Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-19
NEARLY 5000 MILES AT A CLIP.
Sleeping Car Porters Who Have the Lonxss,
Runs In the World.

Sleeping Car Porters Who Have the Longest
Runs In the World.
From the New York Sun.
The only employees Of the Canadian Pacific
who are with the express trains all the time
between Montreal and Vancouver are the sleep.
ing car porters. They travel nearly 8, 900 miles
without break, and are on the road for nearly
six days. It is pretty hard life, but at both
ends Of the route the porters have an opportu-
nifty to rest, though even then they hardly get
sufficient recupsration. For two or three
nights the porter is not likely to get over three
or four hours sleep night, and he Is lucky Il
he gets that He is his own conductor, and
collecting the sleeping car tickets and account.
ing for them adds considerably to his work.
Leaving Montreal at $40 p. M. he is certain to
night and then he has his boots to black. and
he is lucky il he gets wink Of sleep before OF
8 a. m He takes pillow and lies down in the
smoking room when no passengers are there,
and catches cat maps il he can. He is likely OF
any moment to be aroused by bell. summon
ing him to one Of the berths, and the bell ID
sure to be kept busy after daybreak.
After leaving Winnipeg he has a compare
lively easy time across the plains, though he II
compelled to be up after midnight both at
Regina and at Calgary. At all important sta
tions he has to go to the telegraph Office with
a statement of the accommodations unoccu-
pied in his car, 80 that the station agents
ahead may dispose of berths. He has busy
time through the mountains. As q rule he
loses nearly his entire car load at Winnipeg,
and il fills up there at once with passengers
from the south He loses his passengers again
at Bauff, and their places are supplied by
tourists who are going on from that pleasure
resort; then many OF his passengers get of al
Glazier, and others come on, so that nearly all
the time he has much to do in the way Of keep
ing his accounts, besides his duties as porter
At Vancouver he lays over for two days, and
as a rule he sleeps in the car. occupying 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 10 of duty fol
i've 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. Hi
| five days rest puts him in pretty good condi.
| ton for another two weeks siege.
The porters say the trip 10 rather trying, bu,
that there is nothing like getting used to thing
The company pays them $40 o month, and they
expect to make at least as 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 OF the Canadian Pa
cifc, for the company treats them we'll Oncs
| in while man Is switched of his regular
run, which does not please him very well. Fol
| instance, he may reach Winnipeg going eos
with au empty car. and he 10 likely to be side
tracked Tor further orders. He has plenty o.
/ leisure then, but the fees, which form SO large
part Of his income, are not forthcoming ant
he prefers more profitable activity.