Big city trolley lines, just by virtue of their size, often became very impersonal, although in cases when the same crews worked for years over a residential line, this impersonality might be less. However, in smaller communities, where people were much more likely to know most of the other people, the overall atmosphere tended to be much less formal and more flexible.

Fontaine Fox’s “Toonerville Folks” comic strip, with its decrepit trolley line “that meets all trains,” lovingly lampooned this informality. But, although set in a humorously exaggerated form, the events in the strip often weren’t all that different from the reality of some small town operations. Streetcar crew often did take a letter to post at the station or pick up a loaf of bread for old Mrs. Jones whose “rumatiz” was acting up, and the favors might be reciprocated with half a dozen freshly made cookies for the crew.

Pictures: 1) Ashtabula #9, 2) Ironton #15, 3) Lancaster #1 & 4) Mt. Vernon #1. All Columbus Metropolitan Library.