The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-11-18
How Passenger. are Fed at Altoona.

accommodations at Altoona, where passen
gers on the Pennsylvania Central railroad
stop for meals:
The mountain lap n which this Young
aud thriving town is seated, has an elevation
Of about ! 100 feet above the level Of the
sea. 1t is on the line of the PENNSYLVANIA
Central railroad, and at the foot. on the east
ern side Of the steep ascent Of the Alleg.
hany ridge. Many travellers going west
ward, aud arriving here at evening, clay
over for the night, that they may see by
day the picturesque scenery afforded in the
passage. And when in the cars the mex,
morning, they have nothing to regret, but
much to be thankful for. The train stops in
front of the logan House" not fifty feet
from its porch. A choice and bouutiful
supper, elegant parlors, with or without.mu.
sic, airy chambers, beds aud mattresses that
allow no sensibility Of bones, bath tubs on
the same floor, and breakfast better than
you can get at home, generally put a party
Of friends in excellent relish to fly up the
Allegheny Mountains. They are sure 10
leave unanimous verdict Of BLESSINGS on
the Logan House"
1t will not be disagreeabIe to the "trayel.
ing public" to be little more particularly
informed as to the kind of entertainment to
DO depended on at this place. 1t It's 3l3
miles from New York by the shortest route
westward, which, in my Judgment, is also
the safest and least wearing. | have tried
all the routes often enough TO compare their
merits and drawbacks and am glad to
praise the best, that the others may be stim.
u ated to do as well, or better if they can.
What the traveller most suffers from, and
grumbies about is railway station fare.
With every good reason. 1t is mostly vile,
unwholesomc stuff can give authoritative
advice as TO 81 out Of every 100 stopping
places between Boston, Washington, Chica.
go, st. Louis, &c. "Don't eat there. You
will get bad articles, badly cooked, pay
double price, and carry away six hours
headache One of the three in 100 where
this will not happen is here.
On lighting at the Logan House, you see
the unwonted convenience Of near forty
basins whereat to wash, and clean towels to
correspond Water is brOughtin pipes from
notch in the mountains, called the "kettle,
several miles distant. II gives me maig.
uGnt pleasure to name in contrast the "wash
room at Easton, on the New Jersey Central
road, where the Cincinnati night express
stops for breakfast. Within fifty feet Of a
canal, and hundred or so Of the Delaware
river, they furnish one TIN basin aud one
towel fortnight, for fifty or more passen.
gers; and they expect all to wash in the
same water. II any enterprisiug, strong.
minded woman wants clean water, she may
find q hogshead outside, round corner, with
tap that lets out stream as big as a pipe
stem, at which in half an hour she may re-
new the basin. The basins at the Logan
House are in line along the porch, extending
sixty or seventy feet each side of the dining
room door. A very important result Of this
arrangement is that the traveller has nine
teen minutes out Of the twenty for which the
train stops to eat deliberately aud IN Chris.
tian manner; whereas at places like Easton
so much time is consumed by people inter.
ruptlng each other in the washing process
that he can do nothing but snatch and run.
1t is, | verify believe, part Of the calcula'
tlOu Of railway clearinghouse keepers gener.
ally to reduce the time oC actual eating, and
to Jam people together in a squubblc, 80
that they can't swallow more than half q
meal, while they pay for Il whole one. tx.
perenced travellers have discovered this
trick, aud prefer to starve, if they have not
a homemade sandwich in reserve
The logan House" has a front Of 300
| feet or more, with wings running back. The
dining room is 100 feet long, and furnished
with short tables, at each Of which twelve
people may be comfortably seated. The floor
Is always rs clean as if it had just been
hand.scrubbed. The table.cloths are spot
less. 1t was formerly practice TO furnish
napkins, bat il became SO common for tray
c,er5 to mistake them for haudkerchiet5 and
carry them Off, that it proved too expensive.
| AS the house dimes on an average, 1000
| persons daily, from thirty or more trains, you
may infer that there is a deal Of social
| science involved in the management. Yet
there is no confusion, but perfect order and
| Quietness, expIainabe largely by the fact
that the house has no bar. A supply oil
liquors is generally considered indispensable
to make a hotel popular. But the Logan
House is popular notwithstanding. So wide
| ly is it known and appreciated, that people
when they get on the train at Cincinnati
| coming eastward, say TO each other, "We
dine Tor breakfastl at Altoona So they
say at Chicago. So they say at New York
and Philadelphia going westward. They
save their stomach5 for the Logan House
| fare. So much influence does good, whole.
some eating place exert on travellers that it
often determines them which Of several
main routes to prefer. Take notice, New
1 nj
from which last save me, o Fate
The Logan House has LOG lodging rooms,
altogether on more liberal scale than those
of any city hotel The ceilings are high,
ventilation is ample, and the furniture is
substantial and elegant. One must have
pleasant dreams, if any, on such beds and
mattresses. Every room has gas, and each
floor bathrooms aud closets. Each story
has wide Railways, with balconies at the
windows, from which you look downward on
the never ceasiug passage Of railway trains,
or upward to the tops Of the mountain rdg-
es, lust now arrayed in the sad but beautiful
colors of autumn. On the top Of the house
is look out for the Waterman of trains,
who pulls bell.rope to notify when the IA
bles must be prepared and the food dished.
The natural head Of water is sufficient tor
hose-pipes over the roof, and all through the
house. The staRm.heating apparatus is IN
separate building, and warmers are dis
tributed in the halls and parlOrs These
latter are furnished in city style, abating on.
ly the tawdryness that passes for luxury.
One of them has served as a ballroom all
summer, being left unexpected for that puF'
pose, and first rate piano gives the music.