The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-04
LAKE STEAMBOATS,.
They Arc Models of Ncatness, Comfort
and Elcganco.

Thcy Arc Models OF Nominees, Comfort
and Elegance.
"Thero Is always room for improve
mont In tho steamship business" said
Captain John Singleton.
Nowadays passenger steamboat,
to keep up with tho timos. must DO n
floating palace. Tho nero fact that 1t
makes last time is not sufficient. That
Is taken for granted. But tho main
thing now is to cater to tho comfort OF
tho passengers in ovory way. We must
servo fine table, and have every thing
thereon that tho market affords in its
season. Tho expense OF keeping up
that department. alono is no small fca-
turc OF our bills. Instead of taking
ocean steamers, wo buy provisions at
every port. and consequently have every
thing frosh and palatablo. Tho boats
arc provided with tho most approved
style Of rofrigorators, and meats, etc.
arc taken from them as fresh as from
tho shop. Tho cooks are good ones and
get good pay. They have assistants, OF
course, and on a irst-class steamer to-
DAY you can got u meal rs good rs at the
finest hotol or cafe. The travelling pco-
pie littlo know what 'timo, money and
care is spent in iieoping up this depart
ment alone.
Look at tho boats themselves. Arc
thoy not models Of neatness, comfort
and elegance? Their appoin tmonts must
be complete and first-class or people will
not patronizo thom. They know chat
If ono line doesn't run that kind of
boats another does, and consequently
travel falls Off. Why, look at that new
boat of OurS-tho Indiana. It cclipscs
any thing wo ever owned, and yet we
thought our other boats wore fair
steamers. And SO they were, but VIC
saw whore improvements could DO made.
whero better accommodations could be
given to the passengers, and so we built
tho Indiana. But it won't be long before
something elso will DO thought of. and
other boats will appear that will DO bet
ter yet; and so it COOS. The great aim
among steamship companies to-day IS
not so much to increase tho speed as to
havo iino boats; and IS is remarkable,
oven III this age OF progress, to note tho
results. Steamers arc being mado re-
gardlcss Of expense and with a Wow TO
he little less than floating palaces. And
Sce tHoJ dtc NOT lOr inc uSO oil tho rich
only.
Another feature of tho case is this:
Iho boat has to 20 on u certain time
whether there are many or few passon-
gers II there is y big load, we'll and
good but ii not, tho expense is not
lcssenol in the least. All tho prcpara-
tions for a big load have lcon made.
and tho company is just that much out.
There arc the same number OF mon to be
paid. There is tho samo amount OF
provisions to DO paid for, and tho cost of
running tho boat is not lesscned in tho
least There arc about sixty mon cm-
ployed on iirst-class passenger boats,
and receive salaries all tho way from
the s., 900 or s., 800 year paid to tho
captain, TO tho deck hand who draws his
$50 or SD 4 month. 1t is true that some
times We take out extra good lists
remember ono timo last year VIC had 900
on ono trip on tho City OF Racine Such
list rs that though. is not an every-
day occurrence, although wish it wore.
Speaking OF boats. did you over know
that Chicago is moro OF port than it is
generally credited for? It is said, and
bclievo statistics will prove my state
mcnt, that thore arc moro arrivals and
clcarances at Chicago in one year than
at Boston, Now York and PHILADELPHIA
combined. That may sound big. but
people havo no idea OF the number OF
vessels that arc arriving and leaving
Chicago. "-Chicago News.