The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-04
HOTELS ON WHEELS.
History Of tho Dining-C Gar System
in America
A necessary Institution Which Is Run mt
Loss-Something About tho
s Service In Its Early
Days.

Sitting in the lobby of one of tho
hotels q few evenings ago, says the Chi
cago Mall was small group of rail-
way officials and two or three business
men. After time conversation driftcd
to the subject of dining cars. $50 you
know" said business man addressing
general passenger agent, that when
foreigners first travel in this country
they don't half appreciate our American
system? In England and on the CONT
nent eating stations, as 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 n few trials to convince him of his
error. The usual poor cooking, bad
service, twenty minutcs-for-dinner plan
tires him, and straightway he hics him
self to a diner and eats respectfully"
"Thats right" said one agent. II
have heard the same thing regarding
foreigners expressed before"
''Doubtlcss true" said the oldest rail-
roadcr 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 bust
ness men.
Because" he continued, dining
cars are an expensive luxury and are
run at an actual yearly loss. But the
system has become Il necessity; the OK
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 ito make the service per-
feet. But after all this mighty small
percentage of the travelling public pa
tronizes diners"
"How long has the service been in OK
istcncc?" was asked.
"It began about twenty years ago"
answered tho veteran agent. Tho
roads did not place much faith in the
scheme at first, but concluded to make
an experiment. 1t was about Dcccm-
Der, 1870, when the first dining-car was
run out of Chicago to st. Louis. a hotel
on wheels was n novelty, and ut the
beginning the cars were so we'll 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
lifted up at small expense and made to
serve the purpose for two or three years
after this system was inauguratcd 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 n circumstance
to the trouble made by the darlSies
whenever misunderstanding arose be-
tween them, which, as I remember
was not infrcqucnt. In the early
'70's dining-car crews were often com
posed of Il turbulent set of blacks, and
they were generally ready for q scrap
whether their car was full or not. 1t
took q ncrvy conductor to keep order.
There seemed to be n continual fcud OK
listing between the cooks and walters.
Once, just out of Burlington, dispute
arose between the head cook and n
waiter over an order. The latter final
ly told the cook, who was an ugly
looking chap, to attend to his own bust
ness, and then he started to walk away
No sooner had he turned than n good
sized rib roast struck him in the back
This was followed by dob of hot
mashed potato which missed the cook
and landed solidly on the bald head of
one of the passengers. For about n
minute it looked like free fight, but
the train conductor nippcd 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 days"