The Republican journal., 1871-05-18
Editorial Correspondence. The Pullman
Cars
BANGOR, May 16, 1871

IL 10 u ACdlAUl 1ol Il ACWPPtPSl
man to 60 away in the midst of his labors,
leaving the weeks issue to the tender
mercies of those who often can't tell if
they try, what the absentee is driving at
in some illegible sentence. When an
editor can't revise his proof, the chances
are that he is made to tear his hair over
some absurd blunder, that makes him
wish the gods had loved him, and he had
died young. What pity that a ncwspa-
per can't be loaded like cannon, with u
fuse to send it off at the moment of pub
LEGATION, while the editor is wandering at |
his own sweet will. But it can't, lor the |
targets are moving ones, and call for a
watchful adjustment of the editorial gun
in order to hit every time.
TWAS with something of these reflections
that we took a seat in the cars at Belfast
on Tuesday morning, led away by the en-
Elements of the Palace Car Excursion
over the Maine Central. -Four or five
railroad directors and our pleasant neigh
Dor of the Age, made up Belfast's contri-
button to the occasion. The sun shone
brightly and the May morning was soft
and balmy as we moved away, shooting
over the bridges and rafting through the
rocky cuts. 1t was not because the COM
pany in the car was not pleasant, but
from a Partially for riding on the iron
horse that we took a seat in the engine cab,
with Nat. Grant, rs good IN engineer us
ever pulled a throttle. 1t is grand to feel
trembling with restrained power, and to
see the irresistible power with which he
drags the train at his heels. Onlyonce did
we wish we hadn't enlisted for the trip,
and that was when in crossing Unity pond,
we pondered on the thousands of uncaught
pickerel lurking among it weeds and
grasses To think how much enjoyment
a twenty foot bamboo, u line, a hook and
a frog would afford
At Burnham we Joined Conductor
| Gray's train, which brought with it yari
Gus dignitaries; among them we discern
| ed the ever-genial face of Mr.. Congress
man Peters. How in the world John
contrives to have so much that is attractive
in his face and repelling in his politics, we
never could understand. He should have
and remained a Democrat At kendall's
| Mills, we took from the Skowhcgan train
Ex-Gov. Coburn and Col Wildcs. The
Governor, from his ever-failing fund of
| stories was relating that on 4 similar eX-
cursion, when after the fatigue of travel
and a hearty dinner, himself and EN-Gov
Arson p. Morrill, slept the sccp Of inno-
cence and peace, some mad wags who
were holding high carnival in the other
end of the car, filled the hats and pockets
of the sleeping pair with empty cham
payne bottles! To think of two of the
chief apostles of abstinence hanging out
such signs! At Waterville, Supt. Edwin
| Moves, one of the cearest headed Of the
practical railroad men of the country,
came on board. At Augusta, Judge Rice
and several directors OF his company
joined the party, to meet the Pullmans at
Brunswick. We preferred q few quiet
hours at the capitol, and so tarried there
until the arrival of the eXcursionists, who
| left Boston at o'clock and were due ut
80
That difficulty with new ears, heated
boxes. delayed the train IN hour behind
its time-t table. But when it did come. it
bore such Il freight of celebrities, and
| such an array of railroading, professional
and journalistic talent rs is rarely seen on
one train. 1t were vain to attempt the
enumeration thereof All the roads from
Boston to the provincial line Were repre-
sented, as well as all the leading news
papers along the line.
The train consisted of five magnificent
Pullman cars, Of the sleeping and draw
ing room patterns, one common car, 4
smoking car, and Il restaurant car from
the last of which creature comforts were
abundantly dispensed. The whole was
drawn by two engines. The cars them
selves and their magnilicencc OF convent
ence, decorations and comfort, are hard
to be described. In the lack of time tc
write out our own observations, we adopt
those of contemporary, who says of the
Pullman cars
Externally it looks larger and heavier than
an ordinary monitor passenger car. is of the
Pullman unif Orm, dark color relieved by heavy
gilt panel work of elaborate design, and bears
on its side, its name in the centre of IN oval
| Its mountingS of silver, heavy carved work
and the trucks mounted on twelve wheels
| bespeak the elegance and ease to be found with
in. There you find the triumph of the designer
and artisan. On your right, as you enter the
car, is a spacious dressing-room for gentlemen
with all the conYeniences appertanin@. Across
the aisle are the storc-room for the tables, &c.
and water closet, each perfect in appoint
ments. The doors of these rooms closed give
large panel mirrors, and looking from these, in
the day time, towards a mirror paneled door II
the opposite end, one would imagine tia Sumpt-
uously furnished monitor. The seats are
upholstered in crimson plush, made of French
black walnut inlaid with Amboy wood and
gold The carpet is as beautiful and easy to
tread as that in Il genteman's paror. The
whole interior and they have heavy borders of
a deep crimson inwrought with gold in de-
sign to compare with the panelng between.
The double windows of French plate GLASS
make no noise on their glass pullcys and Sc
cures the traveller from cold in winter and dust
in summer. Around the base Of the clahorately
finished monitor is a silver framework and
from these at night are pendant the heavy,
rich drapery. These curtains fall at the ends
Of the seats. Then the movable tables between
the stters are removed; the lights in the silver
refiectors at their heads are eXtneuished and n
slide with mirror lace coneeals the lamp.
Then the cushions of the seats are drawn
toward each other and the framework becomes
bed frame wide enough for two persons.
Sideboards put up from the backs of each seat
form what is called sections, and of these there
are ten. comprising the space of two seats each
What was admired for its paneling in wood
and gold, having raised medallion centre and
extending on sweep from above the seats to
the top of the car is let down the same rs Il par
lcr bedstead, and resting on the tops of the seat
backs gives an upper berth large enough for
two more persons. Thus in each section you
have two beds with spring mattresses and
comfortable furnishings. The blankets and
linen OF The beds in the day time are placed in
the upper berth and thrown up out of sight, the