Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-07-28
NEARLY 5000 MILES AT 4 CLIP
Sleeping Car Porters who Have the Long
est Runs In the World.

Sleeping Car POrters VINO nave the Long
: est Runs In the World.
!, The only employees of the Canadian Pa
cific who are with the express trains all tn
time between Montreal and Vancouver ar
the sleeping car porters They trave
nearly 5000 miles without break. and ar
on the road for nearly six days, IL is
pretty hard life, but at both ends of tn,
route the porters have an opportunity t,
rest. though even then they hardly get suf
fcient refrigeration For two or thres
nights the porter Is not likely to get ovei
three or four hours sleep night, and hs
Is lucky II he gets that He is his own con
ductor. and collecting the sleeping cal
tickets and accounting for them adds con
siderabiy To his work.
| Leaving Montreal at $40 p. m, he Is
certain to have busy time ut Ottawa
shortly after midnight. and then he has
his boots to black. and he Ia lucky II he
gets a wink Of sleep before Q or 3 a m. He
takes pillow and lies down in the smok
Ing room when no passengers are there,
and catches cat maps II he can. He IL likely
at any moment 10 be aroused by a bell
snmmoning him to one OF the berths, and
the bell Is sure To be kept busy after day
break.
After leaving Winnipeg he has a com
paraiively easy time across the plains.
though he is compelled TO be up after
midnight both at Regina and at Calgary
At all important stations he has to go TO
the telegraph office with a statement OF
the accommodations unoceupled in his
car. NO that the station agents ahead may
dispose Of berths, He has a busy time
through the mountains.
As a rule he loses nearly his entire car
load at Winnipeg and 1t fills up there at
once with passengers from the south He
loses his passengers again at Banr, and
their places ure supplied by tourists who
are going on from that pleasure resort.
then many Of his passengers get of at
Glaziar. and others come on. so that nearly
all the time he has much TO do In the way
Of keeping his accounts. besides his duties
as porter
At Vancouver he lays over Tor two days,
and as a rule he sleeps in the car, occupy
ing II ali the time for the round trip
When he returns to Montreal he has been
away fourteen days Then he has a longer
rest He Is OF duty for Ave days, except
that he has TO take his turn reporting at
the depot At night To assist the outgoing
porter 10 taking care Of luggage, His five
days rest puts him 10 pretty good condi
ton tor another two weeks siege
The porters say the trip Is rather trying
but that there is nothing like getting used
TO thing The company pays them forty
dollars mouth. and they expect to make
AZ least as much more in fees All Of them |
are colored men from the States, and have |
served on some OF our hest lines They |
say they like the service. Once In awhile |
\ man IN switched Off his regular run, |
which does not please him very well For |
Instance, he may reach Winnipeg, going |
,ast with an empty car, aud he IL likely to
be side tracked for further orders He has
plenty OF leisure then, but the fees, which |
orm 80 large part OF his income, are no,
forthcoming, and he prefers more profit
bile activity, New York sun.