The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-07-07
Perils of Sleepinp Cars,

There is a good deal of interest man
ifested these days on the part of the
American people relative to the matter
Of separate sleeping cars for the two
sexes. II is move in the right direc-
ton, and we hope it will win. As it is
now, no gentleman travelling alone is
safe.
Several months ago, entirely alone,
we travelled from Laramie TO Chicago
and back. making the round trip with
no escort whatever. Our wife was de-
tanned at home, and that entire journey
was made with no one 10 whom we
could look for protection.
When we returned our hair had turn
ed perfectly white with the horror Of
those dreadful nights.
There was one woman from Philadel-
phia, whose name we will not mention,
and who rode all the way between
Omaha and Chicago in one car. Al
most 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.
These things look small and insig-
niiicant, but in the light of latter deyel-
opments they are of vital Importance.
That evening we saw with horror that
the woman's section was adjoining our
own.
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 present
system. A man travelling alone gets
no sympathy or assistance from the
conductor.
1t would be impossible TO describe the
horror and appreciation of that awful
night. All through its vigils we suffer
ed on till near morning, when tired ma
turs yielded, and we fell into troubled
sleep.
There we lay, fair and beautiful, in
the soft gray OF approaching day, thou
sands Of miles from our home, and, less
than ten feet away, u great horrid wo-
man from Pennsylvania, to whom we
had not even been introduced
How we could have slept so soundly
under the circumstances we arc. yet un-
able 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 wild bound we were on our feet
in the aisle of the car. The other berths
had all disappeared but ours.
The other passengers were sitting
| quietly in their seats, and it was half
past nine o'clock. The woman from
Pennsylvania was in the day coach.
1t was only horrid dream.
But supposing it had been a reality
And any man that travels alone is liza
bic to be insulted at any time. We d,
not care for luxury in travelling. AL
we want is the assurance that we ar,
safe.
The experience which we have mar
rated above is only one Of thousand
Did you note the care-worn look Of TIN
man who is travelling alonep The wild
haunted expression on the countenanc
and the horrible apprehension that
depicted thercp
| You may talk about the various cause
that are leading men downward to earl
graves, but the nervous strain induces
by the fear that while they arc takin
out their false teeth OF buitoning thei
suspenders, prying eyes are lookin
over the foot-board Of their berths,
constructing more new-made grave
than consumption or the Ute war;
Mes Boomerang. ,.....-