The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-12-27
RAILWAY RESTAURANTS.
Fast Trains and Dining Cars Have Kno oclSed
Them Out Completely.

Fast Trains and Dining Cars Have Knocked
Them Out Completely.
Dinner for four? Yes, sir. But you
you will have to wait few minutes"
"All right" said we; ''but be as expe-
ditious as you can, for we are hungry"
1t was at Blanktown Junction, and in
the railroad station that this conversa-
ton took place. The first speaker wore
an anxious look, as if he was afraid
that his four unexpected customers
would get away. The four had come up
on freight train, and were waiting for
an express. They were hungry enough
to tackle the toughest railway sandwich
that ever escaped from tannery. One
of the four was n railroad travelling man,
who had nondescript friend who might
be almost anything, so far as appear
ances showed, and the other two were
newspaper men.
The few minutes expanded to half an
hour. We saw one of the children of
the proprietor slip out of side door
and make for the butchers shop, and
our hearts sunk within us. But when
we were called to dinner, which the pro-
prietor's wife had prepared with her
own hands-dear me; time was when
she had a dozen servants to call up-we
looked and beheld Il juicy porterhouse
steak, with nicely fried potatoes, q tasty
tomato salad, and cup of good coffee.
A dinner for king, and so we all pro-
nounced it. The proprietor was still
anxious and apologetic, and charged us
fifty cents apiece as if he felt that he
was doing us a mortal injury.
"Yes," said the railroad man, this
was once busy and prosperous railroad
eating-house; but the fast time has
knocked it out, and the man who once
stood guard at the door, and fairly
coined money, as they say, is now hav-
ing hard time to eke out livelihood.
He was improvident when he was in
luck; he thought his good fortune was
going N last forever, and like many
another man, he awoke too late and
found himself in the soup. Where once
he would have taken your six shill!ngs
with supercilious look, he is now glad
to get half dollar, and to work for it,
too"
HE is not the only man who has seen
his business go to decay, guess" said
the nondescript.
/ should say not" said the railroad
man." l find tho same thing all over
country. What, with the fast time and
long runs of trains, and the dining-cars,
which so many roads are operating,
many OF the wayside restaurants have
gore to pieces, Only few FAMOUS ones,
like Hornellsville on tho Erie, and
bath on the Lackawanna, keep up their
oid-time prestige and custom. The New
York Central has ruined its restaurants
with the deadly dining-car and syra-
ease, whore you could onco get an ex-
o.llent meal, has gone down ia tho
l"vel of Poughkeepsis, which never was
any thing but ten-minute lunch stop.
~ want to say one thing" continued
the railroad man, in the tone Of one
who is speaking we'll Of the deed. "a
great many bad jokes have been cracked
ut the railway restaurant and the rail-
road sandwich. have no good word te
spAak OF the latter, but some Qf the best
meals Of my life have been eaten at the
former. And have found that II mali
will only take his ease and not hurry he
can enjoy very good meal IN the
twenty min ates allotted, and still have
time for a stroll ca shs piAtforul IN.
Y. HsssA.