Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-24
WHIST PLAYING ON TRAINS.
Commuters who xiii Time" Daily with
Cards and Have a Special Car.

Commuters who xiii Time" Daily with
Cards and Have Special Car.
Regular travellers to and from their
homes in the suburban towns, and some of
them far beyond the actual boundaries of
the suburbs of New York city, must OBJ
serve the rush and push of the commuters
who get on the railroad trains at the vari-
Gus stations, each with set purpose of
passing the interval of time in what he
considers the most profitable way. Some
will make rush for full seat in the reg
ular coaches, and if another person-espe-
cially a woman with babe and three or
four bundles in her lap-drops in the seat
beside him Lis brow will roll itself into
deep corrugations.
These men will employ themselves read
ing the morning newspaper, and perhaps a
few will sit and simply look vacant or drop
off into nap. Others will make dive for
the smoking car or the baggage car, and it
may be at once concluded that they have
no intention of reading or conversing with
their neightors, but are bent on whist
playing, custom that has become general
and is likely to become universal.
The great corporations who provide
transportation for the commuters to and
from their various employments in the
metropolis have come to understand that
1t Is demanded of them that they furnish
facilities for recreation during the fifteen,
twenty or fifty miles of travel each day, and
this recreation is card playing. But it is
rare, indeed, that a game is played for a
stake, great or small
An incidental observer of these card play
ing commuters might conclude that there
are three different grades, forced upon them
by their financial circumstances. Yet this
matter of finances is not what governs. for
the man who can afford to pay $50 or 500
year for his annual communication to and
from his country home can hardly be said
to be victim Of poverty.
The smoking cars, and there are two on
most of the trains, are fitted with small
tables, and the struggle to be first in the
seats as the train draws up to the station
suggests anything else than sober minded
and dignified men.
Other groups will rush for the baggage
car, where will be found lap boards and
camp chairs, provided and cared for by the
baggage master, to whom each quartet
gives 'cumshaw" of a dollar a week for
this courteous duty. And the baggage
master is careful to see that none other
than the regular players have the use of
these boards and chairs.
But some demand or seek more exclusive
and luxurious privileges by having car
solely to themselves. For instance, there
are about thirty of the commuters on the
New York, New Haven and Hartford rail
road from Stamford TO New York who pay
Tor and enjoy the luxury of special car,
and for which each commuter pays the
company fifty dollars year in addition to
he regular fare.
This car is attached to the train which
leaves Stamford at 7:45 o'clock each morn
ing, arriving at the Grand Central station
1t $50 O'Clock, and returns at SOC O'Clock
in the afternoon. 1t is completely fur
nished with tables, seats, cards, wash
stands, towels, soap, etc, thus giving every
requisite desired, and no person other
than the members of the whist club, ex-
cept upon invitation of one of the mem
ters, is permitted TO ride in the car, no
matter how many passengers there may be
on the train. 1t is, for the time being, the
personal property of the players.-New
York Tribune