St. Paul daily globe., 1889-05-12
'H0, FOR The PACIFIC!
Scenes in the Union Depot at
the Hour Of De-
parture
OF the Afternoon Train on
the Northern Pacific
Railroad.
0bliging Officials Trying to
Add to the Comfort Of
Emigrants.
Scenes on the Platform and
Character Sketches on
the Cars.

passengers on the Northern Pacific
for Fargo, Bismarck, Helena, Portland.
Tacoma, Seattle and all points ON the
Pacific coast!"
Such is the cry which rings with
sonorous sound through the corridors Of
the union depot betwee en- and o'clock
every afternoon. Then there is tu-
multi. Men, women, children and bag
gage all rushing in heterogeneous
mass towards the platform. Mingling
with the crowd, it takes time to pass the
wickets where the patient individuals
stand inspecting tickets and showing
passengers which is their train. Ar
rived on the platform, the two sections
of the O'clock train are seen on
either side. On the left is
the first-class section, composed of
from nine to twelve cars.
OF these about half are vestibuled
Pullman's, and the slick cOlored men
with their blue coats, brass buttons
and gold laced caps, stand at the steps
making themselves generally useful.
On the right is the emigrant section.
composed of about the same number of
emigrant sleepers.
Parading up and down the platform
are usually two or three agents of the
railway company, looking after the
comfort of first and second class pas
sengers alike. j. G. Pond is frequent
ly there, sometimes General Passenger
Agent Fee, but always C. E. Stone,
around with a bundle of N. P. folders
and other entertaining reading matter.
Everybody rushes to Mr.. Stone for in
formation and he seems to
be sort Of perambulating eneyclo-
pedia, for ne answers every question
without the least hesitation. The plat
form is crowded with passengers of
every sort. There IS a Dakota p0liti-
clan, just appointed railroad commits
sioner, with his pockets stuffed full of
annual passes on every line in the
Northwest. As he enters the Pullman,
he exhibits an annual pass, signed by
old Pullman himself, which causes the
colOred gentleman's eyes to exhibit
more white than usual, as he conducts
the naughty magnate to his section; for
it is only railroad commissioners, presi-
dents of lines, and such bowling swells.
who can get annual Pullman passes.
atorS and newspaper men have got
to pay ON a Pullman, even though
they have passes everywhere else.
Here comes a travelling man. Watch
him; you can get pointers from him on
how to travel with the least discomfort
to yourself. He walks in business
like way to the steps, shows his ticket,
takes his seat, opens book or paper
and is at home till he has reached his
destination.
But the first-class part of the train
has few points OF interest compared
with the second-class or emigrant sec
ton. Passing through this one sees
series Of cars, with upper and lower
berths, just as in Pullman, except
that view from one berth to the other
is distinctly obtainable, there being no
partitions. At one end of the car is
cooking stove. on which the emigrants
can boil their coffee and do light very
light cooking. The inhabitants of
a car prove very interesting
study, as they skirmish around after
seats. There seems to be no limit to
the number of passengers which the
cars will hold. A section is frequently
tenanted by man and wife, their
daughter and son-in-law, with brood
of grandchildren, ranging in size and
age. They have to sleep huddled to-
gether like sheep. but are perfectly
as a rule. The other day
an old lady with ticket for Tacoma
came up to Mr.. Stone on the platform,
and, with tears i'll her eyes, asked where
she was going to sleep. He told her
she had better buy mattress for 81 and
sleep ON that. "But where?" she asked.
Il can't sleep in that crowd of men,
women and Children" Mr.. Stone re-
assured her with that particularly en-
gaging smile of his, saying that there
were plenty of other women doing just
the same thing. She then wanted to
sit in all ordinary day coach, but Mr..
Stone advised her not to, as it was rather
days. At last she took his advice, bought
herself in corner OF the sleeper, find
ing it not so very terrible after all.
There in that front car. is a band of
Italians. 1t is an opera company going
out to amuse the miners in Montana
with Rossini's and Verdi's master
pieces. They fill half the car, and find
no inconvenience. Big bas-
kets of maccar0ni, cheese, sau-
sages, ETC., are piled up in the
corners among battered musical in
struments Of every sort. They are
apparently happy crowd. AS soon
they reach the car they start singing
and praying, while the dusky prima
donna talks in dOlcissimO adagio tone
of voice to the handsome tenor, who re-
plies in an allegretto con ainore tone,
his remarks with smiles and
flashes from his eyes.
Here comes family. A tall, strap
ping young fellow with a well put-up
young wife, holding in her arms the in
eyitable blending of babies and bun
dies. To her skirts hang numerous
one holding bird cage, an
other basket, another a puppy. Fol-
lowing in ]heir wake are an old man
and woman. The old man volunteers
the remark with a decided Irish brogue,
This is my daughter and her man;
they have lived out on the coast for four
years, and returned to Wisconsin to
bring us out tOO.''
Here comes another family. A broad
faced Irish woman leads. A meek
looking man follows with brood of
and enough baggage to load
an ordinary train. This woman sold
ont her farm in Ireland and brought the
HHOic AdiHHy OVcI W d IdIIu SIlc HAS
bonght out in Washington territory.
breast and bosses the family with
Size is like a general, and
they all obey her orders, from her meek
husband down to the smallest child, to
whom she administers slap with each
instruction.
Here comes gang of lumbermen
from Wisconsin. They are the stuff
that the OregOnians and Washington
ans want sent out in any number.
There is work for them all at good
wages, and they form the largest class of
on these emigraDt trains.
Many of them are Scandinavians and
many Irish, but they all make good,
solid men for new country. The train
oy this time is apparently full, but still
hey come, faster and faster as the time
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