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.