Morris tribune., 1892-11-30
THE PALACE CAR.
WHAT 1T COSTS AND HOW IT Is
USUALLY EQUIPPED.

A Combination Hotel on Wheels in One
Car or a Train of Several Cars-If You
Have the Money You Can Take Your
Ease-Linen for Palace Cars.
1t costs only $50 day to hire COM
pletely furni shed and palatial dwell
ing house on wheels, containing seven
teen beds. In front is an observation
room" Next come two drawing rooms,
both fairly spacious. Behind these is
dining room twelve feet long. The
middle part of the car is occupied by
berths, which are comfortable sofas
during the day. In the rear are good
sized kitchen, china closet, pantry,
bathroom and cold storage closet.
All linen for table and beds, tableware,
crockery and every other necessary are
supplied. Three servants are provided
also without extra charge-a skilled
cook, q waiter and porter, who are I'M
der the orders of O tenant. Heating and
lighting are thrown in. After ten days
the rental is five dollars less per diem.
Thus luxuriously housed, the occupant
can travel wherever he wishes all over
the continent by paying the railways
eighteen fares for transportation. How
jver, if more than eighteen passengers
are carried in the car, so many extra
fares must be paid. He can stop at
whatever points he desires and have his
car side tracked, making his home in it
during his stay.
If he chooses he can bring along his
own servants, linen, tableware and
wines. He is at liberty to furnish the
commissariat himself, or the company
will supply everything in that way for
him, charging only Is per cent. over and
above cost and rendering to him the
bills. The latter is by far the better
plan, inasmuch as trouble is saved and
affairs are attended to more satisfactory
ly by the company, which understands
the business and can buy food cheaper
besides. The cook is always a capable
person, and, having time schedule for
journey across the continent, he will
telegraph ahead to various points for
such luxuries as may be obtainable at
the markets in different cities, thus ar
ranging for fresh fruits, butter and
eggs, and even for newly cut bouquet
to be put on the table every morning at
breakfast. All of this is susceptible Of
variation. One can engage an ordinary
sleeping car for $40, a sleeping Car with
buffet for $45, or dining and observation
car combined for $40. A hunting car,
provided with kennels for dogs, racks for
guns, fishing tackle, etc., costs only $35
day. Service and all incidentals are
in every case thrown in,
But one can do better than this if he
has plenty Of money to spare. He can
hire complete travelling hotel for 1910
day, in the shape of an entire train,
consisting Of four sleeping cars, dining
car and a buffet smoker. An obser-
walton car may be added at an expense
of $40 more. The buffet smoker repre-
sents in some respects the highest de-
velopment Of the modern parlor Car. 1t
includes a bar, barber shop, bath
room and a library, wherein can be
found books, writing materials and the
newest magazines and pictorial and
daily papers.
In short, it IS a small club on wheels.
There is no other country in the world
where luxury in travelling is so highly
appreciated as it is in the United States.
Abroad it is said that the only people
who go by rail ''first class" are the
nobility and the Americans. Of course
the person who charters whole train
must pay the railways for Transporter
ton at least eighteen fares per car,
though west of the Mississippi the
minimum rate is usually fifteen fares.
No car can be rented for the prices
above given for less than three days.
It has recently become the fashion for
actresses to travel in private cars. Now
adays conspicuous star usually insists
on being provided with such convey
ance as part of the contract for the tour
which she signs with her manager,
Bernhardt always carries small men
agerie with her, which could not very
well be accommodated in public vehi-
Gle. Theatrical companies very COM
monty hire one or more cars while traV-
cling, that being q convenient and
agreeable method Of transportation.
Dining cars are usually owned by the
railways and are managed by the palace
car companies. Ordinarily they are run
at considerable loss, being attached to
trains merely as an attraction to pas
sengers. The expense Of conducting
them is enormous. -
Arrangements made between the pal
ace car companies and the railways re-
garding sleeping cars vary very much.
Sometimes the latter pay as much as two
or three cents mile for the use of each
sleeper, where, as is particularly apt to
be the case in the south, the passenger
traffic is not sufficient to repay the car
companies. In such cases railroad is
often obliged to provide the necessary
convenience at a loss to itself. The item
of washing is very costly one in the
running of sleeping cars, inasmuch as
no piece of linen is ever used twice with
out going to the laundry. A sleeper, on
leaving New York for Chicago OF ST.
Louis, receives q "stock" of 100 linen
sheets, 100 pillowslips and 100 towels.
This gives change for two nights. Fiji
teen or twenty clean towels are always
kept on the washstand. The washing is
done in New York, Boston, Buffalo,
Chicago, st. Louis and other cities, being
given out in great quantities at the low
rate of one dollar per hundred pieces.
An equipment of linen lasts about one
year, at the end of which it must be re-
newed. 1t is purchased by Wholesale
$4,000 worth at a time.-Philadelphia
Times.