The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-12-05
Minute. for Dinner.n

We reproduce, from the Philadelphia
Bulletin, the following article, the sug-
yestions contained in which we are sure
will be heartily endorsed by every per
son who has had occasion to travel over
railroads:
There is great want in our American
railway system that calls loudly for re-
form. Our country is so widespread,
with great commercial and social CIR
cles at immense distances from each
other, that journeys of an extent scarce
" dreamed of in Europe are frequent
here. To pass over the hundreds and
thousands of miles which must be ira
vcrscd by the American traveller, rail
roads are necessity, and to husband
time, days and nights, sometimes for
week together, are spent in the rapidly
moving cars. These vehicles are gen.
orally constructed most luxuriously,
and, with the comfortable sleeping cars
now in general use, scores of consecutive
hours may be conveniently spent in
them while hundreds of miles of space
are passed over. But there is still one
great evil which every traveller on
American railroads experiences. We
refer to the way in which meals are
furnished along the lines of the rail-
roads. A half of twenty minutes, twice
or thrice day, crowded dining room,
hurrying and skurrying, an Ill as
sorted meal, gobbled down hastily and
unhealthy, while the feeder is in con-
slant apprehension that the jangling
bells and screaming whistles outside
are giving the signal for the starting of
the train; a handing over of seventy
cents to the proprietor of the eating
house; q rush for the cars, and this is
dinner. How unsatisfactory it is, every
traveller we'll understands; how pigglsh
il is, every one can see, and how I'M
wholesome it must of necessity be, Is
self-evident.
But it is always easier to point out an
evil than to devise remedy for 1t.
Time is too precious on railway lines to
permit more than the orthodox twenty
minutes allowed for meals; while re-
freshment cars do not seem to answer
the desired purpose, judging from the
fact that they have been discontinued
on roads where they were formerly in
use. The French system seems to be
the least liable to objection of any that
we have heard of. On some of the rail
roads in France, the person who desires
to dine is furnished with decent dim
ner, that is, neatly packed in basket
that is contrived for the purpose. The
meal is supplied hot, and the traveller
partakes of it leisurcly and comforta-
bly, while he is speeding onward on
his Journey. At station further along
upon the road the baskets are gathered
together, and they perhaps go back to
their original starting point with the
supper of some other traveller.
There is a fine field in respect to rail
road victualling for the exercise OF
Yankee ingenuity. The French system
furnishes hint which might be improv-
ed upon, aud little mechanical SKILL
and little judicious organization
might contrive plan that would ena-
bic the traveller to partakc OF his meals
with decency and comfort. But anything
short of absolute starvation would be
preferable to the present twenty mill
utes' scramble at the roadside eating
- Who will ho tho boncfactor OF
travelling humanity, by furnishing a
remedy for this one great defect of our
American railway system?