The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-23
THE AGE OF TRAVEL.
HOW THE PATH OF THE MODERN
TOURIST Is SMOOTHED.

TOURIST Is SMOOTHED.
What n Single Firm Has At accomplished ed
for the Travelling Public-Cook &
| Sons Comprehensive European Sys-
tem-Whnt tho American Branch OF
the Firm Propose Doing In This
Country.
In these days when travelling has been re-
lleved almost entirely OF the annoyance which
formerly attended a journey, We are very apt
to forget the vast improvements which have
been inaugurated. In former days travel In
Europe even was undertaken with the most
serious misglvings, and tour OF the contl-
nent, If successfully accomplished. was suff1-
cient 10 raise the tourist 10 the position oil
hero. But a wonderful change has been et'
fected, although years have been necessary to
accomplish the improvements.
The rapid extension of railways In all sec
| tions of the civilized world, the construction
of elegant ocean steamers, the arrangements
| for supplying the wants OF travellers ana Oh
providing them with comforts such as they
NAV have been accustomed, have been The
means OF developing desire TO travel, but
with all these facilities there was still some.
thing wanting, and 1t has been the fortune oil
the Messrs. Thomas Cook l. Son, OF London,
tourists and excurslonisls, whose reputation
| is now worldwide, 10 discover aud supply
| that want. The railroads themselves o1ered
ample Inducements In the way OF accommoda-
| tlons and fares to those who might wish 10
travel either for business or pleasure; the
steamship lines We'd with each other In the
elegance OF the appointments Of their vessels
and In their efforts TO make travel secure from
danger as we'll as enjoyable; steamboat lines,
too, entered the field with determlnatlon TO
do all In their power to meet the demands oi
the public for accommodations as we'll as rea-
sonable charges; and hotels of all classes
opened wide their doors for the reception OF
visitors. But still the companies In these diff
ferent branches of the carrying trade, and lhe
proprietors of the hotels at prominent places
of interest, did not supply all that was needed,
and 1t was not until the senior Mr.. Cook had
conceived the Idea and actually organized
what are now known as Cooks tours and eX-
cursions that people really began to learn how
easy 1t was to travel, and how economically
the most extensive tours could be managed.
THE SYSTEM OF THE MEssRs COOK.
Some thIrty-two years since the elder Cook
was leader In the tempel ance cause, and at
meeting held at Leicester, Eogland, pro-
posed that special train should be run on
the Midland Railway, to carry large body OF
'teetotallers to grand district meeting OF
delegates, which was soon to be held at
Loughborough." The ''idca" or inspiration,
as It really was, "took" at once, and although
Mr. Cook was only cabinetmaker, and with
out Influence with railway officials, he deter
mined 20 accomplish the project he had sug-
gested. The train was engaged, and on the
day appointed FIVE hundred passengers were
carried between the points named, distance
OF about twelve miles. This was the first
public excursion ever made in England. The
success OF this excursion. of which Mr. Cook
the elder had personal supervision, was 30
complete that he was Immediately called upon
to conduct similar excursions 10 other tem.
perapce meetings; then came demands from
superintendents and teachers OF Sabbath
schools to assist them In afording "a day out
of town" for their scholars and friends, and
then followed applications from associations
of various kinds, all anxious to secure the
services OF tho man who had shown such re-
markable talent In this particular line. These
applications were almost Invariably granted.
,Some four years after this irsC excursion
M. Cook found the demands for his services
30 pressing that he determined 10 rellnqnlsn
the cabneImakDg business and give HIS eX-
elusive attention to organizing and conducting
excursions For some time Mr.. Cook confined
himself 10 local Sexcursons, but the field OF
operations gradually extended until at length
an excursion from Leicester TO Liverpool, and
thence to South Wales, was proposed. SO
popular was this excursion that long before
the date announced for the departure lick.
cts were sold at from twenty-five to one hum
drsd per cent-ppemium." This undertaking
was remarkable success. and IRON tnal Time
forward each year has witnessed some new
development 10 the business. Scotland was
soon embraced within the reach OF excursion.
lists under the direction OF Mr.. Cook, then
France was invaded, and In the year 1867,
d,,rno ba Hniuaraai EYnnsitj0n 1ttt.r n.
countering and overcoming the most persist
eul opposition, the system of Dir. Cook was
firmly established. Then tours through Switz-
erland followed, subsequently, Italian tours,
and finally journeys 10 the East and Holy
Land were projected aud carried into eXecu-
lion. All quarters of the world can now be
visited under the direction oil this firm, the
senior member having passed through this
country only last month, having In charge a
party of tourists making the journey around
the globe for stipulated sum, agreed upon
months before starting.
COMPREHENSIVE CHARACTER OF THE SYSTEM.
In this country we have numerous summer
tours provided by railway compan!es and
steamboat lines, but the only Inducements
which are offered, excepting, Of course, the
sights which are 10 be seen, are the reduced
rates for travel, and Ia some cases the COM
bInation of railroad and steamboat lines 10 re.
lieve the monotony and fatigue to which
tourists would otherwise be subjected. The
Messrs. Cook, however, not only offer travel
ling accommodations at reduced rates, but
they also undertake to provide hotel accom-
modatiOns, and by personal conductors. who
accompany large partles, essume all lhe To-
defnable troubles which make travelling irk-
some and annoying. Their system is essen.
TALLY cooperative, embracing not only oil the
leading railway, steamship and steamboat
lines, diligences, cabs, omnibusseS aud other
modes of conveyance In Europe, on the Contl-
nent and in Asia, but also embraces hotels,
boarding.houses, restaurants, &C., 30 that at
the main office In London they are prepared
to furnish not only transportation, but can
also provide the single tourist, as well as the
largest party, with subsistence end every
other requirement at reduced rates and for a
stipulated price. A conception of the magni.
tude OF their system may be had when 1t is
stated that 1t embraces over one thousand diff
ferent combinations OF tours and excursions
through Great Britain, Cr-"nental Europe,
Asia, the Holy Land, &c. 80. yer there is
anything 10 be seen, Information to be OBJ
tained or enjoyment to be had, Cooks tours
aud excursion arrangements make the "road
easy aud the way plain" When party Of
ten or more persons desire TO take tour, q
conductor is sent With them, and the tourists
are relieved OF all the annoyance, such as
looking after baggage, worrying about arrival
aud departure OF ira ms, securing hotel accom-
modatiOnS, hiring cabs, omnibusses, mules, or
other means of special conveyance. hunting
up places Of interest, feeling walters, escaping
the eimDOrtunities of heppara and the eXtOr-