The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-01-13
GEORGE NJ. PULLMAN.
THE STORY OF THE MODERN PAL
ACE CAR RETOLD.


THE STORY OF THE MODERN PAL
ACE CAR REToLo.
First Experiments Made on the Altos
Rond-Beginning of the Palace Csrs
Building Of the "Pioneer''--Rsilrosd
Men Laugh-Cutting Platforms.
George NJ Pullman was born in Broctou,
county, and his birth year 1881.
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 1s54-6 Mr.. Field was inter-
ested in legislation concerning sleeping car
fares, and the Woodruff Sleeping Car COM
pany, 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 1883
he was called upon by Senator Field with
request for several loans and out of these ac-
commodations an arrangement grew between
them to run sleeping cars on the Alton road,
Pullman TO pay the senator, who had secured
the right to run the cars, half of the prospec-
tive earnings Matters went on in this way
for short time, and meanwhile Field, who
had no business tact, lost his sleeping car SER
vice on the other two western roads which
had been given him. One day he came to
Mr.. Pullman and told him that he had an OPP
portunity to buy back the privileges on the
other roads, and that he would like to sell his
half interest in the copartnership line to Mr..
Pullman. A bargain was struck, and Mr..
Pullman paid his partner go, 500. This was 81
fha piru of ba vxha-, "A niObt troiUH8
on the Alton road bad been taken of by
the superintendent, who was a sympathiser
with the south, and who thought that before
the war was over grass would grow In the
streets of the north The outlook for the Al
ton road was very dubious. II IS q singular
illustration Of Mr.. Pullman's good fortune
that he had hardly concluded the purchasa OF
his partners half interest before business b.
came so good that the night trsins wsre
started again and the sleeping car business,
began at once to make returna Thess slssp-
ing cars on the Alton road, with which M.
Pullmans first experiments were tried, wore
simply two ordinary passenger coachss,
which he had changed into the commoueat
kind Of sleeping cars at slight expense. Fifty
cents was charged for q berth, and the hryt
night, four berths were sold. About this
time the Pixies peak fever set in, and kr.
three years at Pixies peak He returned In
1854 and again took up his sleeping car pro-
ject. -r-,,f..f ,silyssas a..s ~
BEGINNING OF THE PALACE CAR
In 1854 Mr.. Pullman, who had been giving
the sleeping car business close attention, and
who had become deeply interested in the
thought that there was a wide field for In
ventive genius in that direction, met 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 q model
car He obtained the privilege of using .
shed of the Alton railroad in its yard at Chi
cago, and told the builder what sort of car
he wanted The great question with him
was how to have an upper and lower berth
that would be comfortable. They wers Ct
that time the merest makesbifts to afford .
nights rest Mr.. Pullman determined that
the new car should be the handsomest ever
made Heretofore sleeping car had cost
not more than s4 900 or "a 500 Looking the
matter over and wondering how he could ar
range two berths that would be roomy, COM
| Portable and convenient, he was perplexed -
| to the disposition Of the mattresses. At that
time all the mattresses were put away in ons
section during the daytime. In fact, tn
| early sleeping cars were simply used foz
night cars and not run in the daytime.
| Mr.. Pullmans idea WAS to have car that
could be run on long trips either as a day OF
a night car. With this object in view hl
started to build the Pioneer" He found
the mattresses could not he put on the flool
because of the dust and discomfort. Their,
was no place between the windows, and h'
finally said to his car builder, "Why no
hinge an upper berth near the roof and pu
the mattresses in it when the berth Is closes
.,s.x L.. L.. H., L..II -
piled at once that the car was not high enougl
and that the space would be too small. Thi
was before cars were built with raised decks
or roofs "Then," said Mr.. Pullman, 'wh
not raise the carr The outcome of this cor
versation was direction that plans shoul
be drawn for q car as wide and as high q
would be necessary to get in two berths, IL
cluding one hinged TO the upper side Of th
car. The plan was accurately drawn for
car one foot wider and two and one-half fes
higher than any car that had heretofore bee
built in this country.
RAILROAD MEN LAUGH.
OF course railroad men who heard of M
Pullmans plans smiled, and said that il M
Pullman was a railroad man he would kno
better than to pursue his impracticable prop
sitions; that he he would only meet disast.
and lose all that he had. But his convictio
was strong and clear, and with that plus
and audacity which have always chars
terized his clear sighted business policy,
went ahead and the car was built. The ne.
question was the decoration of it. Mr. Pu
man determined that it should be the han
soonest car in all respects that ever had be
made in the country. He came on to Ne
York and there happened to meet the art
who had just decorated the house Of Samu
| I Tildar Ha mt anca cloaad with thta ri
took him west and set him at work decorAtil
! the car.
. When the Pioneer was finished II had Q,
= the extraordinary sum Of $4,000, . Lar
= price even now for a sleeping ear. Il was
u wonder to everybody. 1t was Just - \
Pullman had expected The beauty Of I
finish and the marvellous innovation he B
e made were advertised far and near by
newspapers and by railroad men, and so
of the latter began TO believe that the Id
u of the inventor after all were practical
The Pioneer was IN process Of building foI
r whole year. The assassination Of Lincoln
10 curing at this time, it was suggested q
l. the Pioneer be used in the funeral train, .
n it was run from Springfield to Chicago
c the Alton road. As had been predicted WI
IN the car was built 1t was too wide to run
r the roads as then constructed. 1t was ne
g. sary for the Alton road TO send along its
OF and cut of the platforms that projected,
40 to make numerous changes at stations 30
CO the car, with its width of an additional 4
70 could pass.
IT Thus the railroads had to make way for
improvements that the convenience of
OF travelling public demanded. Everywl
W. the beauty OF the Pioneer was talked OF,
70 il was not strange that soon after, when
III Grant came home the use OF the car
W. asked to convey the great hero from Dot
to Galena. The Michigan Central rail-
ne was compelled TO do precisely what the A
ny road did-cut its platforms, and n o
re ways make way for the car--and from
time ON the railroads prepared themselye
zee the new palace car.-"J. A. s." in ALI
nd ] Journal.
W. Il pear like de meanes men has Dc
-ei la.aaI.1.a nh.r a lss ss1nmsn