The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-11-05
HOTELS ON WHEELS.
History Of tho Dfning-Cer System
In America.
A Necessary Institution which Is Run Mt
a Loss-Somcthing About the
Service In Its early
Days.


Sitting in the lobby Of one Of the
hotels a few evenings ago, says the Chi
cago Mail, was small group of rail-
way officials and two or three business
men. After time conversation drifted
to the subject of dining cars. do you
know" said business man addressing
a general passenger agent, that when
foreigners first travel in this country
they don't half appreciate our American
system? In England and on the conti-
nent eating stations, as a rule, are far
superior to ours. And when foreigner
travels through the United States he at
first naturally turns his attention to-
ward the eating stations. But it takes
only few trials to convince him of his
error. The usual poor cooking, bad
service, twenty minutcs-for-dinncr plan
tires him, and straightway he hies him
self to a diner and eats respectfully"
"That's right" said one agent. II
have heard the same thing regarding
| foreigners Expressed before"
Doubtless true" said the oldest rail-
roader of the group, "but on the other
hand we all know that every road in
the country would discontinue the sys-
tenn If it could do So"
"And why SOP" asked one Of the busi-
| ness men.
Because" he continued, dining
cars are an expensive luxury and are
run at an actual yearly loss. But the
| system has become necessity; the ex-
pense goes to the operating account,
and the directors-well, they kick. With
competition SO sharp, as it is between
| the granger roads, no trouble or ex-
| pense is spared to make the service per-
| feet. But after all this mighty small
percentage of the travelling public pa
tronizes diners"
"IIow long has the service been in ex-
isterce?" was asked.
SIT began about twenty years ago."
| answered the veteran agent "The
roads did not place much faith in the
| scheme at first, but concluded to make
| an experiment. 1t was about Decem-
| ber, 1870, when the first dining-car was
run out of Chicago to ST. Louis. A hotel
on wheels was novelty, and at the
| beginning the cars were SO well patron
lied that all the other great roads
| quickly decided to adopt the scheme.
AT first the diners were rather crude
affairs. Ordinary passenger cars were
fitted up 1T small expense and made to
serve the purpose for two or three years
after this system was inaugurated. The
kitchens were built in the middle, and
it wasn't always agreeable for the pas
| sengers. The cars would become
smoky and thick with kitchen odors.
This, however, wasn't circumstance
to the trouble made by the darlkies
whenever a misunderstanding arose be-
tween them, which, as l remember,
was not infrcqucnt. In the early
'70's dining-car crews were often COM
posed of a turbulent set of blacks, and
they were generally ready for scrap
whether their car was full or not. II
took nervy conductor to keep order.
| There seemed to be a continual feud ex-
listing between the cooks and waiters.
Once, just out Of Burlington, dispute
arose between the head cook and q
waiter over an order. The latter final
| ly told the cook, who was an ugly
looking chap, to attend to his own busi-
ness, and then he started to walk away.
No sooner had he turned than good
sized rib roast struck him in the back.
This was followed by a dob of hot
mashed potato which missed the cook
and landed solidly on the bald head Of
one of the passengers. For about q
minute it looked like free fight, but
the train conductor nipped it. Those
occasional rows may have been one in
centive for changing the location Of
the kitchen, but wouldn't swear to it.
| Those were lively DAVIS"