The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-12
GEORGE NJ. PULLMAN.
THE STORY OF THE MODERN PAL
ACE CAR ReTOLO.

First Experiments Made on the Alton
Notwithstanding Of the Palace Car.
building OF the "Pioneer"-Raiiroad
Men Laueh-Cutting Platforms.
George NJ. Pullman was born in Brocton,
| C~hautauqua county, and his birth year 1911
He lived in Brocton fourteen years and then
moved TO Albion, where he also resided four.
teen years. At Albion he became acquainted
with Senator Ben Field, a member OF the
state senate in 1876. Mr.. Field was inter
ested in legislation concerning sleeping car
fares. and the Woodruff Sleeping Car com
many. In acknowledgment of his interest IN
| their behalf, had given him the right to run
/ their sleepers on a couple Of western roads.
While Mr.. Pullman was in Chicago in 1893
he was called upon by Senator Field WIN u
request for several loans, and out OF these ac-
commodations an arrangement grew between
them to run sleeping cars on the Alton rodd,
Pullman TO pay the senator, who had secured
the right to run the cars, half or the prospec-
tive earnings. Matters went on in this way
| for "A short time, ana meanwhile Field, WHO
had no business tact, lost his sleeping car SER
| vice on the other two western roads when
had been given him. One day he came 10
| Mr.. Pullman and told him that he had an OPP
portunity to buy back the privileges on tue
other roads, and that he would like 10 sell his
half interest in the copartnership line to Mr..
Pullman. A bargain was struck, and Mr..
Pullman paid his partner $500. This was at
| the opening Of the war, when the night trains
on the Alton road had been taken or oy
the superintendent, who was a sympatnAer
with the south, and who thought that oeloro
the war was over grass would grow IN the
| streets Of the north. The outlook for the Al
ton road was very dubious. IL IS a singular
illustration of Mr.. Pullman's good fortune
that he had hardly concluded the purchase Oh
his partners half interest before business De
came so GOOD that the night rains were
| started again and the sleeping car business
began ut once to make returns. Ihese sleep
inc cars on the Alton road, with which Mr..
Pullman's first experiments were tried, were
simply two ordinary passenger colchos'
which be had changed into the commonest
kind Of sleeping cars at slight expense. futy
cents was charged for a berth, and the INST
night. four berths were sod About tnl'
time the Pixies peak fever set IN, ana MT
Pullman gravitated west and spent TWO or
three years at Pixies peak. he returned Ia
1854 and again took up ais sleeping car pro-
B~EGryNiNG or PALACE CAR
In 1854 Mr.. Pullman, who had been giving
the s!eeping car business close attention, and
who had become deeply Interested in the
thought chat there was a vide field for Ia
ventivo genius in that direction, met a master
car builder Of the Alton railroad, who was
an old friend, and paid him 500 a month to
take In charge the construction OF a model
car. lie obtained the privilege OF using a
Shed Of the Alton railroad IN is yard al Chl-
cazo, and told tho builder what sort OF a ear
he wanted. The great question with nm
was how 70 have an upper and lower berth
that would be comfortable. They were at
that timo tho merest makeshifts 10 afford a
NIGHTS rest. Mr.. Pullman determined that
the new car should b. the handsOmest ever
made. Heretofore u sleeping car had cost
not more than 1909 or Si,jJO Looking the
matter over aud wondering now he could ar
range two berths that would be roomy, com
Portable and convenient, he was perplexed a.
TO the disposition Of the mattresses. At that
time all the MATTRESSES. were put away in one
section during the daytime. In fact, The
early sleeping cars were simply used for
night cars and not run in the daytime.
Mr.. Pullman's idea was 70 have a car that
could be run on long trips either as a day or
a night car. With this object IN view he
started 10 build he Pioneer He found
the mattresses could not be put on the floor
because Of the dust and discomfort. There
was no place between the windows, and he
finally said to his car builder, why not
hinge an upper berth near the roof and put
the mattresses in it when the berth is closed
during the daytimef' The ear builder re-
piled at once that the car was not high enough
and that the space would be too small. This
was before cars were built with raised decks
or roofs. Then" said Mr.. Pullman, why
not raise the carp The outcome Of this con.
yersatiOn was a direction that plans should
be drawn for a car &c wide aud as high as
would be necessary to get in two berths, in
GLIDING one hinged 10 the upper side OF the
car. The plan was accurately drawn for q
car one foot wider and two and one-half feet
higher than any car that had heretofore been
built in this country.
RAILROAD MEN LAUGH.
OF course railroad men who heard of MI.
Pullman's plans smiled, and said that If Mr..
Pullman was a railroad man he would know
better than 10 pursue his impracticable propo-
sitions; that he he would only meet disaste"
and lose all that he had. But his conviction
was strong and clear, and with that pluck
and Gudacity which have always charac-
terized his clear 81 hted business policy, be
went ahead and the car was built. The next
question was the decoration Of it Mr.. Pull
man determined that it should be the hand
soonest car in all respects that ever had been
made in the country. He came on 10 New
York and there happened to meet the artist
who had Just decorated the house OF Samuel
j. Tildon. He at once closed with this artist,
took him west and set him at work decorating
the car.
When the Pioneer was finished 1t had cost
the extraordinary sum Of $4,000, a large
price even now for a sleeping car. 1t was a
wonder TO everybody. IL was just as Mr.
Pullman had expected. The beauty Of the
finish and the marvellous innovation he had
made we're advertised far and near by the
newspapers and by railroad men, and some
- ,ba latter bacan 70 believe that the ideas