Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-25
Talts aud Sketfhes.
American and British Railways
A STRIKING Contrast PRESENTED BY THE
ExlERIENcE OF SCOTCH TRAVELLER.

/ EXlERIENCE Oh A olOlCd 1hAN Ell ch.
Circumstances OF friendship called me
suddenly in October last to the Northwest
of America. The summens came by tele-
gram on a Thursday. On Friday l Sc
cured, BY the same means, birth in the
celebrated steamer Alaska. which left
Liverpool next forenoon; and in seven
DAYS one hour from Queenstown | landed
at New York. Itwas a fine Sunday morn
ing, and having. like 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 apartments. where we found the
baggage awaiting US. The cost of ''check-
ing"-which in my case amounted to fifty
cents Cor 2s.) for three pieces-was after
wards included in the hotel bill.
Two dayslater left for the West by the
limited express of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road. MY ticket, which had secured the
day before at one of the railway offices in
Broadway, not far from the hotel. cost 800
to Chicago, with $40 for the use of sleep
ing and dining cars and my baggage, it
need scarcely 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 a corresponding distance at home.
But in the manner of travelling the differ
ence is overwhelmingly in favor of Amer
lea. The Car by which | journeyed was
built of mahognany, inlaid with graceful
floral decorations, and furnished in the
most sumptuous manner. Heated by con-
cealed steam-pipes. a comfortable temper
ature was maintained night and day, and.
although snow streaked the Alleghanies,
and smaller streams were covered with
ice. nobody among the passengers seemed
to think rugs, &C., necessary portion of
their travelling impedimenta. Our hide
Gus lead foot-warmers were conspicuous
by their absence At either end of the
car were capacious lavatories and relative
conveniences-one for ladies, the other
for gentlemen, equipped with soap, clean
towels, brushes. combs, &c. and filter
with fresh drinking water. From the
time of leaving New York till arrival at
Chicago, no passenger need leave the
cars. Attached to the sleeping car is
dining car. equally sumptuously fitted,
and also "A smoking car. both of which are
specially reserved for those who pay the
extra $40, and which. therefore. in reality
constitute first-class accommodation. In
the dining car, at 81 each, one can
have three meals daily, from bill
of fare that erred only in its
profuse abundance and variety of
well-cooked food. The use of stimulantS
seems to be falling into discredit among
the better class of Americans, for neither
on this occasion nor afterwards did any
wine, beer,or spirits appear on the tables.
nor did ever bear them asked for. AT
terwards. those who felt disposed that
way retired to the smoking car; but the
sleeping car contained small. neatly-fit-
ted up cabinet, where such as sought
private conversation over cigar might
resort.
In short. the new first-class American
cars exceed by far in elegance, conven-
ience. and comfort the rare Pullmans seen
on this line. and l venture to say no
European monarch travels by rail so
snmptuously as our republican cousins.
At dawn | saw from my comfortable
bed, in which everything was scrupulous-
ly fresh and clean, that we were gliding.
with scarce my vibration. over the prairies
of Illinois; and on nearing Chicago
checked my baggage to the Grand Pacific.
whittier | was carried by one of the hotel
omnibuses. and where found it shortly
afterwards. Subsequently. in travelling
through the States of Illinois. Iowa. and
Minnesota. for considerable distance bv
team, had frequent occasion to "check"
my heavy baggage by rail to various
| nDlnts advance and
| in a single instance did experience any
difficulty in procuring delivery of it on the
production of my cheeks"
| On my return at the end of November,
and having no use for rugs. ETC.. and in
the comfortable cars. checked all my
baggage, save dressing bag, from sta
tioH not far from the Manitoba frontier,
straight through to New York. On NV
arrival there three days afterwards. instead
of checking" my baggage to the hotel
where intended to put up. 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 Ltcifield, 20OO miles away.
oUN Val . liuCS VI IOdu
twice-at st. Paul and Chicago.
Now, mark the contrast. I arrive a
Liverdool. give up nv baggage to the
Northwest Railway Company, without
any voucher or check being interchang ged,
and proceed to Lime street by a suburb
an railway from the dock gates in evil
smelling carriages which my American
fellow-travelers scornfully stigmatized as
"bunks." and into which we were locked
like criminals. 1t was a wet, gloomy
day. and after my pleasant Ameri-
can experiences | felt like one who
had ''eome down in the world On af-
terwards applying for nv baggage at
Lime street station. was not only obliged
to produce my card as identity. but had
to go down into deep dark cellar to point
out the packages; and after all this un-
necessary bother had to pay more than
at New York. where baggage was carried
double the distance. But the charge is a
mere secondary consideration 1t is the
anxiety and worry our system-or rather
entire want of system-needlessiy impose
on you from starting till arriving at your
destination that is SO provoking
And it may not be inappropriate here to
4 remark on the gratuitous farce nresentad