Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
MENTAL TRAVELLERS.
They Manage to See Much of tn
World without Leaving Home.

They Manage to See Much of the
World without Leaving Home.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
'You would be surprised at the number
of mental travellers that are in commu-
nity," said railroad man yesterday 1T
mean people who travel only in their
minds; who, to indulge this mania, make
a collection of railroad literature such as
is issued in timetables. excursion books,
pamphlets, etc. You have often heard peo-
pie talk knowingly of a place which you
may have the best evidence that they have
never visited. They can discourse fluently
upon the hotels and principal sights of the
CITY, even tell you of the trains and the
connections they make, or describe the
small stations through which they pass
going there. If you have ever known a
man or woman like this, then you have
met a mental traveller. He might also be
dubbed the railroad literature fiend. as this
is the title by which he is known among
the employees of a railroad office, who look
no further into the motives of men than
the surface.
1--WE have hundreds of such men and
women who come to the Office after every
piece of literature the railroad prints.
from the local timetables to the book de-
scriptive of a southern or western jaunt.
Their thirst for this kind Of literature can
never be satiated: 1t seems to have the
same influence as alcoholic stimulantS-the
more they get the more they want. We
have men who are employed in leading po-
sitions in banks and business houses who
come to us daily with the question, Any
thing new out? When the people live in
the city they usually call upon us daily,
but when they reside in the country their
visits are at longer intervals.
1--WE have one old man who comes from
Westmoreland county, who never fails to
appear upon the same date of each month.
He seems to revel in going through the
large batch of timetables and books that
have accumulated since his last visit. He
never varies in his mode Of procedure.
After supplying himself with q sample Of
each one. he comes over to the window,
and, with his face wreathed in smiles. in
the intoxication of his delight, he says,
How're you, anyhow?
after being assured that our health still
he always asks. We'll, kin you tell me how
"When this information is given he in
variably remarks. Well, that's gol darn
'SThen he lapses into thoughtful mood
from which he breaks by making the as
sertion. Confound me, I'll go down there
next ana We DO up ms hm gp ne
for q month. He has been going to Bos-
ton next year to my own knowledge for
six years. .o,o 49,.
faction out Of their dreamy wanderings
than the usual tourist Of the day who tray
els not to learn. but to kill tim6 One man
ington in his life. yet he was as familiar
with the getting there and the city itself
as II he had lived his lifetime there. He
can talk about the streets and numbers,
and can direct people from one place to
another with more accuracy than the av-
erage Pittsburg policeman can give you
information about his town. and gets it all
from railroad literature, You watch the
timetable racks Of a railroad station and
notice what a high class of people these
mental travellers are"