Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-07-14
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CARE OF PARLoR CARS.


CARE OF PARLoR CARS.
rhey Really Are CLEANED snd Aired sss
Each Trip. and stocked, Too.
II would probably be n gratifying as
urance to the minds of many Travellers
to know what great care Is taken to
secure perfNt CLEANLINESS in the more
luxurious classes Of railroad coaches.
known vnri,n,sly ms sleeping. drawing
room. dining and buffet cars. A con-
viction is widespread. particularly among
women. that the reverse Is the case. The
blankets that are always 30 strangely
suggestive of cold huckwhcat cakes,
being of feel and thickness unlike any
other blankets. are we're apt to be viewed
with suspicion. As for the pillows. how
many women have vowed TINT they
conld sniG the hair oil Of the preceding
user upon tlcu,k -S;hsgcn bed bug
stories have jag cars.
and the lg n gold
dol ling it
fell, has
g travel
actually
Nere is
yin
,,''ucn y. Is
uohe WIN tnII 1of
every trip. lie says: $500,
Every car. as sOon Us Il Is emptieta a
its passenger at terminal point. is. aa
We term il. stripped In the yard. Ths
carpets ARE taken up. carried out, beaten
and aired. The seats ari hacks arc
taken out and thoroughly cleaned In like
manner. The mattresses. blankets and
birth curtains are also whipped. aired
and. il the weather permits. summed.
Tie spring b.tls are freed from tho bed
dust that gathers from fraying Of textile
fabrics. by brushing and wiping In all
parts. All utensils are carried out.
souscd in scalding lyc and scrubbed.
the mattresses THE floor and oilcloths
In the saloons are scrubbed. and all the
woodwork. having been secured thor
oughly clean with soap. brushes hot
water and drying cloths. Is gone over
with furniture polish. About once u
week the vcncering or painted canvas
constituting the ceiling Is carefully
secured to cleanse frum il accumulations
Of smoke and clinSing dust. The win
dows are clcanss-l aud rubbed bright
All brass and silver mountings are pol.
ished Dust aud STAINS are as carefully
washed from the outside Of the car as
from the inside. To do that work we
keep 100 cleaners steadily at work here
in New York. and numbers at other
points in proportion to the work required.
While all this has in,'n going on. every
shrrl of textile fabusp that should lp
washed sheets. pillow eases. towels.
napkins and cushion covers has hcn
scit To the laundry and replaced by a
clean stock Of ARTICLES Each car has
two complete outfits of these things.
which are used alternately. one heing
laun,lricd. aired and packed while the
other is on the road.
Then. when the process IL complete.
the car has 90 h. retYimmcd. by the re-.
laying Of carpets and oil cloths: putting
in place of the springs. mattresses. seats
and hacks: slowing ava! of the pillows,
linen and curtains. and. last IT all. the
thorough washing out of the water tanks
and rriilling them with fresh wafer and
ice That last thing is never dome until
the final moment when the car Is about
to bc drawn from the yard to take its
place in the outgoing train. While all
this has been going ON the railroad peo-
pie who are responsible for the care Of
the running gear Of the car inspect the
trucks. test the brakes. sound every
wheel, see that the boxes are rightly
packed. aud. rs far rs foresight can go.
make sure accidents shall bc avcrted.
THAT is tho regular routine. scrupu-
lously followed every day upon every
car that comes in. No housewife. even
in Holland. ever dreamed Of such q
thorough house cleaning as this is. In
addition thereto. the blankets are steam
secured twice year. which Is at least
double the attention they get in most
hotels The berth curtains are treated 10
once year. Carpets have to be renewed
every fifteen or eighteen months. as the
hard service wears them out very rapidly.
The only variations upon that elaborate
process of cleaning are in handling the
dining r"om and buffet cars. where the
operations involve thorough publication
Of all utensils. cleansing u the ice boxes
and kitchens and restocking with pro-
visions. One rule always maintains that
the primary thing TO b. done when the
car comes into the hands Of the cleaners
is to take out of IL everything that can
bc taken out. Then every separate piece
so removed must he made faultlessly
clean before il is put hack.
Each dining r,om OF buffet car has
Ia. l..s.. "a Z.
the assistant conmissary Immediately
upon his arrival what stock he has left
over and what De Is short of. To verify
his Tel,ort thc assistant commisSary. who
acts ms check upon him. goes through
his sock and then makes out. to replace
shortages and keep up the supplies. q
requisition upon the commisSary. That
r,Quisition IN filed out upon blank form.
on which are specified about 800 articles
in constant use on these cars. with spaces
left for the addition Of more rs the con-
the resources Of our commissariat. In
all tho management of this department
there is just such system Of checking
in and checking out ~ obtains In the
stock room of every big hotel. All
groceries. wines. liquors. and other non
Icrishablc gosls are bought in great
quantities. and kept in the compony's
store houses for iSsuc upon requisiiion
~ demanded: hut fresh meats. poultry.
game. fish. vegetables and fruits ARE pir-
chassSl los 'hr CHnni,sary in the mar.
keis from dn! I" 'lay. or supplied by con
tract with dealers. just as such things are
provided by ia. Steward OF hotel. =
New York sun.
Tenth of . War uoT.e.