The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-10-23
5000 MILES AT A CLIP.
Sleeping Car Porters Who Have Long
est Runs in the World.
FROM MONTREAL TO VANCOUVER.
To ottawa and Then to Winnipeg and
Then to Band and on to Giaziar-
They Say the Trip Is Very Trying.

The only employees or the Canadian Pa
,ihc who are with the express trains all the
time between Montreal aud Vancouver are
.he sleeping car porters. They travel
nearly 1900 miles without break, and are
On the road for nearly six days. IL Is
pretty hard life, but at both ends Of the
route the porters have an opportunity TO
rest, though even then they hardly get suf-
4cient recuperation. For two or three
,ights the porter Is not likely to get over
three or four hours sleep a night, and he
il lucky II he gets that. He is his own con-
ductor, and collecting the sleeping car
tickets and accounting for them adds con-
siderably TO his work.
Leaving Montreal at $40 p. m, he Is
certain TO have busy time at Ottawa
shortly after midnight, and then he has
his boots to black. and he is lucky If he
gets wink of sleep before or a. m. He
takes "A pillow and lies down in the smok
ng room when no passengers are there,
and catches cat maps IL he can. He is likely
at any moment to be aroused by a bell,
summoning him to one of the berths, and
the bell Is sure to be kept busy after day
break.
After leaving Winnipeg he has n COM
paratively easy time across the plains,
though he is compelled to be up after
midnight both at Regina and at Calgary.
At all important stations he has to go to
the telegraph Office with a statement OF
the accommodations unoccupied in his
car. so that the station agents ahead may
dispose of berths. He has busy time
through the mountains.
As a rule he loses nearly his entire car
load at Winnipeg. and 1t fills up there at
Al D., h.
loses his passengers again at Banff, and
their places are supplied by tourists who
are going on from that pleasure resort;
then many Of his passengers get of at
Glaziar, and others come on, so that nearly
all the time he has much to do in the way
Of keeping his accounts. besides his duties
as porter.
At Vancouver he lays over for two days,
and as rule he sleeps In the car. occupy
Ing IL all the time for the round trip.
When he returns to Montreal he has been
away fourteen days. Then he has longer
rest. He is Off duty for five days, except
that he has to take his turn reporting at
the depot at night to assist the outgoing
porter In taking care of luggage. His five
days rest puts him in pretty good condi-
ton for another two weeks siege.
The porters say the trip is rather trying
but that there is nothing like getting used
to thing. The company pays them forty
dollars month, and they expect to make
at least rs much more in fees All Of them
are colored men from the States, and have
served on some of our best lines. They
say they like the service. Once in awhile
man Is switched of his regular run,
which does not please him very well. For
instance, he may reach Winnipeg, going
east with an empty car, and he Is likely to
be side tracked for further orders. He has
plenty of leisure then, but the fees, which
form so large n part Of his income, are not
forthcoming, and he prefers more profit
able activity.-New York Sun.