Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-03

sort of the passengers. The tea was served
In tumblers, very hot, with loaf sugar and
a very thin slice OF lemon, and it was de-
hcious. About midnight my Russian friend
became desperate because he could not
sleep.
'I have drank Ii glasses Of tea tonight,
and can't sleep: must get another" De
did get another; and the strangest part OF 1t
to me was that he went to sleep soon after
the train started. After that 1 travelled
frst-elass in Russia.
do not know that these voitures au lit
are still in existence, for there is now in Eu-
rope a "Companie Internationale des
Wagons-Lits, which runs its carriages on all
the great routes Of the continent. have
before me pamphlet entitled 'Le Sleeping
Car Guide Oficiel," F" in which all needed in
formation in regard to its affairs is given,
The "wagons-lits," as they are called when
the American term is not used, are run on
the same plan as the Pullman, Wagner and
other cars in this country. 1 think the
charge, besides frst-class fare, is about three
times as much as with us.
A LUXURIOUS TRAIN.
II YOU wish to 90 from Paris to Vienna in
26 hours the fare, first class, is $44, though
you may go BY another express for $34. TAX
ing seven hours longer time. The extra
fare for the sleeper on the fastest train will
be 81 85. By the slower train it will be
$6 so. The former is the "Orient Express"
which runs through from London to Brin-
disi, on the Adriatic Sea, from which steam
ers 20 to Alexandria and through the Suez
Canal to India, China and Australia.
Perhaps cannot better convey an ade-
quate idea of this train de luxe" than by
relating my own experience for day on the
Orient Express, for it is the "crack train of
the continent, and on it travel the nobility
of England, the msgnates of France and the
nabobs OF India.
The most luxurious trains in America are
those called Limited Express, running be-
tween New York and Chicago One goes BY
the Pennsylvania Railroad and the other by
the New York Central. They are "vesti-
bule trains" provided with reading and
smoking room, a BARRIERS shop and bath,
bar, desks for writing, library, and elegant
sleepers for all the passengers. No ordi-
nary coaches are attached to these trains,
and in place of S. for a berth on an or
dinary train, 81 80 is charged on the ''lim-
ited."
I have travelled on both of these trains,
and could not well help comparing them
with the Orient Express, the crowning tri-
umph of the "Wagon-Lit Company" The
train consisted Of sleepers, baggage car,
and a car containing the smoking and din
ing room.
With my friend and neighbor, DR.. L.. I
arrived from the Rhine at Strasburg. We
had bought Cooks tickets in Liverpool
from that city by London (where we had to
90 to obtain Cooks circular notes, paid for
in Boston, and promised us in LiverpooD,
Harwich, Rotterdam, Cologne, the Rhine
and round to Paris. We went second class,
except on steamers, and in France, where
there was no second class on the express
train. The train we wanted was to leave at
9:25 in the forenoon. Cooks tickets assured
us that they were good on any express
train. When we presented them at the
ticket Office where they were to be dated,
we found they we're not good except on pay
ment of over So apiece, for the train was
the Orient Express. We paid it. The porter
could find no seats in the sleepers, and we
were condemned to make the trip in the
smoking room.
NOT LIKE THE LIMITED.
The sleepers were built with an aisle on
one side, the Staterooms opening from 1t.
They looked like the ordinary com partment,
but the seats were reduced to berths at
night. They looked very comfortable, but
we were not permitted to occupy seats in
one OF them. The smoking-room was not
very bad, though our apartment of the
limited, so-called, is regal magnifcence
comdared with it. With soiled hands 1
went to the wash-room, but there was
neither water nor towels.
Early in the day waiter came to ask
who wanted de jeuner. We wanted it, of
course; bat, though there was but one
"wagon-lit" on the train, two tables were
necessary for the passengers, and we had to
wait till the nabobs of India had finished
their repast. When we had it, it was very
fair, measured by the European standard.
The price Of this meal was 80 cents, but
most of the passengers paid from 40 cents
to 81 more for the wine. Dinner is served
at 81 20, wine in addition.
This paragon of European trains made
about 35 miles an hour. which does not
equal the speed of our Limited" In no
respect could it be compared with our
ordinary express trains with sleeper or par
lar cars Not only in trains de luxe, but in
all trains, our system Is vastly superior to
railroading in Europe. OLIVER OPTIC.