The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-04-19
The Triumph Of Art-ln Railroad Travel.

Year by year we note the footsteps of pro-
gress IN many directions. In no direction is
progress more palpable than in the facilities
offered the railroad traveller of the present day.
LOOKING back but few years, we can see
the tolllng snake-llke advance made day by
day by the emigrant's wagon, as it was slowly
but surely drawn toward shutdown by the pa
tlent OK. or the slowly moving farm morse; then
came the Old fashioned stage coach; following
closely, we had the canal packet; then th-
steamer on the lakes and rivers; then the loco
motive engine and the stage-like car. Now !!
the palatial coach, and more than palatial
drawing room and sleeping car. Yet, not
satisfied with those, that marvel of mammoth
western corporations, the Chicago Il North
Western Railway, as we stated some weeks
ago, has developed hotel cars that will. for
elegance. usefulness and real comfort, eclipse
everything OF the kind that has hitherto been
placed IN service on any road Some OF our
readers seem to have some doubts about the
merits OF hotel cars, or their superiority OF the
so-called dining car, that is run for few miles
On some roads. 81 am notiso sure about that,
said one Of our friends, as he had finished
reading our first article about these hotel
coaches that are to be run on the Omaha and
california line ofthe Chicago & North Western
hallway, II am not SO sure l would care to
take my dinner in any car, no matter how
much like palace, while it was running at
the rate OF forty miles an hour" It is saying,
THAT the faster you run the safer' Why, last
June it will be remembered, that this road
hauled from Chicago to Council b luffs, in less
than ten honr5, the now celebrated "Jarrett
and Palmer train" On that train was hotel
car. not as large, with lessl wheels under it,
poorer springs, and in no way as strong and
easy for riding in as these new oars are to be,
and yet, Mr.. Jarrett said swhile on the Chi
cago & North Western line, running at an
average rate of fifty miles an hour, we took
our breakfast as comfortably as we would in
Delmonico's, in New York.
1t is well known that the Chicago & North
Western Railway is built over the most favor
able line as to grades that could be found be-
tween Chicago and the Missouri river. with
but few curves; Its track it mostly Of heavy
steel rail, gravel ballasted. with wide roadway,
giving it permanence and solidity-it is as
smooth as floor; all its cars strong, with plenty
OF wheels under them, and with springs so
adjusted that the usual "bouncing' and oscili-
alton is reduced to the minimum. We o.
served last week that in an ordinary car the
side motion and rising, and falling Of the car
was less than half an inch, and sometimes
scarcely perceptible. We believe it will be
found that person will sill in these hotel cars
and eat or write as comfortably as he could at
tis desk or table at home; this we choose to
call the triumph of art in railway travel.
We learn that this new line of hotel cars is
being pushed in completion as fast as the full
force of workmen in the Pullman shops can
do it. We shall be certain to see them in a few
few weeks.-Cedar Rapids Republican, Feb.
1877