NATIONALITY ON A TRAMCAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7782, 30 October 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

NATIONALITY ON A TRAMCAR.

The conductor of a tramcar on one of the avenues of Chicago had held his hand at the bell strap above his head until his arm became numb and dropped nervelessly at his side. " It makes me wild to see people so slow," he said, after snatching viciously at the strap and making the bell ring a couple of anathemas at the lady who was picking her way to the sidewalk. " These Uermans harrow the souls of street car conductors." 11 Does one nationality get off a car different from another?" was asked. Well, I should say so. The cars that run into German settlements are allowed longer schedule time than the others, to allow the residents time to get on and off. The men are no better than the women. The men sit and talk to each other until the car stops for one of them. He shakes hands all around and wobbles out of the door. An idea comes to him when he reaches the car step, and he sticks his head in the doorway for a last word. These people are slow about getting their ready, too, and they never seem to know when they have talked enough." " What nationality gets off the car the quickest?" "The American bom | citizen can get off a car and walk a block before the German has made up his mind whether he wants to leave it at all. American women never move until the car is stopped. Then they get up and step down quickly. The girls don't wait for the car to stop to get on or off. Once I ran a car on West ludiana-street, where the people are Americans—those who belong to the working classes. I have often started down town with a load of working girls, and never stopped till I reached Statestreet. Nearly every girl would be off the car, Having jumped before the car had stopped. The Irish and French get off a car pretty well, bat the Poles and Bohemians are ; slower." Who are the best passengers ?" < "The coloured people, by all odds. Every i coloured man, woman, and child has his J nickel in his hand before the conductor gets < round. -If a coloured man gets on the car 1 with a family of ten children every one of t them will have his or her fare in hand, t They get on and off the car without delay, t because they are American citizens." . ; (