The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-10-12
SLEEPING CAR PROGRESS.
Railway Age

Railway Age
The Chicago, Milwaukee and ST. Paul
Railway Company, which has hitherto
operated its own sleeping cars, has con-
Guided that the popularity of its lines with
the travelling public and the interests of its
stockholders viii be better served by secur-
ing the service of the Pullman cars. 1t has
therefore concluded a contract for term
of fifteen years with Pullman's Palace Car
Company, whereby the latter acquires all
the sleeping cars run on this road, and will
henceforth conduct this branch of the ser
vice on all the 4, 500 miles or so of the rail-
way company's system. As the Pullman
Company already operates over the Unien
Pacific and Northern Pacific reaas as well
as over lines east from Chicago it has now
continuous service from the Atlantic to
the Rocky Mountains, which will soon be
extended to Oregon on the north, and very
likely also to California on the south.
This thought, however, is suggested by
the facts referred to. Would not the in
terests of the railways and the convenience
of the public be promoted, in this day of
long and frequent journeys, by the con-
into one grand system which should secure
the most perfect management and a
uniformity of excellence in accommoda-
tions on all lines2 On some routes sleep
ing cars are run at loss. and the tendency
is to make the character of the equipment
and attendance correspond. whereas a
grand consolidated sleeping car company,
running upon all the great and profitable
railway routes in the country, could afford
to maintain equally excellent accommoda-
tions on the poorest routes-indeed could
not afford to injure its reputation by in
curing the ill-will of passengers anywhere.
Consequently the travelling public would
be insured the most perfect accommodations
anywhere. Certainly the consolidation of
railway lines has operated in this way,
giving splendid road and equipment,
through cars and fast time. IN
place of the bad tracks, shabby
cars and miserable train service which
characterized the plug roads" of the ante
consolidation era. The sleeping car COM
panies are now reduced to three-the
Pullman with about 900 cars, the Wagner
with $50. and the Woodruff with about 20.
A few companies run their own sleepers-
among them at present the Baltimore and
Ohio, st. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba,
and Central Pacific. On the other hand
several companies have tried the expert
ment and abandoned it-among them the
Chicago, Rock Island s. Pacific, after about
twenty years of independent operation; the
Northern Pacific, soon to be one of the
great transcontinental lines, and the Him
dis Central for its tn, ough service. 1t il not
UNLIKELY that others of the great lines now
running their own sleepers will soon fol-
low the course of those last named.
The Pullman company now has some
900 cars running over lines in almost every
state in the Union, in Canada, Great Bri-
tain, France and Italy; it has its car shops
in four cities, and owns a city of its own
building where millions have already been
expended. Its stock is still near the top
in the market-now about 131-its De-
troit shops alone every Wednesday morn
ing turn out two costly cars for the Pull
man lines, each pair apparently a little
more elegant and tasteful than its prede
cessors; and new railways are steadily be
ing added to the number with which it
now has sleepIng-car contracts This is a
wonderful growth in the twenty five years
since George M. Pullman inaugurated his
system with a couple of passenger coaches
of the Chicago s. Alton road, fitted up
with berths for the experiment. The pres
ent vast proportions and extended popu
rarity of his sleeping cars are evidence no
less Of the sagaeity and enterprise of their
originator than of the fact that he has met
a public demand.
In this connection 1t is only just to re-
mark that not merely the travelling public,
but Car builders, furniture manufacturers,
and house decorators owe much 30 Mr.
Pullman tor the education in masters of
taste which his splendid cars have given.
In respect to elegance and elaborateness
Pullman cars have constantly kept in adj
vance of The public demand and SO have
proved leaders IN the fine arts of building
and adjoining. This is no small service to
the public, and for this alone, If for moth
ing else, the public should be gratifisd at
the success which has followed the bold
and indomitable enterprise that from
feeble beginnings has developed into q