The National tribune., 1883-03-08
OFF FOR PARIS.
The DisCOmfOrtS and COmpenSatiOnS of
Foreign Railway Travel.
Special correspondence National Tribune.

Special correspondence National Tribune.
PARIS, Feb. 13.-There is no phase Of So
iourn in Europe which makes the American
think more lOngiDgly of home than the actual
travel from place to place-the railroad ex-
perienee, which it may be as well to describe
thoroughly at once, and then dismiss. The
journey from London to Paris is sufficiently
typical to afford good illustration of this ex
perience, since crossing the channel is an incl
dent included i'll every Americans calculations
for going abroad" To suit the peculiarities
of the harbOrs of the channel, which permit
the departure of boats from FolkestOne only at
certain phases of the tide, tidal train is pro-
vided, which leaves London at hours varying
according to the moon and the tides. Prudent
travellers usually take this train day in adj
vance, however, and break the Paris-LOndOn
journey by long nights sleep at FolkstOne.
This habit of breaking journeys and always
sleeping in bed instead of in a berth is piece
of conservatism which will probably find favor
by degrees in America; for, although the
wretched slecping-car arrangements incense
newcomers sometimes, the habit of taking
short journeys and breaking them by long
sleep becomes rooted and pleasant with eX-
perience. 1t requires, however, some time to
grow reconCied to the total absence from Eu-
ropean railroad arrangements of parlOr-cars,
good sleeping-cars, ice-water, toilet provisions,
newsbOys and baggage checks; and the en-
forced waste of time in depOts before starting
is annoying. In starting for FOlkestOne. for
instance, one takes the train at Charing Cross
station, having dutifully read in Baedeker that
the monument in front is q modern copy of
Eleanor's Cross, Gothic monument erected in
1921 by Edward | at Charing Cross on the spot
where the coffin of his consort was set down
during the last halt on its way to Westminster
do +Ioe f,II ,txI If,D.o
according as one wishes to travel-ostenta-
tiously first class, moderately second class, or
mserably third class. In any case, one is sure
of paying higher fare and securing far less
comfort than in America. This ride from Lon
don to Paris explains wholly the astonishment
at the ease of American travel which Charles
Kingsley's letters to his wife are so full of in
Mrs Kingsley's charming biography of her
husband. In Europe one is thoroughly i'll at
ease before leaving the station; for, the ticket
bought, the traveller must follow a porter to
the baggage-rOOm and see his baggage"
weighed. Since the baggage transfer system
is still in embryo, trunks are carried on top of
the cab and for convenience and safety, are
small and many. All baggage in excess of a
fixed small amount is paid for by the pound.
MAD RUSH FOR SEAT.
This accomplished, mad rush begins in search
of a compartment. The cars are built in COM
partments, with doors and windows at the
sides, and two seats facing each other in each
compartment; so that half the occupants, per-
force, ride backward. Each compartment hav-
ing only four windows, and carrying eight
persons, it follows that two victims not only
ride backwards, but lack the aleviatiOn of
window. 1t is, therefore, the travellers main
object to be first occupant and obtain window
facing forward. A party of four friends usu-
ally bribe a guard (cOnductOr), secure an
empty compartment, seize the four windows,
fills the middle space with bundles, and pro-
ceed to maintain vigorous conversation.
Any haplesS later-comer must sit in the middle
seats, aware that he is spelling the journey for
his fellow passengers, dismally, angrily,
helplessly uncomfortable. This rivalry for
window seats forces every one to be seated long
before train time. Then begins series of
petty annOyances. A porter rolls a truck to
the compartment door and pushes flattened,
metal cylinder along the floor. If the traveller
is not quick in his motions, he receives an
ugly bruise in the region of the ankle, or the
cylinder crushes his toes Sometimes it burns
the soes of his shoes, for it is filled
with the hottest hot water. This is the
whole preparation for heating these cars, and
it has the merit of not destroying the atmOs-
phere for breathing. Moreover it is cheap,
and eG0aGiny is the end in view in the railroad
systems of Europe. NG sooner is the cylinder
III pldCc dill TIC LIdNtitT AOobOASO
than another truck, mysteriously complicated
in its construction. is rolled to the cOmpart-
ment door, and this time the travellers feet
are tramped upon while the lamp is put in
place. In the centre of the roof this ugly glass
hemisphere is inserted, holding an insufficient
fame, not strong enough for reading, yet ag-
greSsively present and constantly drawing ones
eyes to it, and making one look and lose ones
temper in spite of ones self. There is a cur
tain which can be drawn to shield the lamp;
but one must stand on the hOt-water cylinder
to reach the curtain which usually refuses to
be caught by its proper fastening, and has a
trick of working loose and rolling itself tightly
up on its spring roller with click that wakes
every one in the compartment. Since it is
dark in December at four o'clock in the after
noon and does not grow fully light until ten in
the morning; and since tunnels are many and
long it is not easy to escape the annoyance of
the lamp. When the lamp is placed and the
exasperated passenger settled down to bearing
with resignation several hours of close packing,
facing his opposite neighbOr as closely as in an
American horse-car, at the moment of starting
the door is apt to be unlocked and some be-
lated traveller walks over the early cOmers' al
ready illused feet, in a struggle to find one re-
place in the compartment and stow in
the rack his never-failing satchel, shawl-strap,
stiff-leather highhat box, and ungainly, square
tin box-of all diSagreeable travelling compan-
ions the most obnoxious. This accomplished
and the door locked on the outside, dinner
bell rings shrill little whistle sounds and the
train moves slowly Off The shriil little whis-
tie is frequent reminder of the smallness of
connected with the railroads. The |
routes themselves are short; such a journey as
that from New York to San Francisco is i'm
possible The cars are small, the engines are |
small the stations are small, the whole appear
ance of railroad arrangements is diminutive to |
the verge of absurdity, and the use of dog |
whistle in starting express trains is perfectly |
in keeping.
LITTLE COMPENSATION.
There is one disadvantage in pausing at |
Folkestone; for, checks being still used with |
reluctance, it is necessary to identify
ones baggage, receive receipt for it when |
stored, and return early the next morning to
reclaim it and repeat the annoying process of |
The pleasures of the quiet night in |
sight of the harbor compensate for these, how
ever, and one retains, long after, pleasant |
memory of the bright coal fire, plentiful hot |
water and pretty outlook from ones room in
the first half hour in the Pavilion Hotel. A
last mutton chop, before leaving the land of |