Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-19
PALACE CAR ODDITIES.


MOdJeska's Completely Appointed BOu.
dOir on Whcels-HOW English Tour.
lists Delight 60 Travel.
From the Philadelphia Press
at would take a day in the recital, and then
I'LL big book to tell of the incidents that enter
into the daily life Of Pullman car" said ]. W.
smittley. the resident superintendent of the
company in Philadelphia, land then it would
take another and larger book to contain what
hadn't been told. As We see it here the subject
seems almost inexhaustible. Even after the
thousand and one stories about fat men falling
through upper berths; yelping poodle dogs
awakening passengers at night maiden ladies
losing their false teeth and cGrled wigs: timd
travellers shricking for the porter at every stop
ping place. and the numberless stories that
could be woven from the side issues of these
happenings the half wOnld not be told.
"A sleeping car. you must understand. is for
the time being the home of the occupants. It
is occupied for n longer time than the ordinary
railroad car. and its passengers are brought
into closer contact. It is. to make rather far
fetched simie, sort of French fiat ON one
floor, on wheels. Take a Pullman car running
from Philadelphia. or New York to san Fran
cisco and you will find something of the same
sort OF temporary socability that exists on
formed and sometimes there are attachments
formed that-but." said Mr.. Smittley. inter-
rupting himself with a smile. 81 did not intend
to 90 into the question in the abstract l was
trying to think of a case or two that would
have something newsy about it, Let me see,
don't think The Press has ever said anything
about that latest caprice of MOdjeska. has it?
The madame is to travel through the country in
palace car which will probably eclipse any,
thing OF the kind ever seen before, not e-cept-
Inc the well appointed cars OF Mile Bern
hardt or Mrs. Langtry. Modjeska is t. have
palace car. in every sense of the word. twill
be upholstered In crimson plush. and t. cur
fains of the berths will be of silk The berths
Will be occupied 10y the maids. Madame Mod
jeska herself will have folding bed, so ince-
n!ously constructed as to be used as a secretary
when not required for sleeping purposes. Be-
sides this the car Will be supplied with q nickel
plated bath tub-sOmethinw entirely new-and
the great artist will wash her face in water
drawn from silver-plated spigots. There is to
be buffet in the car complete in every detail,
and 1ngeniously economical i'm the matter of
space The dining tables and the service will
be the same as found in any first-cass hotel and
the parlor dream OF soft carpets and costly
brlc-a-brac. Taken all In ALL Madame Modjeska
will travel from city to city with an elegance of
appointments and acOmpleteness of comfort that
cannot be exceed. aflOat or ashore.
1t is gradually becoming to be the proper
thing" continued the superintendent for per-
sons who can afford it to travel with the same
comfort on the rail as they find at their homes,
Nearly all Observation-Disclosures especially
are surprised at the magnifcence of American
sleeping cars. and eagerly take advantage of
them We often have distinguished gentlemen
from the other side OF the water-many of them
travelling incOg.-engage a car for two weeks
trip in the west, and their ignorance of western
habits is sometimes decidedly amusing Nearly
all of them imagine that every man west Of the
Rocky mountains carries a brace of revolvers. a
bowie knife and Geek of cards. and spends his
time In shooting gentlemen who refuse to drink
with him, or in chewing tobacco and making
speeches / remember very well an English
lady who was going through to Chicago in a
Pullman car. who left her maid in New York
because the maid was afraid she would be
scalped by the Indians on arriving in the Garden
City of the west. Yes. sir. she refused posi-
lively to run the risk of being captured by those
'orrid savages. and begged her mistress not 20
undertake the Journey
''During the earlv part of the year a parry of
Englishmen started west to hunt buffalo in one
OF our hunting cars. the Davy Crockett think,
and actually began getting into their rough
Clothing and loading their rifles before the train
had reached Pittsburg. They could hardly be
made to believe that they were still a thousand
miles away from the hunting grounds"
''Are any OF these stories true of fat men tell
me horrible tales about crashing through upper
berths in order to secure lower bertbs?" was
asked.
1T is true that facetious heavy-weiehts tell
the stories In the hearing of timd persons" was
the reply, land it is equally untrue that any up-
per berths ever break down. A wel-known New
York journalist, who tips the beam at 800 pounds
suppose you know hfm-can be credited with
being the originator of that yarn. He loves
joke, and, as he is known to almost every palace
car porter in the country, manages to carry out
the sell very successfully whenever necessary
In case the gentleman reaches the train late and
nndS the lower berths occupied. he hunts around
until he finds nervous traveller in place where
he would like to be himself Then he calls the
colored porter, and asks him if he has heard
any further news of Rev. Mr.. Smith. The
porter. who is posted, replies: You mean de
po gemman what you mashed dat night you
fell froo de berth? Yes replies the ponderous
traveller. I've often thought of that pOOr man.
JIM l think broke one of his ribs and one of
his arms, didn't ~ Two ribs and bofe arms,
sab. replies Jim, sOlemnly, And it was some
where about this part of the car wasn't it,
Jims asks the heavy man. loudly. No sah,'
says the porter, .yOu'se thinkin OBJ de two
orphans what YOU fell on dat night when we
was near Buffalo; II you remember, sab, one Of
de boys died, an de oder had his eve squashed
out. De preacher. sab was In de upper end Ob
de car He wouldn't get outen de lower berth,
sah. Unfortunate fellow signs the fat pas
senger, and wasn't as heavy by fifty pounds
as l am now. either
''By this time you can depend that the nerv-
Gus traveller is getting his pantalOOns on.
Usually he peeps out, and when he sees the
mountain of flesh that is talking he is more than
willing to take the upper berth than to run the
the night. It's pretty good scheme and gen.
orally works to the fat mans satisfaction As
soon as the other fellow finds out that Joke
has been played upon him, he forms the jokers
acquaintance and. in almost every instance
that We heard the friendship so strangely made
Is lasting, because the fat man is one of those
jolly. gOOd-natured fellows that nobody could
stay angry at for more than ten minutes There
are lots of other incidents that IL strung to-
gether, might make good story. but, as life is
short and time precious. think we had better
leave the best ones for another day."
The PretZel and the Mode Of Making It,
From the Cleveland Press.
''Gmme Elm pretzel," said newsboys as he
approached spring wagon on Superior street,
containing one German with ruddy face and
cigar one little girl in a maroon dress with a
hat to match, one cotton umbrella and one
large welther-staned box The rig was an I'M
assuming affair. but an air of prosperity haunted
it. The sleek coat OF the horse indicated good
stable. Another evidence of fortunes favors
was the ruddy face Of the driver.
How much do you pay for pretzels?" was
asked of newsbOy who was slowing away the
last OF four big brown ones.
I'VE boys get 'em two for a cent, but he'll
charge YOU cent apiece" was the cruel renly