The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-22
ENGLISH RAILROAD CARS.
They Are Very Had, but Their Roads Ar
f' knuArb.

They Are Very Had, but Their Roads Are
superb.
Those Americans who 20 abroad to dis
cover the shortcomings Of Europe and to
exaggerate their own satisfaction With
everything American are always happiest
when they are describing an English, French
or German railroad. They are half wrong,
bigots usually are; but then, again, they are
half right. The truest comparison and
fairest statement of facts concerning Eng
lish and American railroads is that il thew
had our cars and We had their roads, both
countries would enjoy railroading in perfec-
tion.
In order to present the completest picture
to the American reader. let him or her i'm
aRine summer horse-car with tho sides
boarded up-one of those horse-cars we
New Workers ride up Third avenue in, with
CROSS seats facing one another IN pairs.
Let him imagine the back of every alternate
seat carried up to the ceiling. That would
divide the car into three or four boxes.
Then put window at each end of each
scat, and q door at each end of each passage.
Tho windows must be tight and immovable,
but thero must be a sliding window in every
door. to hoist up and down by means of a
b broad leather strap, worn black and soft by
handling. Now mark ''Third Glass; on the
boxes that are over the wheels at either end
of tho car, and paint "First Glass; ON the
boxes between the wheels in tho middle Of
the car. Cushion the first -class seats. and
pad their backs az high as ones head; then
carpet the third-class seats, and nail CARPET
on their bucks, and you have turned an
open horse-car into an English railway
carriage. There is narrow board on each
side of the horse-car for the conductor to
walk upon, and that is there also on the
English car; but tho English railroad car
ia boarded mp at either end, whereas, the
American horse-car is glazed.
Now let the American think of all the
comforts and conveniences there are in our
railroad coaches-the toilet stand. the
closet, the heating apparatus, the drinking
English railroad car-not one. All those
things are at the station. not in the cara
In the English cars there il an ipeNectnai
and timid light half concealed above
a. thick lick, convex ,tma. Elsss in tho roof
is rack over each seat. This ID % The
fact whether you ride first class or third |
class. In some of the cars there |
is map of the railroad over one
bench, and an advertisement OF the |
railroads hotels facing it, in each COM
partment. The map strikes mo a. most |
excellent idea. There is also posted in |
each compartment q statement of the |
number of persons it is desi zned to &C. |
commodate. .'This compartment is for ten |
persons" was always posted in the third |
class and second class compart- |
ments; in the frst-class ones the |
seats are divided by padded arms to ac-
eommodate three persOns each, or six to |
tho compartment. That il Q European |
custom. Even ON shipboard on your vay |
TO Europe you will notics, cast in the iron /
door-frame OF every room aboard the YES |
sel. statement Of the numher OF sailors or /
passengers or stewards or stoksrs that NAV |
,nhaDlt y e,ch spsrtmsnt-Julian Ralph, in |