San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-07-02

end
In point of comfort, the American trains
are to the French and English trains what
these latter are to the stage coach of bygone
days.
Nothing can surpass the comfort and
luxury of the Pullman cars, unless it be the
perfected Pullman that is called the vestibule
train. Six or seven carriages, connecting
one with another, allow of your moving
about freely over a length of some hundred
yards Dining room, sleeping car, drawing
room car, smoking room, library, bath room,
lavatory, the whole fitted up in the most
luxurious style. What can one desire morei
1t is a hotel or wheels
There are windows and ventilators, but il
you open your window, you will see your fell
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 public calamity. The Americans
are shivery people, stewing themselves in
bain-marie.
Here, as well as in the hotels and In all 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 aresupposed to know every
thing, and no one will help you unless you
should happen to address yourself to well
bred people
If you ask a passer-by 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, 81 don't know" They
are all like joe they don't know nothink."
When a railway servant has succeeded in
insulting you, he is quite proud, and plumes
himself on his smartness; he looks at his
mates and seems to say: Ibid you hear how
spoke up to him9" He would be afraid of
lowering himself by being polite In his eyes
politeness is a form of servility, and he
imagines that, by being rude to well bred peo-
pie, he puts himself on footing with them.
You 60 to railway ticket office to book
for a certain place Perhaps there are several
lines OF railway running to your destination
The clerk says without looking a you, and
at the rate OF thousand words a minute:
"What linel B. and O., or S. F. and w.
R. R., or S. 7. L. and c."
81 want ticket for Chicago"
81 ask w.ether you wish to go by then-
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
his A B C DIS into English. 1t is your place
to understand them.
Do not lose your temper, however; that
never pays in America. The natives would
only enjoy it. Take the matter laughingly
This is the advice the Americans gave me,
and | recommend it to you, if ever you are
similarly placed.
was having a siesta one day in one of the
comfortable arm chairs of drawing room
car, when the conductor came along and,
giving me a formidable thunp. cried out in
the most savage tone:
"Your ticket"
l made haste to oblige him and to offer
apologies.
Il trust l have not kept you waiting"
| said
He went away quite crestfallen.
Another day, was in a New York local
train. These trains have not drawing room
cars with smoking room attached. Neither
first, second nor third Glass; all the carriages
are alike | addressed the conductor, asking
him where should find the smoking COM
partment. In reply he murmured few I'M
| ineligible words between his teeth. In my
humblest, sweetest accents, said:
Excuse me, | did not hear"
He shouted at me at the top of his voice:
Behind do you hear
this timeF'
My frAimpulse was to knock him down
| But bethought myself of the advice that
had been given me, and answered with smile:
"Yes, heard beg thousand pardons.
You are really too polite"
A popular American actress was dining one
evening in the dining car of q train going
from Boston to New York Being alone, she
ate slowly, and deliberately dawdled over the
meal to kill time The waiter, displeased at
the audacity of such conduct, stood about
within hearing, and began making the rudest
remarks on her proceedings
When she had quite finished her dinner,
| and he came to remove the Dishes the actress
| wrote few words upon one Of her cards, and,
| handing it to him with sweet smile, she said:
Here is my card; if you hand it in at Il .
Opera house tomorrow evening you will be
| provided with a stall. / regret exceedingly
that it is not in my power to offer you box
it is such treat to meet with polite rail-