The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-09-20
ENGLISH
The Cars Used by Them Do Not Cohhp"r"
Fayorabiy with American Coaches'

The cara Used by Them DO Not Compare
FavorabIy with American Coaches'
Those Americans who go abroad 10
discover the shortcomingsof Europe ana
tn exaqgerate their own satisfaction
with every thing American are AWAY
manifest when they are describing an
English, French or German rallro@u-
They are half wrong, as bigots nsuaiiy
are; but then, again, they are nan
right. The truest comparison ana iair'
est statement of the facts concerning
English and American railroads IL Cha'
IL thew had our cars and we had thoti
roads. both countries would ENJOY rali'
reading in perfection.
In order to present the completes'
picture to the American reader, lou MIN
or her imagine a summer horse car "i'i
the sides boarded up-one OF those norso
cars we New Workers ride upon lhirq
avenue in, with cross seats facing ohe
another in pairs. Let him 'h'
back of every alternate seat carried ul
to the ceiling. That would divide the
car into three or four boxes. pu,
a window at each end of each seal, ana
a door at zach end of each passage. Inc
WINDOW must Dc lRuOa hN
but there must be a sliding window In
every door, to hoist up and down o3
means of a broad leather strap "or.
black and soft by handling. NOW mars
"Third Class" on tho boxes ina
are over the wheels at either end OIL
the car. and paint First Class" on the
boxes between the wheels in the middle
of the car. Cushion the first-class seats
and pad their backs as high as one
head: then carpet the third-class seats
and nail carpets on their backs, and yoi
have turned an open horse-car lnt'
an English railway carriage. Iher
is a narrow board On each side OF TIL
horse-car for tho conductor to walk upon
and that is there also on the EnglisI
car; but tho English railroad car l
boarded up at either end, whereas tn
American horse-car is glazed.
Now let the American think OF all tn
comforts and conveniences there are l
our railroad coaches - the toilet stand
the closet, the heating apparatus, tn
drinking-water cylinder. Not one
these is in an English railroad car-nC
one. All those things are at the station
not in the cars. In the English cal
, there is an Intellectual and timid ligh
, half concealed above q thick
, glass in the roof of each compartment
and there is a rack over each seat Th
is the fact whether you ride first ella
or third class. In some of the cars thel
is q map of the railroad over OF
. branch, and an advertisement OF II
. railroad hotels facing it, in each col
partment. The map strikes mo as
most excellent idea. There Is al
posted in each compartment a stateme'
= of the number of persons it is design'
; to accommodate. '"This compartment
for ten persons" was always posted
> the third class and second-class col
partments; in the first-class ones q
q seats are divided by padded arms to Q
:, comodate three persons each, or SIX
the compartment. That is a Europei
custom. Even on s%hipboard on 20
10 way to Europe you will notice, cast
s, the iron door-frame Of every room aboa
the vessel, q statement Of the numt
of sailors or passengers or stewards
~ stokers that may inhabit each apa
u ment. Julian Ralph, in Harpe
~ Weekly.