Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-11-13
SEATS ON STEAMERS.


From the New YORK Evening Post
tourist, who has just made his tenth trip
across the Atlantic, writes:
"If the manager Of q nrst-class theater or
opera house. after providing beautiful house,
| fine scenery, frst-elass actors or singers and
orchestra, and charging high prices, should an
nounce that those who wished seats would
have to bring them along, he would be con-
sidered ripe for lunatic asylum. It is only
the force Of habit and an unreasoning conser-
vatisin that prevent people from looking at our
steamship com panies In the same light Here
are several lines Of magnificent new steamers,
perfect noaffng palaces, with every improve
ment and comfort that human ingenuity and
science can snggest-iarge promenade decks,
spacious smoking rooms, ladies' parlors, fine
dining-saloon, electric light and bells in every
bedroom, etc.. but for the most primitive article
Oh furniture, which may tie found in the poor
or mat part OF the steamer where, in good
weather: niue-tenths OF the passengers spend
the wnoie day. Bring your chair along II you
steamship companies. Surely it is time TO put
an END 70 this iuiotic custom. To-day, when
tnere IS SUCH lively competition between the
English, German aud French companies, it
Is astounding that 1t has not occurred to
one s;ne, OF them 70 insert the following adyer.
tisemeht IN the newspapers: We have just
launched several superb new steamers, pro-
vlded with all modern comforts. AS The steam
concluded we could afford to spend three
hundred dollars more, and have therefore
Uought u lew hundred chairs which passen-
gers may use on deck without extra charge. This
VIII save them the expense OF buying u chair
iOr every trip, and the trouble of carrying il
ABOUT as cumbrous piece Of baggage. 1t will
save them the annoyance, when Iney come on
oeck In the morning, perhaps feeling very sick,
Oh hunting for their own chairs among several
hundred others for halt an hour, and then per.
haps finding some one else occupying them.
III Will put our ocean steamers ON par, at least,
Win the ordinary river steamers and railroad
cars. where seats are always provided ] am
convinced thai any steamship COMPANY which
should advertise this innovation would find the
expense reimbursed in one or two trips. In
truth, the chairs would not cost anything at all;
FOR am told that at the docks in Liverpool
and southampton several thousand chairs
have been stored away Tor years, having been
LEFT there by passengers who did not return by
will never be claimed by their owners. The
present custom OF asking each passenger to
bring his own chair can be easily traced back
10 The time when steamers had no promenade
decks, or very small ones, and when il was
unusual to spend much time on them. But In
Inc newest steamers, sucn as the Umbria aud
Etruria, the whole length o. the ship forms one
Immense deck, on which the passengers can
walk aud be happy until they begin to feel
tlred, when they are obliged to 60 down stairs
Unless they have provided themselves with
seats Tor deck usa. 1t il u mOnstrCus absurdity.
Surely the tourists who pay 500 and $3.50
nave a right to claim That they be not treated
as steerage passengers; Tor 1t Is In tile steerage
their own things-beds, plates, chairs etc.
w hich line will be the first to abolish from
the first cabin the last relic Of the steerage
princlple2"