Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-08-17
PRIVATE CARS,
How Vanderbilt, Gould, and other
Railroad kings Fare ON the Rolls
Cars that Are Complete Houses or
the Most Elegant sort President
Jewetts seventy Foet Palace.
New York Sun.


that President Leland Stanford OF the
Central Pacific Railroad has ordered
| that a palacecar be built in Sacrament
! 10 for his wife. 1t is to be finished Ell
tirely according to her suggestions, and
will cost 5000 or $4,000. Handsome
as it will doubtless be, it will not be the
most expensive private palace car in
the country. Mr.. Stanford and the
builders must have rare taste, and
must have seen many others, if they
purpose 10 make 1t the most beautiful
Of lis kind.
1t is said that Mr.. William II. Van
derbilt's car is the most expensive
private vehicle of any kind in the world
Its cost is said to have been $40 600.
1t Is by no means the most complete
and seryiceable, and it has no need to
be, for 1t suits the pleasure of that rail
road monarch to ride only in the day
time If he ever departs from this rule
the Wagner sleeping-car Duchess is
coupled on behind his coach, and
nothing remains to be wished for then
by night or by day. His car is named
the Vanderbilt; and whereas the exter-
Tors of all other private cars are modest
III color and simple III ornament, this is
yellow, and bears on each of its sides,
three oil paintings in panels. One rep
resents the Grand Central Depot, an
other the entrance to the Fourth aven-
ne sunken track, another Niagra Falls,
and others High Bridge and Suspension
Bridge. 1t is longer than Il Pullman
car, and its windows are wide and long.
1t Was built in the shops of the New
York Central Railroad. The interior
suggests a palmer taste, and, though
every appointment is of the best, com
fort was more sought there than ee-
gance. One half the interior is a grand
saloon, walled in by big plate glass
windows tastefully draped, and furnish
ed with a table and plush-covcred arm
chairs and lounges. This saloon serves
as an observation room and dining room
rs we'll The other half of the coach is
subdivided into smaller appartments-a
kitchen and pantry together Baker
heater in closet by itself with pipes
running from it all around the sides of
the car, passage way, toilet room and
a private sittlng-room containing up
holstered furniture. One of the end
platforms is very wide, and when the
lids over the steps are shut down there
is room upon it for several armchairs,
in which Mr.. Vanderbilt and his guests
may sit out of doors and get an unob-
structed view Of the country they may
be passing through,
Until recently every private car had
an observation platform, rs it is called,
but it has been found that its looks
promise more enjoyment than it yields.
| The rate of speed does not have to
be tremendous to cause a dust-laden
undercurrent of air and smoke and
cinder weighted upper current to curve
IN at the end of the car and be hurled
upon that platform as though the train
were a prodlglous suction.pump and
that was its mouth. Pretty nearly all
the coveted advantages of the observa.
on-platform are gained in the latter
patterns of private cars by windows
that reach to the floor on both sides of
the back door.
Mr.. Vanderbilt.has inherited his.fathers
fondness fol- fast travelling, and, in a
lesser degree, the old Commodore's par
TALLY for what is known in railroad
parlance rs going special which ID
travelling with a special engine, on spec
ial time, and without regard to the
trains and traffic OF the road. Jim Fisk
Jr., was noted for exercising his ability
to travel in that royal way. He had an
engine hitched to his special car on the
Erie Railroad on two minutes notice.
and before he stepped into the car it
was his custom to pause at the cab OF
the engine and say to the engineer,
Nov, go rs fast as you can" In
these days, however, partly because
there Is less fondness for display among
the railroad men, and partly because
the rate of speed for passenger trains
has been greatly raised during the past
five years, special coaches almost IN
variably run at the end of regular ex.
presses.
Less than a month ago Mr. Vanderbilt,
invited few friends to go with him in
his palace coach on tour of his roads
by daylight. In distance the journey
was greater than if Europe had been
the destination The party was to STOP
in hotel in some big city every night
and Toledo was to be the end Of the
first days run. The distance is 69l
miles, yet Mr.. Vanderbilt, although he
did not leave New York until nearly s
O'Clock in the morning, expected to
make it by or before dark. 1t was after
ten o'clock that night when he reached
there, and yet the run was a good
one. The passengers said that, although
mile after mile was made at the rate OF
mile a minute, and SO miles was made
in an hour, they could not realize that
they were going at no ordinary rate OF
speed. This they explained by the fact
| that the car was mounted on paper
wheels of extra size, is strong, very
heavy, and well balanced. Much de-
pends.on the engineer, who, if he slows a
little on curves, and in stopping, start
ing, aud in altering the rate Of speed
moves gradually, may deceive the pass
enger with a comfortable, even motion.
If be is clumsy and thoughtless
they will be all but thrown from their
seats on curves, and rendered half sick
by the Juggling and jolting of sudden