The Washington critic., 1888-03-10
PALACES ON WHEELS.
Only Half Dozen in the Country
owned by Private individuals.


ace cars in this country. The hand
soonest of this number Is owned by
Mrs. Langtry, the actress. 1t cost be-
tween $50, 600 and $4,000. Its decora-
tions 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 Jolt
ing over the rails. Mrs. Langtry Is
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 accommodo-
tions, she remains in her car all the
time. 1t is run onto siding and
stands there until its owner wishes to
proceed onher journey.
A very fine car Is owned by Mr..
Flaglcr, of the Standard Oil Company.
Another Is owned by a young man con-
nected with the iron trade, who re-
Gently came into large fortune, and
has had private car built for him
self He is now viewing the country
from this car. Mr.. Flagler's car, &C
cording to his own statement, Is not so
very gorgeous. 1t probably cost Sl0,-
COO, 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 al
ways placed at the end opposite from
the direction in which the car Is travel
ling. Next to the kitchen is the par
lor, used as dining-room also, and in
the front of the car are the staterooms
and berths. Some time ago the Mis-
souri, Pacific Railroad built some hand
some cars, and one of them they placed
at the disposal of Jay Gould, the
president of the road The car be-
longs to the railroad company and not
to Mr.. Gould. He did not buy it.
This car is very handsome. 1t is di-
vided into three compartments, the liv-
ing, sleeping and cooking.
The Pennsylvania Railroad has six
of these cars lying in its yards. One is
| at the disposal of President Roberts,
one is for Vice-President Edmund
| Smith and the Others are used by the
other officials of the railroad. Robert
Garrett went about in luxurious
| private car. 1t is beautifully decorated,
and the arrangements for living, Sleep
ing and eating in the car are very com
| plete. II 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 elaborately finished
and furnished. This car is the prop
erty of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road Company.
A few months ago Austin Corbin
| did make trip to California. He
had q party of friends with him.
The car used was beautiful one.
The kitchen was very complete in its
arrangements. The staterooms and
berths were very comfortable. The
parlor was well furnished and fitted
with every comfort. The car was ar
ranged so that it could be well heated
in the winter and well ventilated
in the summer. 1t was the property
Of the Long Island Railroad Com
pany, with which he is connected,
and not of Mr.. Corbin.
Mr.. Pullman, of Chicago, has very
handsome car which he uses when he
travels. If Mr.. Pullman should die,
however, that car would be found to
belong to the Pullman Car Company
and not to Mr.. Pullman. The New
York Central Railroad Company have
some very fine cars, which they place
at the disposal of their officials.
They do not belong, however, to Mr..
Vanderbilt or Mr.. Depew, but to the
railroad. The Wagner Car Company
recently built fine one. 1t is used
by Mr.. Webb, the president of the
road.
HOW TO MAKE A coMFoRTABLEsT "TRIP.
1t is not necessary for these men Ia
own their own cars. The railroad
companies with which they are identi
fed will furnish them with all they
want. All the companies have cars
which they rent to private parties foi
any length of time, and a great many
parties are now travelling in this way
Are they expensive?
The rent of the cars is $50 a day il
hired by the week, or $3.50 week
$35 day if they are wanted for {
month. That makes II cost about 81 +,
600 for the month, and $50 day wher
hired for longer period than month
For this money you may have {
beautiful car to live in, comfortabl,
berths and as good a table set as yol
wish. With every car there is cool
and waiter.
Supposing party Of six or eigh
persons wish to make q trip across tn
continent. They have never seen mucl
Of the Western cities and they wish t,
go to San Francisco and to visit sucl
cities as Chicago, Cleveland, st. Louis
Denver, Omaha and Salt Lake City an(
stay few days in each place. The,
go by Oregon and return by way of tn
City Of Mexico. The fares of each O
these persons will be about $500. Sup
posing they are away from their home
FOR two months &in making their trip
live on the cars for two weeks and Il
hotels for the other eight weeks. TIL
: cost for meals for each person while o
8 the cars would be So per day and Will
2 in the hotels IL would not be less tha
l $3.50 and more likely SIS per day fo
q each person. Now let us figure 1t OF
3 for two months trip for eight pei
r sons.
Eight railroad tickets at $500 each to
San Francisco and return .......,.,..S 50, 40
Meals of eight persons on cars for Ii
days at S3 each dsy;:;;.'..;,;;'..,. 80
sons at $500 day,.,..,.,,,,,,.,.., 1,3l
Incidental expenses, which vary with
the disposition of the party, say. 25
! Total,.....,",...,.....,".......s4,3C 80
+ Thus the cost of eight persons tra'
V cling to San Francisco and back woul
e be $4,302, or an average of $537 fC
i each person. If this party were to hil
o a car the cost would be very little di
'' fcrent. A private car for two month
s would cost 81 800. This car would be
+ home for the entire party. They coul