Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-06-14
CARE OF PARLoR CARS.
They Really Are cleaned ADD Aired for
Each rrip, and stocked, Too.

secure perfect cleanliness in the
luxurious classes of railroad coaches,
known v~ariously as 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 so strangely
suggestive of cold buckwheat cakes,
being of a feel and thickness unlike any
other blankets, are we're apt TO be viewed
with suspicion. As for the pillows, how
many ONE have vowed that they
could sniff the hair oil of the preceding
user upon themi Why, even bed bug
stories have been told Of sleeping cars,
and the anecdote about dropping a gold
dollar in a sleeping car and finding 1t a
month afterward just where II fell, has
become such a stock story among travel
ing men that some of them now actually
believe il. In view of all this, there is
solid comfort in such a story as Superin-
tendent C. d. Flagg tells about what is
done with their cars at the conclusion Of
every trip. He says:
Every car, as soon as it is emptied of
It's passengers at a terminal point, is, as
we term it, stripped in the yard. The
carpets are taken up, carried out, beaten
and aired. The seats and backs are
taken out and thoroughly cleaned in like
manner. The mattresses. blankets and
berth curtains are also whipped. aired
and, if the weather permits, summed.
The spring beds are freed from the bed
dust that gathers from fraying OF textile
fabrics. by brushing and wiping in all
parts. All utensils are carried out,
soused in scalding I've and scrubbed
The pillows are beaten and summed like
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 a
week the veneG ring OF painted canvas
constituting tn ceiling is carefully
scoureu to clearse from il accumulations
of smoke and cinging dust. The win
dows are clelnsed and rubbed bright.
All brass and silver mountiuys are pol.
ished. Dust and stains are AS carefully
washed from the outside Of the a as
from the inside. To do that work WI
keep 100 cleaners steadily at work here
in New Work, and numbers at other
points in proportion to the work required.
While all this has been going on. every
shred Of textile fabrics that should be
washed-sheets, pillow cases, towels,
napkins and cushion covers-has been
sent TO the laundry and replaced by a
clean stock of articles. Each car has
two complete outfits of these things,
which are used alternately, being
laundried, aired and packed while the
other is IN the road.
Then, when the process is complete.
the car has to be ~retrimmed, by the re-
laying of carpets and oil cloths; putting
In place of the springs, mattresses, seats
and backs; slowing away Of the pillows,
linen and curtains, and, last OF all. the
thorough washing out Of the water tanks
and reiilling them with fresh water and
ice. That last thing is never done until
the final I'M when the car is about
70 be drawn from the yard TO take It's
pidIt III Nit uttohiH haAhs 'hilt dh
this has 'aq-n going OF the railroad PEG
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. and. rs far as foresight can go,
make sure accidents shall be averted.
THAT Is the regular routine, scrupu-
lousy followed every day upon every
car that comes in. No housewife. even
in Holland, ever dreamed Of such a
thorough house cleaning as this is, In
addition thereto. the blankets are steam
secured twice a year. which is at least
double the attention they gpl in most
hotels. The berth curtains are treated 80
once a wear. CARPETS have 10 he renewed
every fifteen or eighteen months. az the
hard service wears uIpu out yrFN rapidly.
The only variations uTun tIal elaborate
process Of cleaning are In handling the
dining room and buffet ears, where the
operations involve thorough publication
OF all utensils. cleansing IT the ice Hoyos
and kitchens and restocking with pro.
visions, One rule ALWAYS MAINTAIN, that
the primary thing 10 be- done when the
car comes into the hands Of INe cleaners
is 10 take out OF IL everything that can
be taken out. Then every separate piece
80 removed must be made iaultlessly
clean before il is put back.
Each dining room or bullet car has
its steward, whose duty il Is 10 report TO
the assistant commissary Immediately
upon his arrival what stock he has left
over and what he is short Of. To verify
his report the assistant comlnISsary, who
acts as a check upon him. goes through
his sock and then makes out. 10 replace
shortages and keep up the supplies a
requisltion upon the commissary That
requisltion is filled out upon a blank form,
on which are specified about 300 articles
In constant Use on thuse cars, with spaces
left for the addition OF more rs the o u
ditions Of the markets enable Increase in
the Of our commissariat In
all the management OF tins department
there Is just such a system OF checking
IN and checking out as obtains IN the
stock room Of every big hotel All
groceries. wines, liquors, and other non
p~erishable goods are bought In great
quantities, and kept in the company's
store hotlses for issue upon reuuisition
as demanded, but fresh meats. poultry,
game, fish, vegetables and fruits are pur-
chased by the commissary in the mar
kets from day 10 day, or supplied 10y con-
tract with dealers, just as such things are
provided by the steward Of q hotel."-