The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-09-22
EASY RIDING OUT WEST.
The Reclining Chair that COSTS
Nothing Extra.
New York Sun.

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Western railroads have kind OF car
which is not seen on any of the principal
eastern lines. 1t is the reclining chair
car; not the kind that the Pullman and
Wagner companies make and charge an
extra fare for the use of, but a car that
will hold almost as many passengers as
the ordinary car, and that has chairs in
stead of the ordinary seats. No extra
charge is made for travelling in these
cars.
Almost all the railroads running out
of Chicago, st. Paul, St. Louis and other
western cities put one of these cars ON
every passenger train. The cars are IA
miliar enough to western people, who
have been accustomed to them for years.
but somehow none of them have got east.
Inside the car there is a center aisle,
just as there is in Pullman and ordinary
passenger cars. On each side of this
aisle are the chairs, two abreast. They
are something like steamer chairs, only
they are of iron, cushioned and longer,
and have small pillow at the top
They are also more readily adjusted
than steamer chairs, and can be turned,
raised or lowered by simple cog ar
rangement. 4
COMFORTABLE LOUNGES.
When a passenger wants to sit up
straight and read, he has the porter of
the car peg the chair up to any height or
angle that he wishes. When he wants
to sleep he let's the back of the chair
down and props the pillow under his
head. The chair also has an adjustable
foot rest, which may be folded under,
used as a stool, or put up ON level with
the seat, SO that when the back of the
chair is lowered it makes couch moro
comfortable than many lounges. When
the chairs are lowered they cannot be
turned readily on account of the lack of
space, but when they are up they turn
pretty freely.
These chairs in many ways are prefer
able to the ordinary chairs that the Pull
man and other companies furnish. One
can sleep in them with some degree of
comfort, which is more than most peo-
pie can do in the Pullman chair. An
other advantage which appeals to the
public is that there is no charge made
for them, and that the porter is forbid
den to make any charge. If he does any
extra service for the passengers he is
willing to receive a tip for it, but ten
cents is a reasonable tip, and fifteen
cents is lavish tip, where twenty-five
and fifty cents are the corresponding
sums on Pullman or Wagner car.
WESTERN VS.. EASTERN CARS.
These cars have smoking room, not
as gorgeous as the parlor cars, but a
very comfortable room. The seats are
covered with leather instead Of plush,
and the wood finish is plain instead of
elaborate. The cars are for all passen-
gers, but In certain order of preference
They are first for women, after that for
men who are going some distance, and
then for passengers who are going over
division. A passenger who is going
only twenty-five or fifty miles is not al
lowed to ride in chair car if there are
other passengers who are going to ride
longer distances.
The principal trains on the western
roads are run at night. The roads to st.
ooA, Obs llOulo, IAduSdS
City and Omaha out of Chicago start
their important trains in the evening
and bring them to their destination in
the morning. So it is with the return
trains. There are several roads between
these places, and they are competing
roads, not closely pooled as in the east.
The average rate of transportation is
lower, and the regard for the passenger
and his comfort is greater than on east
ern roads, where there is no competition.
Chair cars are put on these night trains
as well as on the day trains, in order
that passengers who will not pay 50 for
berth in sleeper may not have to sit
up all night in the straight backed seats.
This divides the passengers into three
classes-the passengers who pay extra for
their accommodation, the chair car pas
sengers and the ordinary car passengers.
The ordinary cars are not as good as the
ordinary cars on the eastern express
trains, but they are good enough per-
haps. The employees are also more civil,
and will give information in more
pleasant way.