Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-14
A New Sleeping Car.

Since the Invention Of sleeping-cars, nearly q
quarter of century ago, no radical improve
ment has been made in them. Much has been
done IN decoration, but in the general arrange
ments for the comfort of travellers the cars of to-
day are substantially what they were in 1860.
when the Pullmans built their first sleeper, the
pioneer" And yet complaints over cramped
quarters, lack OF privacy and the poor ventila-
ton are constant. John A. Sleicher, of the
Troy Times has invented a car which, he be-
lleves, will do away with these complaints. Its
berths or sections extend across the car and not
along the sides. The aisle runs along one side
for halt the length of the car and along the op-
posite side for the rest The seats are each six
feet In length. and are in two sets, half
OF them on one side and half on the
other side of the car. The main object
Is to give to each section the privacy
on one enjoys IN state room on steamboat.
The seat is three feet wide, but the back
Is attached to projection in such way that it
leaves less than two feet in width of the seat
exposed 10 make up the car at night into a
sleeper this back is swung up to horizontal
position. leaving the seat three feet wide for a
lower berth. The elevated back, together with
the offset or projection to which it is hinged Is
'alsO three feet wide and constitutes the upper
Derth. The cushion of the seat is in the shane
OF two mattresses, one OF which is placed upon
the elevated back or upper berth at night. To
make these two berths constituting a sectiOn)
separate from all others, panel is raised rom
the back OF the seat reaching to the roof of the
car. mus each section becomes snug private
apartment. extending across the car, with room
In 1t beside the berths for the occupant to stand
and dlsrObe at leisure The whole arrangement
is simple but complete. The space behind the
seat back, when it is folded down by day. is
used for the storage of the pillows, blankets
and the curtain that is to hang before the sec
ton.
This plan does away with the cumbersome
H. har<h he do,
the sides of the car near the roof, the weight OF
which makes the ordinary sleeping coach top
heavy and easily upset. This heavy, extensive
work Is rendered unnecessary in the new car
which thus secures an economy in weight of
over 10. 900 pounds per car Mr. Sleicher claims
that a passenger can find more rest and comfort
In berth arranged across the car than In one
extending along its side and receiving all the
conclusion from the wheels and rails. He has
determined to make safety feature of his
coach. The heater is 80 encased In boiler-iron
that II the stove were crushed to fragments no
cinders could be scattered. The water-tank ia
30 arranged that In Case Of collision the wreck
Ing OF the car would scatter water all about the
heater. The cars will be lighted either with
large wax candles or with compressed gas
Ex-senator Tabor Says He Is Married.
Ex-senator Tabor was interviewed BY re-
porter as he passed through Kansas City the
other day. II sometimes think" said the
illustrious statesman. pathetlcally. 'that no
man in this country has been abused and lied
about as have don't call myself great
man, all that claim is the right to be let alone.
l never saw the like or some Of these news
paper men. They say good morning or good
evening to q man. or perhaps pass dozen
words with him, and then 60 away and write a
column Of stuff about him, telling how much
he pays for his night-shirts and all that sort of
thing" The scribe here sympathized with the
injured millionaire, and eOOthed his swelling
bosom with the assurance that 1T was shame,
so it was, and they shouldn't treat him 90 anv
more, so they shouldn't" whereupon the CRATE
full ex-senator, treasured, became communica-
tive, and said: 81 am out of politics and will
have nothing more to do with that kind of
thing. am marred"-the reporter had heard
some rumors to that effect-"and am roinv
home to attend to business"