The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-08-31
The English Railroad Car.

Itisa long time before au American
becomes tired OF looking at an English
railway car, says the Danbury man.
Then he becomes very tired oft. They
call them carriages here, and very
proper name it is, as they arc coach.
bodied. In size, they are one.third
shorter and one.third narrower than
the American car, and OF rather plain
exterior.
It is well.known fact, that they are
divided into class compartments. Each
car has three or four OF the compart.
ments, and oil the classes, go tho third.
class man makes Just the same speed Us
does his loftier neighbor, who rides
first.class, and Is separated from him
by merely m inch.boa PARTON.
The compartments run across the
carriage, with entrances at the sides OF
the carriage, or end Of the compart-
ment. There is seat on each side,
made TO hold five persons. When ten
people have got into compartment,
they just gil its seating capacity, and
no one is allowed 10 enter It. There is
a window each side OF the door, and o
glass slide in the door. The lamp Is in
the ceiling, and is supplied and lighted
from the roof. Consequently, there is
no breakman straddling tho seats before
you, in pair Of alarmingly frail
pants.
When you are seated, your knees
and the knees OF the party opposite,
can shake hands without rising. The
upholstering Of the compartments
makes the class A flrst-class compart-
ment is cushioned with blue.black
cloth, and the sittings are divided by
arm.rests. The cushions in the second.
class are OF leather, and there are no
arm.rests. The cushioning OF the third.
class compartments is performed by
nature.
In riding from Derby, the central
point in England, 10 London, q distance
Of 1870 miles, you pay six dollars aud
half to sit on blue.black cloth cush.
ion; four dollars and half to sit on
o leather cushion; and two dollars and
seyenty.five cents 10 sit on board.
One naturally wonders how these cars
are heated, and 1t is only when he learns
that they are not heated at all, that his
wonder perceptibly diminishes.
The result OF this style OF car Is that
you are obliged TO take your seat before
the car starts, which is not always
pleasant or convenient, and to remain
Ijust there, however offensive your COM
panions may be, until the train reaches
tho next station. This confinement To
one small space makes travelling more
wearisome than IL is in our country.
But you never have 10 give up your
seat TO o lady, for II there is.no vacant
sitting, she Is not permitted to enter |;
and there is no boy with q steam.
whistle voice knocking into fragments
your discourse with the man across the
aisle, and poking you back OF the car
with q box OF books, or filing your lap
with opprobrious candy.
And 1t may be well 10 mention also In
this connection that there is no boy 10
come along with glass OF ice-water,
when you are sweltering with heat and
smothering with dust. l came near for.
getting that.
There is the advantage OF q good loaf
and smoke II you happen to be alone in
the compartment, which quite fre.
quently happens by accident, II you
have taken the precaution to "see the
conductor.
Tho frst.claSs compartments are not
so largely patronized as Americans i'm
agine, or as they would be were they
in vogue in America, where "appear-
ance Is almost everything. They have
a saying here that "None but princes,
Americans and fools ride first-ciass." /
don't know anything about princes and
fools, but l can see delicate apprecia-
ton Of the American character In the
proyerb that appears almost super.
natural.
Tradesmer, the better class Of farm.
ers, tourists, reduced gentlemen, and
wealthy people fond OF economy, pa
tronizo the second.class, while the
third.class is o mixture OF good, bad,
and Indifferent. Many wl.o patronize
frstclass in winter prefer the cool
boards Of the third.class in mid.sum-
mer in preference to the dusty cushions
and sweaty leather OF tho other class.
But I have known n piece OF board to
communicate q great deal OF warmth in
the summer time, when was q boy.