Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-27

New SLEEPING CARA PALACE on
WHEKLs.-We had the pleasure, yesterday,
of looking through sleeping car which was
just turned out of shop in Adrian, Michigan,
to run on the regular line between this city
and Chicago, over the Cleveland and Toledo
and the NJ. S. and N. I. railroads,-the
popular line of which Mr.. L. NJ. Bennett,
of Chicago, has been for four years past the
affable and gentlemanly superintendent
The car was built by Mr.. John Kirby, of
Adrian, and embraces several of the best
features of three or four of the most improved
and elegant patterns of sleeping car extant.
It cost SIG, 900, and any one whohas an eye
for beauty of arrangement and artistic ex-
cellence of workmanship and consummate
finish, can easily see where every cent of
that large sun told in the ordering of this
splendid vehicular palace.
1t will accommodate fiftY-six passengers
The lower hunks or beds are formed by the
seats which slide together. On the founda-
ton thus prepared are laid the best kind Of
hair mattresses. The painted and gilded
bottoms of the upper hunks, when caught
up to their place in day time, give to the
car the effect of a e~ornice.. Touch a spring,
the bunk swings down on a hinge aud is
supported by two strong brass arms. Each
bed accommodates two persons, and these
are the most inviting beds we have ever
seen. The pillows are made of feathers, not
of stones. The sheets are changed every
day. At either end of the coach are two
family apartments SO arranged that they
have all the privacy of the cosiest bedrooms
at home. Curtains of rich Canton cloth fall
from silver rods running through the car,
and each apartment is cut off from every
other by cunning contrivances of curtains
and head and foot boards.
The hunks do not extend quite to either
end of tbs coach, but an offset is left, which
gives room at the rear for a superb wash
room and closet for the use of ladies, and a
smoking room, with an euere table, in the
front end, as well as q wash room for gents.
In the ladies wash room are small closets
for the storing of sheets, coal, etc. The
richest of English carpets is on the floor.
Window curtains are lone away with, the
windows being double, and the inner one
consisting Of ground glass. Ground glass is
also used in the splendid elevated roof of
the palace.
In the morning the bedding is all con-
cealed, so that the ear does not look all day
like a bed room. The car is made of Mich
igan black walnut. 1t is heated by a fur
mace in the centre of the coach. The FIRE,
however, is all below and outside of the car.
In each seat is a register.
Taken all in all, it is the most magnif-
cent car yet made. On inspecting it, Pres
ident Amasa Stone, jr., and superintendent
Rucker, Nottingham and others pronounced
it the chef d'OenUre of railroad architecture.
CrlY BAND-We have already stated that
efforts are being made to realize the organi-
cation of a city band in Cleveland, that the
Forest City may be, in this respect, the equal
of herselfin days before the war. Messrs.
J. NJ. Leland, John Van 0lker, F. Rein
hart and O. Heydler, musicians well known
here, propose, should they be properly en-
couraged by our citizens, to organize a first
class brass band, and a well trained and
thoroughly efficient full orchestra, the
members of which viii devote their whole
time to the practice of the art, and keep
themselves proficient in the best music.
They are confident that, if literally second
ed by the people, they can establish and
maintain an organization that will be not
only a source of delight to our citizens, but
of pride to the city. To do this, it is pro-
posed that a sufficient number Of citizens
agree to pay, each, a certain sum, which,
though small to each contributor, would
amoun to a respectable sum in the aggre-
gate, and enable good musicians from this
city and elsewhere to be engaged at fixed
salaries, and devote their whole time to the
organization. The band and orchestra thus
formed would be at the disposal of the con-
tributors to the fund, and ready for service
on public occasions, in social festivities, to
play in their parks o N summer evenings,
give ~serenadel, &c. Concerts could also be
given at intervals during the winter, under
the management of the subscribers to the
fund.
Cleveland onee had the reputation of hay
ing some of the finest musical talent in the
country. With proper encouragement its
former reputation in this respect can be
surpassed.