The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-31

The Americans have suppressed distances
by bringing railway trains 10 perfection
You take the cars after dinner to go a two
or three hundred miles journey You pass
an hour or 80 IN the smoking room, you 60 to
your berth, sleep the night through, and by
the time you awake you are at your journeys
end
In point Of comfort, tho American trains
are 10 the French and English trains what
these latter are TO the stage coach Of bygone
days.
Nothing can surpass the comfort and
luxury Of tho Pullman cars unless it lie the
perfected Pullman that is called the vestibule
train Six or seven carriages, connecting
one with another, allow Of your moving
about freely over ii length Of some hundred
yards. Dining room sleeping car, drawing
room car. smoking room, library, bath room,
iavatory, the whole lifted up In the most
luxurious style What can ono desire morei
Ii is hotel on wheels
There are windows and yentilators, but II
sou open your window. you viii sae your fei.
low travellers turn up their coat collars and
get down their shawls and furs and you will
hear energetic grumblings. which will give
you to understand that you are turning your
self into a public calamity The Americans
arc shiyery people, ,stewing themselves in a
bain-marie.
Here, as well az in the hotels and in al con
ditions OF American life, you are at the mercy
Of servants There Is no remedy at hand, no
appeal against it.
In America you are supposed 10 knoweyery-
thing, and no one will help you unless you
should happen to address yourself to wen
bred people
II you ask pa~ep-hy IN the street the near
est way TO the station, he walks as though he
understood you not The word station is
English. but here you must talk American,
and say depot, pronounced deepo. The inva
riable answer you get to the questions you
ask in the street is Il don't know" They
are all like Joe, they don't know nothink-H
When a railway servant has succeeded in
insulting you, he is quite proud, and plumes
ulii1tE VI it5 fi4iii tllC0os 10 lbOleo Nv L-
mates and seems to say: ibid you hear how
spoke up to him" He would be afraid OF
lowering himself By being polite In his eyes
politeness Is form OF seryility, and he
imagines that, by being rude TO well bred PEG
Pic, he puts himself on a footing with them
You so 10 a railway ticket Office to book
for a certain place. Perhaps there are several
lines Of railway running 70 your destination
The clerk says, without looking at you, and
al tho rate OF a thousand words a minutes
What linel B and O.. or $. F. and "
r. r.. or s T. L. and c. =
IL want ticket for Chicago" .
81 ask whether you wish to 20 by the
Here he once more repeats various parts Of
the alphabet, casting a look Of pity at you
the while Do not believe he will translate
bis \ 3 D's into English. It is your place
to understand them.
Do not lose your temper. however; that
never pays in America Tho natives would
only enjoy it. Take the matter langhingly
This is the advice the Americans gave me-
and recommend it to you. ii ever you arc
similarly placed.
was having a siesta one dag In one Of the
comfortable arm chairs Of a drawing room
car, when the conductor came along and,
giving me formidable thump. cried out in
the most savage tone;
"Yonr ticketln
! made haste TO obligs him and to offer
apologies
Il trust ! have not Kept you waiting
said l.
He went away quite crestfallen.
Another day, | was In New York local
train These trains hive not drawing room
cars with smoking room attached Neither
first, second nor third class. all the carriages
are alike | addressed the conductor. asking
him where should ind the smoking CON-