SHORE. February, 1880. RAILROAD MANNERS. BY J. A. CRUZAN. Some enterprising publisher ought to get out forthwith a new edition of Chesterfield's hook on politeness, with b supplementary chapter, by some American Chesterfield, on "Good Manners in Traveling." A railway train, or a crowded steam boat, is an excellent place to study character. There the true man and woman arc seen. People at home are under bonds, so to speak, to conduct themselves in a respectable manner. If they do not they forfeit the good opinion of those whose favor is of value to them. Away from home, among strangers whom they never saw before, and expect never to see again, and whose good opinion they think of no money value to them, they act out their real nature that is, unmitigated, abominable selfishness. Take, for example, Mcrcator. When at home, he is a seller of dry goods. Politeness is part of his capital. A gruff, uncivil style of speech, or un pleasant, annoying habits, woidd cost him hundreds or thousands of dollars annually. Mercator knows this. So, in addition to silks, laces, and calicoes, he keeps a stock of pleasant words, smiles, bows, and inoffensive personal habits. Hut Mercator, on the train or steamboat, is a different man. I le looks around. None of his customers are present. He stands on the guards of the steamer, near the ladies' cabin, and puffs the strangling fumes of tobacco in the very faces of disgusted and nause ated women. On the train, he does the same, while he stands on the platform, and when he comes inside claims three times as much space as he should. What cares Mercator for the discom fort of others ? The store manners are not now in demand "there's no money in it !" Being a gentleman at home only in the way of business, he now sees no necessity for being a gentleman at all. So all the selfishness and mean ness of his nature come to the surface. Miss Mcllillud, at home, is a model of feminine gentleness. Her graceful virtues, and politeness, make her an ornament of society. Report has it that she is "in the market," with " great expectations." She, too, is bound over to keep the peace. At home one rude speech, one unladylike act, one glimpse of selfish rudeness, might be gossipeil all about town, and do serious damage to her " great ex pectations." Hut away from home, the foul atmosphere of the car or the odor of the steamer, seem to infect her char acter. She is rude, haughty, selfish, and shows no regard for the rights or comfort of others. I've seen her in a crowded railway train spread her volu minous skirts, wraps, and traveling out fit, over two whole scats; and when respectable people asked her, " Is this scat taken ?" I've heard Miss M. forget all about the commandments and lie ! At the same time she said to every person in the car, very plainly : " Not withstanding my fine clothes, you sec I am not a lady. I am only a very common, coarse woman at heart, thinly veneered !" Boreas rushes in hot baste through the car, brushes heavily against people, knocks off a hat or two, plunges Into a scat without a word to the person al ready seated In it, drops his traveling hag on the stranger's toes, and shouts, "Hello, Jim, is that you ?" to someone at the other end of the car. Then he begins to spit tobacco-juice on the lloor; the puddles sprei'd right and left, far and wide, an insult to every clean per son. Now these persons, all three, are not bad people, however disagreeable. They do these things more from thoughtlessness than malice. In fact, there is great need for all who travel and who, in this day of easy, rapid transit, does not f to have their memo ries refreshed in regard to the rights and duties of travelers. Some one has laid down four rules for railroad traveling, which would add greatly to the sum of human happiness, if they were pasted inside every hat and bonnet. They arc : 1. A person who has paid for a ticket is entitled to just one seat. If the passengers are few, he may be al lowed, as a matter of courtesy, tO Oc cupy more. But he has a claim on hut one seat. 2. He can establish a claim to his seat only by taking possession of it, 3. If there is a vacant place by his side, he has no authority over it to ay who shall occupy it. Any one who chooses to claim (hat vaCMl place has a right to it. If yon don't want to sit by him, you are the one who must move. 35 (. A person lenving his scat, even for a few minutes only, cannot justly claim it again unless he has in some way notified new-comers that the place is taken. Any article, package, travel-ing-bag, etc., left in the seat, is suffi cient pre-emption title. These are very plain, just, common sense rules. If they were only im pressed on the memories of nil travel ers, much rudeness and discomfort would be avoided. Let me give two additional general rules for all kinds of traveling by pub lic conveyance : 1. Travelers should conduct them selves in such a manner as will not needlessly interfere with the enjoyment of others. It anybody is rude, or over hearing, infringing on our rights, we may quietly defend ourselves from im position. But while those around us are courteous, we should he careful that no one outdoes us in courtesy. If we are surrounded by boors, then all the more need that we set them an example of true courtesy. 2. Ages before Chesterfield, there lived the truest gentleman that ever walked the earth. He traveled ex tensively through his native land. An old hook containing a brief digest of hi'- conversations lies ny desk as I write this article. In it I find the mosi comprehensive of ali rules for the guidance of travelers" Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even so to them." Waha prairie, south of Lewiston, Idaho, offers a good location for many settlers, The most favorably located claims are already taken up, ami many arc extensively cultivated. The over age of grain to the acre is bushels of wheat, 50 of oats and 30 to .10 of barley. Vegetables of all kinds grow in great abundance on sod lands. The prairie is but sparsely watered, the streams following the eunyons. But water is generall v'l'oiiiid hy digging from live to thirty feet. The timber for fencing ami budding is on Craig's moun tain, about fifteen miles from I.cwiston, but the winding roads around the moun tain makes the distance to good timber fully twenty -five or thirty miles. Then is u sawmill in Lawman, one on the mountain and one located up the Clearwater. They can be reached by u gradual incline down the canyons from the table hinds. The country is settled mostly by cailf men, many htviflg their families with them.