The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-01-15
Written For the SITTER
RAILROADs-PAST AND PRESENT.
No. 13

II is estimated that there are 1900
600 freight cars in the United States,
with carrying capacity Of from 10 to
90 tons per car, and representing a
capital of 81 ,000,000,000. These cars
include every description of that class
used for the transportation of freight Of
whatever nature. There are many
kinds in use, among which are cars
built especially for carrying coal, oil,
stone, lumber, fruit bark, hay, meat,
and livestock. The average cost of a
modern freight cir IS not far from
SS00.00, flat cars, of course costing less
in proportion than box, refrigerator or
stock cars.
The number Of passenger cars is
about $4,000, including common coach
es, parlor, and sleeping cars, and they
cost nearly s275,000,000. A passen-
ger car costs $4,000, and sleeping
car, $4,000.
The history of the pullman Palace
Sleeping Car is particularly interest
ing. The inventor, George NJ. Pull
man, made his first money in Chicago
some years ago by raising old houses
with jack screws. 1t is said that the
idea of building sleeping car first sug-
gested itself to him while travelling on
a train in the night out West one time,
and in 1864 he carried out that idea bv
constructing his first car at a cost of
$4,000. The venture proved a sue
cess, and now the Pullman car compa-
ny owns 1870 cars worth $20,000 900.
The earnings Of these cars, including
the total number controlled by the COM
pany, that is, cars leased and absorbed
by them, which is 2239, is nearly S.
100000. The cost Of operating and
keeping up its equipment amounts to
S3,500,000 annually. The number of
passengers carried yearly is $4,000,
and the best Pullman run is between
New York and Washington. The
company pays 100000 a year in
dividends.
Were all the cars and locomotives of
every description coupled together they
would make train more than 1000
miles long.
The famous car "Abraham Lincoln"
was built in Alexandria, Virginia, in
1864, at a cost of $4,000. 1t was in
tended for an officers car, to be run on
the military railroads running into the
section Of the country where the heavy
fighting was then going on. 1t was at
the time considered par excellence in
its appointments, one end of the car be-
ing fitted up with staterooms for sleep
ing purposes, and the other for dining
room and kitchen. Soft turkey car
pets covered the floor, and velvet couch
es and chairs adornad its central recep-
ton room. Statesman, famous the civ
ilized world over, once reclined on its
couches and dined at its tables.
When Mr.. Lincoln was assassinated, |
to this car, his namesake, was entailed
the duty Of conveying his remains to his
home in Springfield, Illinois. The
car was afterward bought by Mr.
Lincoln's law partner, Mr.. Ward H.
Lamon, at a government sale at Alex
andria In 1865. In 1866 the car was
sold by him to Henry S. McComb, of
Delaware, director in the Union Pa
cifc, and was used as an officers car on
that road up to 1869. By order of
Sydney Dillon; it was then changed to
an emigrant car and remained in that
service until 1874, when it was sold to
the Colorado Central railroad for S3,-
600, which road used it as chief en-
gineer's car. In 1886, it was in use on
the Marysville and Blue Valley rail
road, branch of the Union Pacific, for
the transportation of section men.
CARSON.