Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-05-23
sLBEPING-cAR FAKES.
Cost or Operating Pullman's Palace
turs.

! NudUclOn, ~ scNefNi states, OF DlllS re-
ducing by one quarter or one half the
present chalgct for sleeping car accommo.
dnlions There is no doubt that laws com.
pclIing slccping.car owners tu furnish
bciths iur 25 or 50 cents each would he
popular" ~ nl legislation against that
peculiarly heinous crime known ~ "cnpi-
tai is with the unthinking masses: but
we do not believe that the intelligent and
honorable men forming the majority of the
members Of Legislatures intend to pass un-
just or oppressive laws the object OF which
is To take orc mans property and give it
to anollcr, siully b,catlse the other man
wants it and We believe that il will re-
quire but n moments Intelligent reflection
to show that the movement contemplated
by these bills is neither warranted by Jus.
tice nor honesty, nor rs q matter OF policy.
The splendid sleeping car system of
Americnn railways is one Of their greatest
contributions TO The comfort aud safety Of
the travelling public. II affords accommo.
datiOns vastly superior TO hose offered in
any other country, and is the object OF
censcess admiration and praise on the part
of foreigners travelling over our long lines
Of communication. 1t is hut n few years
since the first sleeping. cara rude adaptn-
tion OF the ordinary coacl-was nltemp.
ted and it is much more recently that
the necessity of frequent changes Of cars
by day and night in journey over several
roads, was obviated by the establishment
of continuous sleeping car lines, by means
Of which not only the hurried business.
man, but solitary women, children, and
invnlids, are conveyed in u luxurious car
half way across the continent without
change, and with astonishing ease aud
| freedom from anxiety
! We believe every candid traveller will
admit that there is no expense Of his ionrn-
ey which lie pays 20 willingly, and with
such feeling OF receiving an equivalent,
as that OF his Sleeping and drawing room
car accommodations. lie does not often,
| however, stop TO consider what an outlay
OF money, skill, and executive ability is
required to provide him with his exclusive
| privileges. The car in which lie rides cost
twice ~ much as residence of the better
class; trained servants prepare his easy
couch and minister to his call the most
perfect and expensive appliances for heat
ing, lighting, ventilation, and the toilet
minister TO his health aud enjoyment, aud
the great strength Of framework and in
creased weight-the best seeping-cars
weigh from Two to four tons more than the
ordinary coaches, neccsSitatiug, OF course,
greater expense in moving lhem-canse a
delightful stendiness Of motion and greatly
diminish the danger in case Of accident
In the ordinary car the passenger takes
his chauCgs Of scat when he enters In
the sleeping ear he is the absolute owner,
for the journey, of a certain selected nor
ton, the purchase of but one berth euli-
tling him to II whole seat or twice the
space belonging to him in the day car
The possession OF that berth means that
the railway company must draw about
| 200 pounds Of dead weight for him in
dividnally in excess of the average dead
weight per passenger in II day car. This
is ON the supposition that every berth is
occupied, bu. as Il matter OF fact the whole
twentf-six or twenty eight tons of the car
are often hauled for the accommodation of
hall dozen persons, or even II less num-
Der. Secure III the possession OF his berth
section, state-room, or drawing room. the
favored passenger can sleep, sit, read write,
eat, converse, or, comfortably stretched out,
gaze through the wide plate-glass windows
at the flying landscape. The wealth Of a
railway bOndholder can not give greater
luxury or privacy in travelling than the
poorest man can command for 81 for a
journey of hundreds of miles. Is there any
need for further State laws in behalf Of
this favored traveller?
Looking on the side OF the sleeping.car
owners, would any further restrictive leg
IslntiOn he just, or have even the semblance
OF justice? a large amount OF money is
invested in this public service. The Pull. !
man Company, for instance, represents a
cash outlay OF about Sl2,000,000, aud yet,
this great venture pays only 8 per cent |
dividends, and its shares are quoted ut so |
cents on the dollar. This cash investment
includes the large works in Detroit, en-
ploying some 700 men mainly in repa irins |
the cars. Enormous as is the outlay for
the cars themselves-appropriatelv termed /
palaces, the continuous outlay for |
maintaining the cars aud their furnishings |
the rich seat coverings, the mattresses. |
linen curtains, towels, soap, brushes, combs
and the many articles, large and small !
that make mp the furni IRE Of Il wei reg !
nlated palace cur, is much beyond the pop. |
ular estimate. The annual average cost of |
operating Il Pullman car. including its re- |
pilrs, together with maintenance of up.
holStery, bedding, and equipments, and
pay OF employees, is about $1,000. The
average number of trips per annum, in
cludlng the whole number of cars run hy
the Pullman Company is 1885, To earn
the mere cost of maintaining and running
without any return to the owners, the num-
oer oi berlhS sold must average seven per
night. And yet who has not seen n long
tram OF these palaces starting out with the !
greater part OF the seats vacant, each car
with a seperate destination? For it will
not do to concentrate the passengers in
one or two cars and require them to change
at lhe several functions Each important
city must have its "throngh cars" and
they must run with unhilins regularity.
lull or empty. 1t must be remembered.
too, that he Company must own large
number OF cars to meet the demand in the
season OF heavy travel, which have to be
laid up in the winter.
One very heavy item OF expense is the
car service. In addition to the conductor
aud porter Of each car many other en-
ployes are required in the general conduct
OF business The Pullman Cnmpany-we
reier to It as itS organization is the most
Systematic and facts in regard to it are
most readily Obtainahle-hns q thoroughly
system OF inspectors, who are
moving over the 80 900 miles of
lines upon which the 600 cars Of the Com
pany run, noting the efficiency aud depon-
ment ol every conductor and porter, max.
ing his conduct according to Il certain
scale OF excellence, and making formal
report To their immediate chiefs. The ad.
mirable discipline of this service is not the
result OF luck; it comes from thorough
system requiring the exercise Of constnn:
waIchlulness aud higher order Of execu-
tive ability system whose ramfcations
extend over u network of connecting lines
from Halifax to Houston, from the sea
coast To S.. Paul
The splendid courage of capital that has
risked millions in establishing this intri.
cate business the risks OF which are great
~ increased by the fact that the contracts
are made with many different roads for
definite period in each case, aud may sud.
denly cease, aud by the perishable nature
Of the property aud its exposure to de-
struCliun hy accident i'm vnrin,ls form. . |