The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-01-07
STREET CARS ABROAD.
What an Old Business Man Knows
about the Subject.
No Change in the American Car for
Forty Years-street Railways
i'm Germany, France
and England.
7. [st. Louis Globe-penocrat.l ]

advantage of the improvements in street
cars which have been made all the world
over. We are using the same style of street
cars COW that were placed upon the first lines
operated ia the United States. There may be
more gorgeous display of colors ON the exte-
rior and, perhaps, few more panel pictures
on tue inferior, but as a matter of fact the
street-cars Of to-day are the same as those !
rode in when | was very young man in
Boston, forty years ago As look around
me ! zee very thing else changed nothing
is asisaed to be e0eept the street cars. The
railroad coaches have. gone on improving
year after year until there is no earthly re-
semblance between the elegantly upholstered
cars of to-day, and the plain, bare, cheap
looking vans of thirty years ago. The omni-
bus has improved very considerably, too, the
family carriage has kept pace with the times,
but the street-car is the same"
THE EUROPEAN STREET CAe.
'You were saying that Improvements had
been made in street cars"
eyes, and very decided ones The hand
soonest street cars | ever saw are in use in
Dresden. 1t is really pleasure to ride in
one Of them. The climate of Dresden is very
much hike that which we have have here on
an average although it never becomes SO
warm there as it does here. But the winters
are about the same. Now, in Dresden the
the open street cars are used except in rainy
or very cold weather. / may say that this
is not the case all through the continent.
There is no sense in being boxed up in
street car because the weather happens to be
a trifie cold. We ride in midwinter in an
open buggy or barouche, and we rather like
the cold, bracing air. 1t does US good. We
feel all tie better fora dash against the wind.
There is no reason why the street cars should
be closed up as tight as bank
vault The only opportunity a great
many Of us have to get breath of fresh air
is when we go down town in the morning and
when we return at night. We cock in hot
store or bake in hot Office down town, and
If anybody happens to leave the door ajar
coming iii or going out it freezes our marrow.
How much better it would be if we rode in
open street cars in the winter as well as in
the summer Comfortably sheltered, it
would not only be healthful, but enjoyable
At any rate, the people living in large cities
abroad take this view of it. The carsare very
long and wide There is no upholstering to
collect dust or dirt even in,the closed cars,
all the seats being cane or rattan-b -bottomed,
and they face toward the horses. There is
comfortable space for five persons on a seat,
with plenty of leg and elbow room. A wind
ing stairs runs from the back platform to the
roof Of the car, and as passengers, ladies and
gentlemen, pass up they pay their fares, so
that the conductor doesn't have to follow
them. The roof is the favorite part of the
car for the young people Of both sexes and it
is a very interesting sight to see the crowded
cars move up and down the streets in the
early morning or in the evening when the
people are going to and returning from their
work
THE GERMAN STREET CARS.
care tie street cars well patronized
abroadY
Why 6less youi yes More SO than they
are hare-T should say. In Germany the
street-car iare is 10 pfenmigs. or 21l cents,
and this fare viii carry man an immense
distance into the suburbs. The cars travel
fast i never rode on slow street car in
Dresden, Berlin, Leipsic Vienna, or any of
the large cities of Germany The horses
usually go at gallop. No such snail-like
motion as this we are enjoying here would
be tolerated. 1t is presumed abroad that
when a passenger gets into car he wants to
go somewhere, and that he wants to reach
his destination as quick as he can. The COM
panies conduct their lines on this theory
The tracks too, are kept in excellent condi-
tion, and the cars move as smoothly as a
Pullman sleeper. The closed cars in winter
are always well ventilated and kept scrupu-
lously clean. There is no had edor such as
we are sometimes annoyed by on our cars"
"Is smoking allowed.7
Of
cars. Passengers, of course, are allowed to
smoke on the roof, or the upper deck as it
is called, as the thl % re0r seats are reserved
for lovers Of the weed. The Germans like to
smoke, and the companies very sensibly give
smokers all the comforts possible. Now, as
il is with getting fresh air. there are thou
lands OF patrons of our street car lines, who
} ave no other time to smoke than during the
fliorning and evening. They cannot smoke
ut their v Jrk, and the hurried smoke taken at
noon is not enjoyed. But in order to smoke
N the morning or evening, they must walk
toand from their places of business. for they
can not smoke on our street cans. / do nos
smoke myself, but nevertheless understand
fully and can appreciate the enjoyment
which is denied the lovers of tobacco by our
system"
THE FRENCH SYSTEM.
@Y'ou spoke particularly of Germany; how
Is it in Franceg
9The French system is similar to the Ger
nan, In Paris there are no street car lines
on the great boulevards or avenues But
they have tile most magnificent omnibus sys-
tenn IN the world The omnibuses are inn
nlense in size, and, for omnibuses, very COM
Portable Ii is glorious sight to see one Of
these great vehicles, crowded inside and out
side eoraing down the magnificent avenues,
Drawn BY four galloping, prancing horses
abreast, the driver guiding them with one
taud and cracking his long whip with the
other. have stood almost entranced ON the
steps of the Madeleine, for an hour at q time,
and watched these omnibuses as they flew by
on the Boulevard AIalesherbes. They
seemed te be like the Roman chariots
had read of when a boy. and
certainly there is nothing in this
world that comes nearer to the picture one
sees in faracy Of the glory and splendor of
ancient Rome than the view from the Made
leilla in Paris Wherever street cars are
used in France they are large and comfort
able, and they travel fast. Indeed, fast as
we think We are in the United States, we can
not hold candle to the Europeans The
btlsses, cabs, carriages and common wagons
al drive through the crowded streets at q
1rssk-Aeck pace and woe be unto the man
who loiteFs On the crossing, for the drivers
never Slackel ElSlT SIleeu 1iOI s4Iu out ut llsS
way 1t is wG1sh mans life TO cross the
stlaets Of Paris or London. I neYer saw a
horse walk in he latter city, unless it was on
he back s1reets Even over HoibeTm via
.ac. down Che side, and the narrow streets
fumn9 ST Psul',. the cabs and other Fehicles
yaay Thy London street cars are not
e.inlaftai ie Q those on the continent, nor
anlsa The Metropolitan Underground
ss is n3ssd,.es 4 great pert Of the city
,i9 "a ha Isiless center tlue Hansoul
Ia short distance passere-
asa,s be getting OF