The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-14
A Glance at Their History and at the
Present Facts Concerning Them.
From the New York Sun.

NSSSS
From the New York Sun.
No other country can boast of railroad
service equal to our own. Even our pigs
and horses have palaces on wheels.
In 1857 Webster Wagner, then freight
agent of the New York and Hudson River
railroad, running from New York to Al
bany, conceived the idea of putting berths
into cars so that passengers might sleep
in them. One year later four of these
cars were In operation Wagner used
ordinary coaches and constructed berths
in tiers, like those in ocean steamers
There were three tiers. The upper
berths were made of Stats During the
day these Stats were taken out, together
with the mattresses, and were piled in the
| ends of the cars. The cost of construc-
ton OF these cars was about $12, 600 each
Two years later Mr.. Wagner changed
these berths so that they were hung from
above by iron rods On sharp curves the
| occupant of the berth was apt to be
thrown out or at least have his elbows
thumped against the side of the car The
! cars were very crude. A tin wash basin
apologized for the absence of bath room.
The absence of all other comforts apollo
giZed for them.
A few months after Mr. Wagner CON
CeiYed the idea of sleeping car George
and Alton railroad when a similar scheme
struck him. He got two of the railroad
passenger coaches and constructed a
sleeping car much like Mr.. Wagner's.
Neither gentleman was aware of the
dOings of the other. One of these cars
built by Mr.. Pullman was the famous
Pioneer" now hOnorably retired. From
these two beginnings sprang the two great
palace car companies of to-day, the Wag-
ner and the Pullman The one operates
l ,o00 cars on 1900 miles of railroad, with
thirty different railroad companies. The
other operates 9, 200 cars on 100000 miles
of railroad. There were also two smaller
companies years ago, the Woodruff and
the Mann The Woodruff was merged
into the Pullman company in 1891 and
the Mann company IS almost defunct.
A picture of car of 1860 and a descrip-
tion of a car of to-day would serve better
chan anything else to convey an idea of
the progress and advancement in travel
ing. But with all the crudeness and
plainness of the one and all the gorgeous
ness and luxury OF the other so great has
been the advance in car construction that
theCost of the cars of to-day does not ex-
coed the cost of the first palace cars built
by 5000, save, of course, in special in
stances. 1t took one year to build the
Pioneer, and IL cost SIS 900. 1t takes two
months to turn a car out now, and seldom
does it cost $40 coo.
1t was but step from a sleeping car to
a parlOr car. But it was years before a
hotel or buffet car was turned out Pull
man built the first one in 1876 for use at
the Centennial 1t was a sleeping car
with kitchen attachment. The passen-
gers slept in the car, and their meals
Were served in the spaces their berths
occupied at night. All the Pullman
sleepers are buffet cars now. Few of
them are hotel cars, where freshly-cooked
meats are served. The dining cars sup
planted the hotel cars, which were mod
ihed into buffet cars The observation
ANA combination cars are onlya few years
old. Private cars began with the organ
lzalloh % the companies, but they have
changed much in furnishings and gnisb.
The furnishings OF au average WAGNER
sleeping car, which has 10 compartments