The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-03
A "REMINISCENCES OF PULLMAN.

y
My first meeting with Mr.. Pullman, -
said an old newspaper man, twas thirty
or more years ago. There were no Sun
day papers in the interior cities then and
on Saturday nearly all the working force
had 3 halliday off. I had invited my
sisters-girls fourteen and sixteen years
o ld-to come to the city that day. and we
were on the street ready for our expedi-
ton when the resident manager of one
of tho railroads drove to the sidewalk
where we were standing and asked me
to come to the buggy in which he was
seated with another gentleman. He in.
troduced his companion as Mr.. Pullman
and hurriedly explained that the first
dining car ever constructed was to make
trial trip on their road and they wanted
me to go with the few invited guests.
"a dining-car at that time was great
curiosity. I wanted to 60, but explained
that my sisters had come in from coun-
try town to spend the day with me and
that could not leave them. Bring the
girls along, they will be particularly in
terested." Without further remark, he
stepped out of the carriage, invited the
girls to step in, explained in his master
full way the pleasure they would have In
such an expedition, and expressed his own
pleasure in the opportunity he would
have of explaining the culinary depart
ment Of his new car to young ladies who
came from the best cooking school in the
world-the old-fashioned country home,
This relieved me from all EN- barrassment.
and In few minutes we joined the other
guests in the new dining-car, my sisters
being the only representatives Of their
sex present. The party was made up of
distinguished railway men, presidents
and managers. two or three hotel men.
and our. own little group.
The girls, dressed in their ordinary
street.garb and thrown into such dis
tlngu1shed company, were embarrassed
and bashful. For a few minutes Mr..
Pullman, as he greeted the railway men,
was. the Pullman that ssmost men knew
Then he came to the girls, and, taking
them in charge, showed them about the
car, opening all cupboards. receptacles.
showing all the kitchen utensils and how
they were kept, explaining how the pro-
visions were packed in the smallest posi-
BILE space, and yet everything within easy
reach of the cook. The girls were, Of
course, delighted, land soon their exolama-
tions OF appreciation and delight We're
mingled with Mr.. Pullman's explana-
tions. The railway magnates looked on
this scene with some wonder. There was
revealed in Mr.. Pullman a new element
OF character, new vein of sentiment
While talking to the girls and showing
them about he seemed another man. He
took such delight in their delight that
the three were in ten minutes exploring
t9at olnang-car very smuoh as half dozen
children would explore barn.
Later he showed the railway men over
the car, but they insisted he did not take
nall the pains with them he did with, the
girls. That was thirty years ago, but
those girls have never forgotten their first
meeting with George M. Pullman. They
never saw him again, but they always
speak Of him as their ideal of the sym
pathetic and considerate gentleman.
did not see Mr.. Pullman after that for
four or five years. was on long jour-
ney with my mother and the sleeper in
which we were travelling broke down and
the through passengers had TO be trans
ferred to other oars. 1t SO happened that
was one of the parties that could not Sc
cure berth in the other sleepers. AS
my mother was something of an invalid
l was more disturbed than I otherwise
would have been, but was helpless to Sc
cure any better accommodation than a
seat In crowded passenger coach.
SAT a Chicago junction some new cars
were attached to the train, but they were
not open to passengers. Shortly after the
train left the junction railway man, an
old.acq uaintance, passed through our car
and, stopping to speak to me, I explained
just how we were situated. He said moth
ing. but in few min ates came back,
presented Mr.. Pullman's compliments,
and said that section in one of the new
sleepers;was at my service. Mr.. Pullman
had remembered the name and circum-
stances Of the trial trip on the first din
inE-car and, asking after the girls who
had taken such interest in his talk on
that day, said he was very glad to have
the mother of the girls take trial trip
on new sleeper that was to be put on
some Eastern road the next week. We
went at once to the car, were for that
night the only occupants, and had a most
comfortable journey: I saw the other side
of Mr.. Pullman's character good many
times in the later days, but I al ways
look back with pleasure to these two
meetings with him."