The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-11-24
CHEAP TRAVEL.
An Agreeable Way of Going
Across the Continent.
Tourist PARTIES That Make the Trip
In Speedy and Comfortable
Manner at But Little
Expense.

It is now possible to cross the conti-
nent to San Francisco and make friends
on the way and have as jolly a time as
when you cross the Atlantic on fast
liner in the same number of days, says
the New York Sun. That did not used
to be so. The old way was to take a
numbered seat in sleeping car and
go through with the chance that no
one but the conductor and the train
newsboys would ever speak to you.
The new way is by means of what are
called tourists excursions. They are
run at second-class rates, but on the
fastest time and with special cars. The
conductors will take frst-class pas
senger if such one should offer him
self There are at least two of these
companies running personally conduct
ed excursions over opposition lines and
both advertise very low rates and
quick time. The cars are plenty good
enough for anybody, but are not so
ornate as the regular palace cars. In
them the people start at New York or
Boston and go through without change,
eating their meals in dining-cars out
as far as Council Bluffs If they want to
and stopping at dining stations along
the rest of each route. A great many
who push to the farthest extreme that
economy which is the distinctive char
acteristic of such carloads carry their
own fare with them in baskets and
either buy nothing but tea and coffee
or even make that for themselves on
the road.
The passengers in the first-class
coaches on the same trains are quickly
made aware of the fact that their
trains carry these tourist parties, for
they hear the laughter and singing and
romping of the tourists, who by the
end of the second day out are all ac-
duainted with one another and bent
on having jolly and fraternal time.
They share their delicacies, their pa
per-covered novels and their hopes and
fears with one another, stream out of
ears in great parties when there is a
long stop, to gather flowers or to take
in new town." and in all ways fra
ternize as though they had all known
each other for years.
The circular Of one of these excur-
sion companies announces that it
guards it's patrons against the pres
ence Of the immigrant and the untidy"
and against the intrusion OF the way
passenger. Everything thatwill con-
tribute to the general pleasure'is well
coined, but nothing offensive is toler-
ated. Some of the cars have smoking
rooms, but if there is one without it the
men must go forward to the regular
train smoker to enjoy their pipes and
cigars A special conductor goes with
each party and saves the tourists the
annoyance Of being awakened to show
their tickets during each night. The
tourist cars look like regular sleepers
in the raw, being built on the same
plan, but not finished with the same
elegance. Unlike the immigrant sleep
ers, they are equipped with carpets,
curtains, mattresses, blankets, sheets
pillows, pillow cases, towels, combs
brushes, etc, requiring nothing of the
kind to be furnished by the passenger
Each car has a stove for the making
of tea and coffee, and each section can
be fitted with an adjustable table. A
uniformed colored~ porter accompanies
each car tosmake up berths, keep the
ctr cIedn and to make himself useful