Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-04
TRAVELLING By EXPRESS.
The Pleasures OF 1t, the Wonders and
the Financial Side

From an Article in the London Times.
Everybody remembers DR.. JOhnson's panegyric
on the Charms of rapid journey along good
road In pOst-chaise. He thought life could
afford nothing better, unless it were a walk
down Fleet street or unlimited tea drinking.
The speed and the certainty, in the absence of
broken wheels, the smOothness of the highway
and the alacrity Of post-boys and postmasters,
delighted him with sense of perfect adjust
ment. 1t would be interesting to learn what
| excess of encOmiums he could devise to meet
the due of traveing 10y express were he brought
Dack 1or an lntervat to survey this world of steam
We described on Thursday the cost of an
average fast express train on an American rail-
way. train with modern complement of
eight cars is appraised at f17OOO. Each of the
three palace cars it commonly includes has cost
t3,OOO at least, and not seldom f5, 900 or &C. 600
Whatever can minister to comfort is provided.
Inc smoker can smoke without annOyinp his
nelghDOrs The hungry and thirsty can eat and
drink The studiOus can buy libraries of fiction
Iresn from the British mandatory, only cheap
ehed. BY day the indOlent repOse on splendid
divans. At night the tired sleep as softly as at
home. Luxuries are supplied for the eve as well
as the other physical and intellectual organs. If
there be fault at all it is some redundance of
magnincence. A passenger by one of these cars
might, II he were recOnciled to incessant loco
motion, live in the midst of the most gorgeous
upholstery, with a fair provision of conveniences
10 match, at rate of expenditure which would
barely suffice for the maintenance OF
mlddle-class establishment in a country town.
Although English railway travelling is not alto
gether so literally arranged, the difference Is
Chiefly OF degree. For the solid equipments of
q railway journey an English company is not
less generous than an American In some
essential particulars the comparison may even
be in favor of this country Where there have
SHORTCOMINGS how hoin
good. Passengers by one or two lines can
obtain refreshments. On several lines there ara
Pullman cars. More than one company is com
mencing the experiment of initiating the United
otates Iasmon OF conveying the luggage of pas
sengers to their houses or hotels. An English
frst-class carriage as it is would appear super
natural vision OF ease to the mind of the
eighteenth century. On all but few lines
which continue not to distinguish human beings
from cattle, wealthy gentleman of q hundred
years ago spirited into humble third-class
compartment might envy the happy lot of his
pOsterity.
The modern world is not yet at the end of its
opportunities for making q common stock of its
rights that It may receive larger dividend
TOWnspeOple In this, as in other countries do
not cooperate at all as harmoniously as thev
might In order to reap the proper gain from
their necessary association. All their actual
corporate advantages arise from this source.
But they are entitled to more. II railway pas
their citizens they would bewail their wrongs In
accents beside which complaints from societies
for the mutual protection Of railway travellers
would sound like serenade In honor Of rail-
way chairmen.' That inhabitants of cities do
not derive their rightful profit from their con-
gregation In crowds Is not the result of reluct-
ance in the individuals to give up their personal
independence. Residents in towns are naturally
as docile in that respect as the majority Of rail-
way travellers. The defect comes rather froB,
the want generally Of an authority willing
and competent to assume the burden and
the glory of the corporate trust. Were It DOS
sible to create the same relation between a COR
between railway board and it's passengers the
Quire new significance. Railway Companies
date the minutest traffic. They lavish money
than justides the doubt whether such sumptu-
Gus travelling can be remunerative They are
sparing neither CT inoney nor OF energy. It is.
however, on one condition; they must have
competitor ready to do as much or more I'M
fortunately. or, perhaps, fortunately, 1t Ia not
practicable to dislocate q town between two RI
val governments even for the sake Of tapping
the townspeople IN the splendors OF an exist
ence made up Of palace cars. Great cities must
be content with an inferior scale Of co-oporatiya
convenience. Still, on the most moderate COM
putation, they do not a. yet have Just return
Tor the SACRIFICES they make. It ID hard that. TO
enjoy the fnll benefit Of acting In masses. It
should be reqnldte TO croes: the ocean ana pans
llfe q travelling expEen nh Nav York . D.