Evening journal., 1893-04-12
THE PALACE CAR.
WHAT IT COSTS AND HOW IT IS
USUALLY EQUIPPED.

1t costs only $50 a day to hire a com
pletely furnished 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 /
a 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 a good |
sized kitchen, a china closet, a pantry, !
a bathroom and q cold storage closet. !
All linen for table and beds, tableware,
crocl1ery and every other necessary are !
supplied. Three servants are provided
also without extra charge-a skilled
cook, waiter and porter, who are un-
der the orders of a tenant. Heating and
lighting are thrown in. After ten days
the rental is five dollars less per diem
Thus luzuriously housed, the occupant
can traver wherever he wishes all over
the continent by paying the railways.
eighteen fares for transportation. How
ever, 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 10 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 satisfactori-
ly by the company, which understands
the business and can buy food cheaper
besides. The cook is always capable
person, and, having q time schedule for
a journey across the continent, be win
telegraph ahead TO various points for
such luxuries as may be obtainable nc
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 sf
variation. Ono can engage an ordinary
sleeping car for $40, a sleeping car with
buffet for $ij, or dining and observation
car combined for $40. A hunting car
provided with kennels for dogs, racks for
guns, fishing tackle, etc., costs only S3j
a day. Service and al 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 a complete travelling hotel for S2lO
a day, in the shape of an entire train.
consisting OF four sleeping cars, "a 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. It
includes q bar, barber shop, a 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 q 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 a whole train
must pay the railways for transporta-
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.
1t has recently become the fashion for
actresses to travel in private cars. Now
adays a conspicuous star usually insists
on being provided with such a convey
ance as part Of the contract for the tour
which she signs with her manager
Bernhardt always carries q small men
agerie with her, which could not very
well be accommodated in a public yehi-
Gle. Theatrical companies very COM
monty hire one or more cars while tray
cling, that being a 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 a considerable loss, being attached 90
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 rs two
or three cents mile for the use Of each
sleeper, where, as is particularly apt to
be the case i'm the south, the passenger
trafdc is not sufficient to repay the car
companies. In such cases q railroad IS
often obliged TO provide the necessary
convenience at a loss TO itself. The item
of washing is a very costly one in the
running of sleeping cars, inasmuch rs
no piece Of linen is ever used twice with.
oat going to the laundry. A sleeper, on
leaving New York for Chicago or St
Louis, receives a "stock' of 120 linen
lIeets. 100 pillowslips and 100 towels
This gives change for two nights fif
teen or twenty clean towels are always
kcp. on Che Washstand. The washing j.
done in New York, Boston, Buffalo
chicago, ST. Louis and other cities, being
given ont i'm great quantities at the low
rate of one dollar per hundred pieces
An equipment of linen lasts about on,
year, at he end OF which it must be re