The Anaconda standard., 1895-11-23
Discomforts Of Modern Travel.

With all the improvements 1t has
undergone within recent years, railway
travel in America is still far short of
perfection. The most glaring and
vicious fault of nearly every railroad
in the country Is that the cars during
the months of fall, winter and spring
are kept too hot. While this Is true of
all sorts and conditions of passenger
cars, II is most noticeable in Puilm IN
sleepers. the porters of which. seem to
think they are not giving the occupants
their moneys worth unless they main
tain a temperature not much below
that OF the fiery furnace in which
Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego
achieved distinction. When the warm
blooded passengers. tortured beyond
their powers of endurance, enter a pro-
test, the accommodating porter zeal
ously yanks open the roof windows and
sets one or both doors ajar. causing, If
the weather be cold, such a sudden
chill that the colder-blooded passengers
unite in a howl of dismay and indlgaa-
ton, and the car is hermetically seeled
again.
Uniformity of temperature at the
proper degree Fahrenheit may be diff
cult OF accomplishment in a railway
car, but 1t is not impossible, for a few
lines have succeeded in attaining the
desaderatum and are making 1t a fea-
ture that is keenly appreciated by a
long suffering public. A porter on the
New York Central. that prince and
paragon of railroads, is trained to keep
his eye on the Thermometer and knows
| just how to act to keep the mercury
| under control But nine-tenths of .he
railroads of the country seem to
imagine that the comfort of their pat
rons lies in plush and varnish. and that
the art of ventilation is something that
must Ibe studiously ignored. The mod
| ern Pullman or Wagner sleeper stands
In need of several important improve
menas. not the least of which is an
| appliance by which the occupant of a
berth may when he goes to bed Teach
out his hand and regulate an inlet of
fresh air at will.
| In very many respects the sleeping
car of the future will be very Differ
ent affair from the present abomina-
tion with Its promiscuity of the sexes
and its unspeakable horror-the upper
berth. Several railroads have recently
| petitioned the Pullman company for a
reduction OF twenty-five per cent. in Its
rates for upper berths. alleging that
where passenger competition is brisk
In order to supply the demand fol-
lower berths-the repugnance TO up
pers'' being so intense and so universal
the companies are obliged to haul ar
unnecessary number of sleepers. A
twenty-five per cent. reduction is moi
enough. The price of an upper berth
ought not TO be one-half that OF {
lower. and the price of lower ought
to be just about one-half what. IL 1.
now.
The ordinary day coach % iecen
make is a vast Improvement on lis pre-
decessor of a dozen or fifteen year.
ago. on most lines IL is now so wei
lighted as to enable passengers To reat
at night. Often, too, Il contains
lavatory. the only detective feature o
which is the length of time oae Ion,
roller towel is permitted 10 do bushes
for all comers. Sensitive rsople vii
prefer staying travel-statned to indulg
ing in ablutions which cannot ID com
pleted without recourse to a towel tha