Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1884-03-21
PORT TOBACCO. MARYLAND MARcu - 100,
AMERICAN AND BRITISH RAILwAYs

AMERICAN AND BRITISH RAILWAYS.
A striking Contrast Presented by the ES-
perience.ei a scotch Traveller.
From the Scotsman, Edinburgh, Jan. Z
SIR l. Circumstances Of friendship
called me suddenly in October last 70 the
Northwest of America The summons
came by telegram on Thursday. On
Friday / secured by the same means,
berth in the celebrated steamer Alaska,
which left Liverpool next forenoon and
in seven days one hour from Queenstown
| landed at New York 1t was 6ne
Sunday morning, and having, Ike all
the rest Of the passengers checked
my baggage to the hotel | intended to
go to- a friend and myself walked up
town. After booking our names and
reading some letters and having look
at the papers, we proceeded to our apart
ments, where we found the baggage
awaiting US. The cost of checking
which in my case amounted to fifty
cents (or 2s) for three pieces alter
wards included in the hotel bill.
Two days later | left for the West by
the limited express of the Pennsylvania
Central Railroad My ticket, which
had secured the day before at one Of ihe
railway offices in Broadway, not far from
the hotel, cost $50 to Chicago, with $40
extra for the use Of sleeping and dining
cars and my baggage, it need scaraely
be said, was checked from hotel in New
York to Chicago, and charged for in the
bill as usual. The distance by this road
IS little under 1000 miles. which was
done in twenty five hours and thirty
minutes, and the cost was less than for
| corresponding distance at home. But in
the manner of travelling the differenc. is
overwhelmingly in favor of America.
The car by which journeycd was built
Of mahogany, inlaid with graceful floral
decorations, and furnished in the most
sumptuous manner. Heated by concealed
steam-pipes, a comfortable Temperature
was maintained night and dav. and
although snow streaked the Alleghanies
and smaller streams were covered with
ice, nobody among the passengers seemed
10 think rugs, &c, a necessary portion
OF their travelling impedimenta. Our
hedious lead foot-warmers were conspiu-
Gus by their absence. At either end of
the car were capacious lavatories and
relative conveniences-on for ladies. the
other for gentlemen, equipped with soap.
clean fowls, brushes. combs. &c anCkg
filter with fresh drinking water. Froa
the time Of leaving Yew York till arrival
at chicago, no passenger need leave the
cars. Attached to the sleeping car is a
dining cor equally sumptuouslv fitted.
and also smoking car, both of which
are specially reserved for those who par
the extra $40, and which, therefore, ii
reality constitute irst-class accommoda
tion. In the dining car, at 81 each. ore
can have three meals daily, from bill d
lare that erred only in its profuse abund
ance and variety of well-cooked foo4
nc use OF stlmulants seems to be fall
INTO dlscredit among the better class,
~, ,s1l nj Ill ' %
sDlrits appear on the tables, sss'f
ever hear them asked for. Afterw%
those who felt disposed that way retiiW
to the SIN oking car but the sleeping
car contained small neatly-titted up
cabinet, where such as sought private
conversation over IA cigar might resort.
In short, the new first class American
cms exceed by far IN elegance, convent
ence, and comfort the rare Pullmans seen
on this line and | venture to say no Eu
ropean monarch travels by rails SO sumpt-
uously as our republican cousins.
At dawn | saw from my comfortable
bed, in which everything was scrupu-
lously fresh and clean, that we were gld-
ng, with scarce any vibration, over the
prairies of Illinois and on nearing CHI
cago | checked my baggage to the Grand
Pacific wither | was carried by one of
the hotel omnibuses, and where | found
II shortly afterwards Subsequently, in
travelling through the States of Illinois.
Iowa and Minnesota, for considerable
distance by team had frequent occasion
to check my heavy baggage by rail to
various points in advance of my route,
and never in a single instance did | expe-
rience any difficulty in procuring delivery
OF it on the production of my "checks. "
On my return at the end of November, /
and having no use for rugs, &c, and in
the comfortable cars, | checked all my
baggage, save a dressing bag, from
station not far from the Manitoba frontier.
straight through to New York On my
arrival there three days afterwards, in
stead of checking" my baggage to the I
hotel where | intended to put up, | 4
checked it to the dock of the steamer
by which | was to sail the following
morning and there, on driving from
the hotel, found it awaiting me at the /.
shore end Of the gangway as was about
to embark-never having once seen or .
troubled myself about it since | left
Litchfeld 5000 miles away, and having
changed cars and lines of roads twice
at st. Paul and Chicago.
Now, mark the contrast. / arrive at
Liverpool, give up my baggage to the
Northwest Railway Company, without
any voucher or check being interchanged,
and proceed to Lime street by a suburban
railway from the dock gates in evil-smel-
ing carriages which my American fellow
travellers seornfully stigmatised as.
hunks, and into which W.. were locked
like criminals. 1t was wet, gloomy day
and after my pleasant American expert
ences felt like one who had ''come down
In the world. > On afterwards applying
~ my pdSSdSt at LINT stlctl stdtl0iif
was not only obliged to produce my card
as evidence of identity, but had to go
down into deep dark cellar to point out
the packages and after all this unne
oessary bother had to pay more than at
New York, where baggage was carried
double the distance. But the charge IS
mere secondary consideration. 1t Is the
restless anxiety and worry our system-or
rather entire want of system-needlessly
impose on you from starting till arriving
It your destination that is so provoking
And it may not be inappropriate here
to remark on the gratuitous farce pre-
'ented at the examination of passengers
baggage by the Custom House officers.
Seeing that cigars are dearer and mi
litely worse in America than at home,
md that no sane person would think Of
bottle of "Old Bourbon, 7
which can be the object of exposing pas
engers to the humilitating ordeal Of
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