New-York tribune., 1883-11-04
THE RECENT CIVIL RIGHTS DECISION
coLoRED PERSONS IL SLEEPING -CAEs-TALEs WITH
MANAGERS.

The recent Civil Rights decision of the Su-
preme Court Of the United States having attracted attcn
ton TO the treatment Of cOlOred people III sleeping and
drawing room cars, reporter of THE TRIBUNE made
some inquiries Monday about that matter.
Henry s. Billings, superintendent OF the Erie Division
OF the Pullman Palace Car Company found in his
Office Provost and Tenth sts Jersey City II is for
tnate for perhaps" said he that applications from
coored people for berths secpingcars and In
drawing-rOOm are rare. They are not travelling
people. We do not have than half dozen appi-
cants IN year. When they do apply they get what they
ask for providing they pay"
"YOu have no tacit understanding that they shall be
turned away II possiblel"
"No instructions kind given to the agents
conductors Any person who looks and acts rcpcct
ably must be allowed the privileges Of he asks
for them Something is left to the discretion OF cOnduc
tors. That the way the Pinchback arose You
remember he made some complaint because his COM
panion cOorcd man, refused berth by the con
duetor at Cincinnati. The conductor may have said l
can't give the Niger berth, but the did get his
berth The fact Is cannot help ourselves"
NJ L. Lawrence, superintendent Of the Pennsylvania
Division OF the Pullman Company, found ut his Office
n EIobange-place, Jersey City. He said: Nobody
Refused The conductor has the right however to assign
persons 10 such beThs as he chooses person. in any
way Objectionable refuses a berth in the end of car
the conductor might refuse admit him at all. We
have trouble in cases where white is sent
WIN the money to choose berth. OF course, do not
ASK whether m inc purchaser white or black II he hap
pens 10 De coOicd man. make the best arrang cement
We can for the comfort OF other passengers But ap
pieations from cOloTed people are rare"
Jacob Mende the agent at the New Haven dcpot said
tDat no colofcu man or ChinRman refused. But"
tald ne, sell them only lower berth the price OF
winch Sl 90 because the sale pTeYents the sae of the
upper beTt-the price OF which Is $l-except 10 another
cOlored person. get much ia can for a section
which Is unlikely 10 have any other occupant
The agent IN the Wagner Secping-ca office ot the
EewYOr and Hudson River Railroad depot said that he
had been In the Office ten years and e had never refused
10 sell berth 70 any one who could pay it He had
never received any orders the subject. Applications
from col0red persons rare
General Horace Porter, first vice sient OF the Phil
man Palace Car Company said that no disftucfions
against eoorcd persons lad been made cOnpanys
cars IN any order Hgais their admission 10 0nT cirs
has ever been made a not aware Of the fact but tbe
superintendent at Chicago has full charge of such mat
ters. He may have issued orders without nv know ledge
The question has not assumed sufficient importance 80
far as Know that 10 should require action by the
company have seen negroes IN sleeping cars but
DO not remember seeing them In Tie pai1r-cns. II
may DC question OF expense but Whatever the
I'm sure that the travel OF coOred persons cars
bas never been large and certainly not large enough