New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-15

had only the alternative Of trying or not trying -
catch n few. wnks OF sleep sitting upright IN the
uncomfortable straight backed seats Inc tiHe was
not SO very long ago although the spienHia anu
luxurious vest!buled trains Of The present Gay seer"
perfect enough 70 have passea 'ro"s" ''"s -
Rod OF evolution.
1t was just about forty years ago that the i'e' 9"
a sleeping-car for night travel first took tanE'ie
form To say positively that this or max man "hS
Tho original inventor Of the slesping-car would
probably be met with protests ana expressions ~
diverse opinions The aleeping-car. Ike The sew'nS
machine and other modern necessities. was ~ i"h'h
the product OF popular demand as OF the inventive
genius OF one The times called Tor 'he'h I'"'
w. and Il is strange that the response '''''
from number Of quarters q; about the same time
Also II IS not strange that the response came rom
the mechanical genius OF the United STATES
THE American Railway" SAYS that the prototypes
., the sleeDlng-car were used on the Cumberland
Valley Railroad between Harrisburg ana 'nmorF-
land AZ early as the winter Of 1861 These cars
however. were not Of the combination o'oe'' anu
they were abandoned In lsiS
According TO the tradition preserved by the Wag-
ner Palace Car Company. the originator OF the
sleeplng-car was Theodore r Woodruff The honor
IL also claimed for Ben Field Of Albion IN ms
State once a prominent politician. Albion was the
early residence OF George VI. Pullman. and 1t Is TO
him. II IS said. that the Pullman ears owe theIF
origin Mr. Woodruff prepared his model u Is siid'
IN the Office Of James Tillinghast. at Rome, ~ y IN
1854 Mr. Tlllinghast then In the service OF me
Rome and WATERFOWL Railroad. He ala not nave
sufficient faith In Woo1runs invention 70 ADVANCE
tho money 70 have It patented So IKE many other
inventors as well prophets. who nave fouhd niue
honor in their own country Woodruff was Obliged 10
On on, from the original scene OF his abors 10 ma
somebody TO appreciate his new idea ana 10 give
him financial support
Woodruff finally found patron In Mr. watson
the car builder OF Springfield. Mass. TO whom the
nf m al L.
IN an o,d bandanna handkerchief Mr. watson
h,,rt trial car which made It's first trip on the
New-york Contra. and the Rome and Western
Railroad The car was afterward run 10 Cieveand
Cincinnati and other Western cities. where IL was
looked on as a great curiosity. Il was many SOFA
to the Onto and Mississippi Railroad Company ana
was regularly run on It's line for a number OF
years.
At first the new s,eepIng-cars were more popular
with passengers than with railroad managers. The
railroad men looked at all improvements Hkcy 10
increase the comfort OF trave. with dstrust lhey
argued that the more convenience traVe..ers hau
the more they would want and the cost of them
10 the companies would be enormous lhey prop
ably realized that more attractive traVe."hs '"ou'H
Increase the volume OF travel. but their deductions
as 10 the amount Of travelling that would proDaoy
be done were drawn from the Gays OF s'asc
coaches and they apparently never suspec'ea ""a'
| an immense impetus to travel ana what d" .'''
increase IN tnelr DuSlnfSh """'N ''"''N ''''
the adoption OF such improvements as seep!hg-
| cars :,
| The public had It's way however. as IL geAeraAy
| does and In a few years s.eepers were running on
most of the prominent railroads OF the Ch1'ed
| States
| The first s.eepers tina; were built wouid not DE
! considered At to travel in now but they were re-
! earded as great Injuries then. picture showing
the interior OF a Wagner Sleeping In use on the
| New-York Central Railroad. which was published
IN Prank Lesiies Illustrated Newspaper on April
| ~ 1889 and is reproduced herewith. gives one "
good idea Of the 'uxures of trave. as they existed
| tbirty-nve years ago The fittings and furnishings
were OF the plainest sort shelf was placed across
| the seats which accommodated passengers as usua.
| 4, the daytime. to form the lower berth. ana
| ,wo were let down from the sides. forming three
| .,a-s NJ berths on each side OF the car. The car
| ,yos lighted by kerosene lamps attached TO the
.u,c and warmed by old-fashioned wood
s,ov. n,aced near the centre OF the car BY taking
o.-s in selecting the position OF the berth. one
,.,, on n cod night have the privilege Of sleeping
| -, ,h. temperature OF the tropics in the varying
| -. ., the temperate zone. In the frgldity
oesree ycc circ.e. according as he should be near
vi ~. nr -emote from the stove.
20 pa rnan with a lantern In the centre OF the car
Inc MAJ .ha resident OF the road. He is the con-
- nos The coats OF all the conductors In those
ouctor. nos have fitted SO well as does the one
days tay subtcct OF the sketch. but all the con-
worn ny ,hsn wore high hats. and 30 did the engi-