The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-07-27
Perils Of sleeping Cars. : !,

GEhAb OA GACCPhhB SON6
!. There is good deal Of interest
manifested these days on the part Of
the American people relative to the
matter of separate sleeping cars for
the two sexes. Eisa move in the
right direction, and we hope it will
win. AS it is now, no gentleman
travelling alone is safe. - es
Several months ago, entirely alone,
we travelled from Laramie to Chica!
go and back, making the round,trip
with no escort whatever. Our wife
was detained at home, and that en-
tire journey was made with no one
towhom we could look for protection,
When we returned our hair had
turned perfectly whiteiwith the 'hor:
l.ror Of those dreadful nights. ]. Z.
There Nas one iSpman. .ffcm Rhil1
ruetlshte, ''fsHosoStuut we VIII not
mention, and who rode sll the way
between Omaha and Chicago in one
car. Almost the first thing when we
started out Of Omaha she began to
make advances toward us by asking
us if we would not 'hold her lunch
basket while she went after drink.
She also asked US for our knife TO
peel an orange. Al 10 ~.
These things look small and insig.
nificant, but in the light of later de.
velopments they are Of vital impor-
tance. -
That evening we saw with horror
that the woman's section was ad-
joining our own. 7.saSl
We asked the conductor If this
could not be changed; but he laughed
coldly and told us to soak our head,
or some such unfeeling remark
That is one bad feature of the pres
ent system. A man travelling alone
gets no sympathy or assistance from
the conductor. i''i' .'s
1t would be impossible to describe
the horror and appreciation of that
awful night. All through its vigils
we suffered on till near morning,
when tired nature yielded, and We
fell into troubled sleep.
There we lay, fair and beautiful
in the soft gray of approaching day,
thousands Of miles from our home,
and less than ten feet away, great
horrid woman from Pennsylvania, to
whom we had not even been introdu-
ced. a"
How we could have slept SO sonnd.
ly under such circumstances we are
yet unable to tell, but after perhaps
twenty minutes of slumber we saw,
above the footboard Of our berth and
peering over at us, the face of that
woman. With "a wild bound we were
on our feet in the aisle of the car
The other berths had all disappeared
but ours. a. tase. .l.t
The other passengers were sitting
quietly in their seats, and it was half
past 8 o'clock. The woman from
Pennsylvania was in the day coach.
1t was only a horrid dream.
But supposing it had been reali-
ty! And any man that travels alone
is liable to be insulted at tany time
We do not care for luxury in travel
ing. All we want is the assurance
that we are safe. ~ t,
The experience which we have
narrated above is only one of a thous.
and. Did you note the care worn
look Of the man who is travelling a.
lone? The wild, haunted expression
on the countenance and the horrible
apprehension that is depicted there?
You may talk about the various
causes that are leading men down
ward to earlygraves, but'the nervous
strain induced by the fear that while
they are taking out their false teeth
or buttoning their suspcnders, pry.
ing eyes are looking over the foot
board of their berths, is constructing
more new.made graves than con-:
sumption or the Ute war.-Nye's
Boomerang.
Tka ol;ko, &c ~ uualu.I. n