Street-car Studies

"It looks very easy to be t streetcar conductor, to ride around the city all day and collect nickels from the passenge rs. but tho conductora have nuinerous trials and their lot, taken all in all, is not a happy one." So said one oí the hard-worked ticket-punchprs. "One of our worst annoyance is womeu," hc contined. "I have alVravs been a grent ladies' man, but you seldom meet one of tho wcaker sex who has any business fooling around a street-car. They are as ignorant as children, and whenever they make auy mistakes of course the conductor is blamed. For one thing, it is yery dangnrous to get off a car backward but if you'll notice ninety-nine vromen out of one hundred junip off in tuak way. Another thing: Suppose a wonian Is seatod near the front door in a crowded car. When she desires to ge off she scorns to depart by the nearest exit Nothing will satisfy her but t plow through the car, crowding the unhappy pnssengers and niaking thinga miserable for tliem. Wliy does she do thisP l'm sure I don't know. I doubt II the woman does oitlier. It's }usl her nature to. That's all. "Chicago is a cosmopolitan city, and I can altnost teil a maa's nationality by the way he gets ou a moving car. A Frenchman seizes the rod, runs along for sonie distanco. and then hops on much pleased witli himselt A German seldom jmups on, and whea he noes is generally in a bad humor. A Scotchman rushes uiadly aloug with the car, tinally grasping "the rod and getting aboard. A Chinanian alwavs waits till the car is at a dead standstill before ho ventures aboard. But atrita American swings on as gracefully as a veteran railroader. There are severa) young girls eniployed in downtowa stores who ride with me regularly. They are all good jumpers and Uier is one I wouUl back against aiy man in Chicago." "Are y ou luuch troubled with spoltersP" aaked the reporter. "Well, thore are some on this line. bnt they aro usually knowu to us. and their prcsence would be but a slight check if a man wanted to bedishoocsL Do yon know," lio cunUnued, earnestly, "I thlnk the best way to get honest conductora is to pay the nien good salaries." This conductor soemed to be aa inteilii'iii man and to understaud what he wns lalking about -