The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-07
TIE eLEErING Can.
A Short History Of It's Genesis md DsvsI'
Opment.

There were cars, Gays tho Now YORK
Sun, in which travellers could sloUp after
a fashion as carly as 1869, and they
wero used on tho Cumberland Valley
railroad, running between Harrisburg
and Cumberland. They we're crude Of.
forts, however, and wero given up as
carly as ton years before the tino whom
George n. Pullman began his efforts to
build car which might really be called
q sleeping car. Theodore Is. Woodruff
is said to have boon at work in 1854, five
years before the first Pullman workshop
was opened in Chicago. But to-day tho
name OF Pullman 10 syuonymous with a
sleeping car, and Woodruti's namo is
forgotten, except as It survives through
tho Wagner Company. which bought
his rights aud patents from him.
Tho sleeping car Of to-day is very
different achievement from that which
the early efforts OF both these mon pro-
ducod. 1t will readily DO scen how
great the difference is when ono reads
description OF the sleeping car OF
thitty.fve years ago, when certain roads,
in order TO increase travel, had begun 10
make certain clumsy attompts TO pro-
yidU tho traveller with sort OF bunk,
in which 1t was supposed hc might DO
ablo 10 got lit:le sleep. This problem
had been Just presented 10 the railroads
ut that time by the completion OF what
worc thon considered long lines oil
travel. 1t involved, for instance, a
Journey Of 400 miles to got TO tho Ohio
river at either Wheeling or Pittsburgh,
and as long journey TO roach Lake
Erie, ut other Buffalo or Dupkirk, and 1t
took more tiIne to travel 400 miles in those
DAYS THANH II docs now to travel twice that
distance. Night travel was, Of course,
necessary, and tho railroads mot that
problem with sleeping car, which was
very much tho same as an ordinary old
styie day coach with its soats running
tho length Of tho car. Tho bcrths were
made up three doop, like tho hunks In
n Chinese lodging house. The bottom
man slept on tho floor OF the car. tho
ono in tho middle was suspended not
very far above him. and tho topmost
passenger lay with his nose much too
ncar tho roof OF the car for anything
like complete comfort. There was no
ventilation, no light 10 speak OF, and
sheets and pillow cases were luxuries
undreamcd OF. Ihoro was q blanket
and q mattress, and hair-cloth pillow
with its stray briRtleS sticking into tho
unfortunate Travellers flesh. For this
accommodation tho passenger paid 81,
| il no wanted q whole berth, but II hc
were willing 10 share it with somebody
elBo no could get of by paying haltth
sum.
II was iusuch lear as this that George
N. Pullman occupied bunk during
sixty.miIe ride from Buffalo to West
field. 1t was in 1858, and tho sleeping
car was making trial trip on the Lake
Shore road. Mr.. Pullman did not steep
any more than tho majority Of his tel.
low passengers. But as he lay awake
he thought not only OF how uncomtort.
ablc no was, but Of the possibility OF
developing tho shopping car idea into
something which might provide real
comfort and succeed in fulfilling to some
extent tho real purpose OF these cars.
Mr., Pullman says that he did not leave
thu sleeper at Wosticld that night with
the determination to make sleeping cur
construction his lifo occupation but ho
was certain at that timO that he could
build better sleeping cur than tho ono
in which no had Just lain so very much
awake. Later Mr. Pullman discussed a
plan with Mr.. Benjamin Field, mem
ber of tho assembly, who lived In
Albion, N. ", which was at that time
MI. Pullman's home. Iu 1859 MI. Pull
man went out to Chicago to take con.
tract for tho levcling OF the street, and
the same year he hired shop. employ
| cd a muster mechanic and q number OF
work,ucn, and turned out his first car.
which was run over tho Chicago &
| Alton railroad. II was tho first siStecn-
| wheel car over built and was called tho
Pioneer. 1t is stiIl preserved at the
colnpany's works mt Pullman. It was
larger than tho ordinary coaches, and
practically decided tho sI2O and form OF
tho Pullman cars TINT succeeded II, only
tho length having boon increased.
Until 1864 the form OF car now in use,
which is us available during the day
tine az at night, had nOyor boon
thought OF, tho Pioneer having been
bniIt with the idea OF using It only as n
sloeping cur. Abraham Lincoln is said
10 have boon ono OF tho earliest pas
scnpors OH tho Pioneer, mud hia body
was taken from Chicago to Springfield
on this car. II was 80 much higher
than that OF its predecessors. II could
not pass under somo bridges Thcy
were removed by tho railroad COIN
panies, however, when tho trip was
inado with President Lincoln'a body.
Lator General Grant nadc trip west
in tho car,
Tho Pioneer attracted go much alton
ton that Mr.. James F. Joy, president
OF the Michigan Central road, decided
to try somo OF tho cars on his limo. and
four we're built for tho purpose. They
proved even more expensive than tho
pionoor, which had cost $lS,OOO. tho
average price OF shopping cars before
that time having been lose than a fourth
OF that sum. But tho new cars cost
Sgl 900 zach. twas found that II would
not be possihlc To ront berth In ono oil
them Tor tho old price OF 81 80, 80 1t was
decided thnt tho berth In tho now cars
should cost -. This was against tho
vigorous protest Of tho president OF tho
road, who only agreed to tho advance
when Mr.. Pullman suggested that tho
publlc he allowed TO decide which 1t
would patronizc. So tho now Pullman
cars with tho bcrths ut - each wcro
run on trains side by siuo with tho old
fashioned sIcopors churging 90 cents
less Tho old cars worC soon taksn oil
tho road, ga nobody would uso Thorn.
At present thnrc arc in use throughout
tho country2 ,573 Pullman cars, oil which
$50 aro buffet cars and lS arc dining
cars, During 1892 tho number Of miles