South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1893-09-28
SLEEPING CARS.
THEY WE'RE EVOLVED FROM L
PRIMITIVE START.
Wagner and Pullman Conceived tho
Same Idea Almost Coinc1dental-
ly In 1S57-Furnishingza and
Servicc-Privato Cars.


apolis News. He took an ordinary
coach and put tho berths in tiers.
There were three tiers, the upper
berths being made Of Stats, and duping
the day these stats, with the mattresses,
were taken out and piled in the
end of tho cars. 1t cost about 81. 900
to arrange these carr, and in 1858 four
OF them we're in uBe: The public ut
first fought shy Of the 'tnew-faneied"
affairs, aad it was two years befops the
patronage was sufficient to justify fur
Their Improvement The berths. were
finally changed 50. they were hung
from above with inon rods and not in.
frequently when tho train was turning
sharp curves were the passengers
thrown out or hsd their elbows and
heads bruised by the swaying Of the
OARS. AS the years advanced trsvelers
began to take LIKING to sleepiS. cars
and the patronage was so great that
various improvements we're made until
the palaces of to-day we're the result.
Wagner was killed few years ago in
collision: When he died In vas q
multi-millionaira- The same year, and
about the same time TINT Wagner in
vented his sleeping car, George Nj.
Pullman was taking trip over the
Chicago & Alton, and the idea of a car
on which passengers could sleep struck
him. He got two passenger coaches
and constructed 'tsleepers" similar to
the one made by Wagner. One, Of
these was the Pioneer" now retired
from service Jn IDS ifonuts. ----
From thoua
two great palace car companies,
probably the most powerful monopolies
in the railroad world The Wagner
operates 2100 cars ON 1900 miles of
road and thirty companies. The Pull
man operates 1900 cars on 100, 900
miles of railroad. There wcre also
two smaller companies begun years
ago, the Woodruff and the Mann The
former WAS merged into the Pullman
company III 1871 and Inc NJ I'M is almost
out OF existence. So grca. has been
the advance in car construction that
with nil the gorgcousness and luxury
of the palace car of to-day they cost
little more than the plain, crude cars
OF years ago. Itrequired one yeas to
build the Pioneer at cost of $18, 600.
Now a car is turned out in two months
at an expense of about 81 8, 900 or $2l, =
900.
1t was only q step from a sleeping to
parlor car, but it was years before a
hotel or buffet cor was turned out.
Pullman built the first in 1876. All
the Pullman sleepers are now Bullets
and few of them are hotel cars, where
freshly cooked meats are served. The
dining cars supplanted the hotel cars.
Observation and combination cars are
only few years old. The furnish
ings Of an average sleeper, which has
sixteen compartments for thirty two
passengers, for an ordinary run of a
day and a night and return are 100
sheets, 100 hand towels, 100 pillow
slips, twelve cakes of soap, six boxes of
matches, two brooms, six whisk
brooms, four combs and six brushes.
The cars have. in addition to their
other equipments, a hammer, monkey
wrench, Ratchet, saw and crowbars,
iron and wooden buckets, feather
busters, telegraph blanks, and on some
Bibles and other books.
The conductors average from S75 to
500 month, according to ability and
length of service. The porters are paid
from 825 to $75 month, but they buy
their own uniforms and wear overcoats
furnished by the company. The con-
ductor is required to give bond of
$500; the porter is not required to give
any. On run exceeding what is known
as short or twelve-hour trip either
the conductor or porter must be awake
and get out at every regular stop,
ready to receive passengers. On short
runs neither is allowed to sleep. Por-
ters in private cars get s75 q month.
Private cars carry three men-cook,
psntryman and waiter A sleeper usu-
, ally carries two, but on short runs
there is porter in each car, while a
conductor is in charge of two or more
cars in the train. The dining cars
carry first, second and third cook at
S75, four to six walters at $50 q month
and conductor at 800 n month, who
also acts as cashier.
There is much rivalry and at the
/ same time much difference in the Sc
lection Of porters in regard to runs.
All of them like the through trains to
fashionable summer resorts. The tip
to psrlor car mon who brushes your
clothing at the end of the short trip is
! usually 25 cents, and he counts upon
/ 800 or S25 a month extra. The sleep
ing car tip averages 25 cents, but it is
often much more, particularly if the
porter is requested to look after in
vslids or women and children placed
in his charge. The sleeping car porter
counts on $40 month extra. Dining
car men make about S45 month in
addition to their services.
1t is not true, as is generally sup
posed, that the railroad companies
own their diners, sleeping, parlor and
chair cars. 1t is only in few in
stances that this is the case. The ar
rangemcnts between the railroad and
palace COR companies is ordinarily in
the form Of contract whereby the
palace car company agrees to furnish
the capital and the cars, while the
roads agree to haul then free, receiv-
ing therefor only the regular fare paid
by the passengers. The palace car is