The state capital., 1891-10-31
LUXURY ON WHEELS.

The Illinois Central is about to inaugurate a
somewhat radical change in its night service be
tween Chicago and st. Louis. Such change will
consist i'll having its cars run for the entire dis
tance between the two cities as solid through
train i'll place of the present arrangement of
turning over its through chair and sleeping ears
70 be attached to a Fandalia Line train at Ell
fngham. The route will also be changed. the new
train to run through over the Centrafs lines via
Gilman, Gibson, Clinton, Decatur, Pana, and
Vandalia, reaching its destination over the tracks
of the Nandalia Line from the latter point, but
remaining solid train for the entire distance.
This new train will go into service Sunday,
October 18th, at p M, reaching st. Louis at
30 the next morning. 1t has been named The
Diamond Special" :" and it is claimed, enters the
lists for Chicago-St Louis business the peer of
any existing train between those cities in points
of elegance of equipment desirabiity of route,
time, and efficient service. 1t will be vestibule
train lighted by gas throughout, and will be
equipped with compartment buffet sleeping
car. drawing room sleeping car, reclining chair
cars. and a combination coach and smoking car.
An inspection of this equipment, fresh from the
Pullman shops, where it has been constructed
especially for this service, leads one to recall
noted authors summary of a famous structure.
1T is characterized by elegance he said,
'bespeaking delicate and graceful taste, and
disposition to indolent enjoyment" This line of
thought is somewhat furthered by the names of
the new compartment sleepers; for although OF
foreign derivation, certainly ''Delecto' and
''Felicto' are sufficiently suggestive to warrant
the expectation that they will be found highly
pleasing and that they will delight" Their
exquisite beauty and harmony would seem, how
ever. to warrant the expectation
FEATURES OF THE FURNISHINGS.
Entering one of them from the end presenting
directly opposite the door richly paneled parti
ton of quartered oak, and following for step or
so along the narrow side passage, finished in the
same wood the spacious smoking-room is
reached and entered through a heavily draped
but otherwise open doorway Certainly not even
the Alhambra of the MOors, in its day and
generation, was more beautifully or harmonious
It-T tod jtS n han iS
room. 1t is finished i'll African vermilion wood
of warm, dark coloring and exquisite grain,
relieved by embossed gold-leather panels and
frieze with soft carpeted floor and chastely
decorated ceiling to match Across the entire
width of the room is deep, heavily-upholstered,
and high backed sofa of brown frize or figured
plush. Opposite is the door to the toilet room,
and also the white metal wash bowls. From the
latter the Old-fashiOned pump is conspicuous by
its absence, the turning of a single faucet to the
right left bringing either hot or cold wafer, as
desired A feature that is ornamental at all
times, and that al night gives peculiar richness
and oriental effect TO this room. bringing out the
soft brilliancy of its sken draperies, and gold
and vermliOn hues of the finish, is the jet
gas chandelier of DETECTING mirrors set in the
center of the ceiling. On leaving the smoking
ROOM which swinging door i'm the side aisle
cuts entirely off from the rest of the car, the
buffet is next in order. Through the bevel glass
windows of side panel or door should the siiken
racks and on hooks, such tidy arrangements of
decorated tableware as to temptingly suggest aD
impromptu high tea en- route.
MORE MARVELLOUS DECORATIONS.
This side and swinging door just mentioned,
the wood work of the aisle is in harmony with the
general finish of the entire car it being in light
mahogany. The next door along the aisle, with
its wide panel of loaded glass in subdued tints.
opens into ''stateroom A" On entering, the sur
prise is certainly great so radical is the change
from the warm tones of dark and medium colors
to the bright airy effect of delicate pea green and
gold which predominates this room. Square i'll
hn ntDIr In IIArn nd
upper BERTH layatory with white metal bowl
and hot and cold water. and a good sized square
wicker chair with upholstered trimmings and
cushion while yet there is ample room left for
one to move about. But its exquisite colorng
and decorative features simply marvellous
A mahogany wainscoting. reaching to the height
OF the window sills, is followed to the ceiling,
including the upper berth front by painted wood
work of pea green stippled with gold. broken by
embossed and decorated plush panels of tint to
match the latter relieved by gold mOudings.
The seats of plain plush. the carpets, and the
decorated ceiling in the center of which is gas
chandelier of DETECTING mirrors. are each in
harmony OF color with the green and gold tintS.
Beyel-gass mirrors. encased in beautifully
designed frame work of green and gold supplant
the plush panel in places convenient for the
toilet. the largest mirror. with its decorative
encasement, forming a center piece of chaste
beauty. sliding door between the two rooms
admits of the green room, being connected |
with the next. or ''stateroo B.. The latter has |
double lower and upper berths gas chandelier |
layatory, and general design of decorations the
same as the former But if it differs in color its
finish being in ''Prima Vera" or white mahogany
with plush upholstering and embossed and |
decorated plush panels, the tints of both wood
and fabrics being such to blend in a har |
monious whole into that delicate shade known !
as canary The beauty of this room is some |
what heightened. although its size is at the same
time lessened by curvature given part of its |
partition to admit passage from the side aisle |
Ontside to the center aisle of the body of the
over this partition is open decorative feature
of bronze grills and wood spindle work, while d
curved door, with loaded glass panel. opens
from it directly opposite the center aisle of the |
parlor, or body of the car This last contains !
sixteen double berths. eight lower and eight |
upper. 1t is upholstered in Spanish-red plush |
the wood work is mahogany, with embossed and
decorated terra Gotta plush panels the latter being
combined on the upper berth front with veneer
panels of delicate Santiago mahogany. In this
part of the car one gets the best effect of the ex
quisit character of the embossed and decorated
plush used so largely throughout the for
paneling.
To BE CONTINUED.