The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-04
PALACES on WHEELS.
vrcTIoNs ABOUT THE OWNERSHIP
OF PALACE CARS.

Onlv a Half Dozen in the Country
Millionaires and Actresses Who Do
Not own Them - How to Make a
Pleasant Trip Across the Continent
in a Palace Car and What it will !
Cost for Party of Ten.
NEW York, March. ga great many
picturesque fictions have been printed
about prominent men and women, but none
so often as that this old money! gs or that
charming fairy Of the footlights travels
about this big and glorious country in
gorgeous private palace cars of their own.
Quite recently read that Austin Corbin,
President of the Reading Railroad.
had made trip across the continent to the
Golden Gate and back again in his own
private palace car. The statement was also
made that the car cost SIS, 900, and its inter-
ior was described as a poem in old gold,
gobelin blue and Nile green. 1t was a we'll.
told tale, but it contained not one sentence
of truth At various times, too, it has been
said that the Vanderbilts, Jay Gould, Rus
sell Sage, the wizard Edison, and a score
more well-known men had gone in this or
that direction in their own splendid cars.
Andrew Carnegie has been reported as the
owner of one of these palaces on wheels, but
the fact is he does not own such car nor
do any of the gentlemen named above.
The private palace carts myth. There are
not half dozen private palace cars in this
country. The handsomest of this number is
owned by Mrs. Langtry, the actress. 1t
cost between $50, 900 and $50, OOO Its decora-
lions are beautiful. 1t runs so smoothly
that when you are inside and going along at
forty miles an hour you can hardly feel the
motion. There is no rattle of glass and no
unpleasant jolting over the rails. Mrs.
Langtry is very much pleased with
it and now wonders how she
used to endure travelling in the
regular cars and stopping at the
hotels. Now she can live on her car. When
she arrives at some small town which has
not good hotel accommodations, she remains
in it all the time The car is run onto sid
ing and stands there until its owner wishes
to proceed with her journey. A very fine
car is owned by Mr.. Flagler, of the Standard
Oil Company. Another is owned by young
man connected with the iron trade who
recently came into large fortune and has
had private car built for himself, He is
now viewing the country from this car
MT. fIaglerS car, according to his own
statement, is not so very gorgeous 1t
probably cost $4,000 and is only plainly
decorated. 1t is very comfortable and is
much to be preferred to travelling in the
regular sleepers and parlor cars. At one
end of the car is the kitchen. That is
always placed at the end opposite from the |
direction in which the car is travelling.
Next to the kitchen is the parlor, used as a |
dining room also, and in the front of the |
car are the staterooms and berths Some |
time ago the Missouri Pacific Railroad built |
some handsome cars and one of them they |
placed at the disposal of Jay Gould, the |
President of the road. The car belonged to |
the railroad company and not to Mr.. Gould. |
He did not buy it. This car is very hand |
some. 1t is divided into three accomplishments, |
the living, sleeping and cooking. The |
Pennsylvania Railroad has six Of these cars |
lying in their yards. One is at the disposal |
Of President Roberts, one is for Vice Presi- |
dent Edmund Smith, and the others are |
used by the other officials OF the railroad. |
Robert Garrett is now travelling about in a |
luxurious private car. 1t is beautifully |
decorated and the arrangements for living, |
sleeping and eating in the car are very |
complete. 1t is built on the old plan and is |
Just the same as the cars that are used on |
trains going long journeys; only little |
more deliberately finished and furnished. |
This car is the property of the Baltimore |
and Ohio Railroad Company.