The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-28

cause they were only going short distances
Toward morning no less than three empty
bottles were careening around the rattle-te-
bang old carriages, and, chilled to the bone
and with a headache that lasted all the
yet for such accommodation, 1 paid about
the same as tirst-clasS ride the same dis
lance would haye cost at home: And this
is the way the English railways treat IS per
cent. OF the travelling public
Oh but we have fine third-claSS car
t rages nova hear thGSe who like this sys
portant places you have but on a majority
of the English railways there has been no
Improvement in this respect whatever-not
in twenty-five years. Only this very day 1
came up from the eastern counties on the
Great Eastern Railway, and nearly half
of a generation ago. These carriages had
not a veStige of cushions on the seats. They
not worse, than the fourth-class carriages
of Germany. Some of the carriages were
cushioned, but they were poorly built, the
windows rafting and the wheels jolting,
while they were all about filthy and dis
agreeable as one could possibly imagine.
As for the smoking compartment, that was
too horrible to contemplate. And for riding
one hundred miles in such a carriage paid
precisely what it costs to ride in a hand
passenger coach from New York to Phila-
delphia, Bear in mind, however. that for
two shillings $50 cents) extra in the United
States l could secure a parlor chair in the
Pullman car whereas to obtain a seat in
the musty and mildewy first-class empties
which rattle along, wedged in between the
crowded third-claSS carriages here in Eng
land, would have cost practically double
fare.
POOR SLEEPING CARS.
Those who abuse the American railways
should be condemned to try the European
system. do not mean travelling by day for
pleasure to see the country. but on business
On trip, for example, where the time is
using these railways, and on account of the
villainous accommodation at night have
often been compelled to travel by day and
lose valuable time The continental method
is hardly any better than the English, ex-
cept that the railway carriages are better
built and the material used in construction
Of a superior quality. / shall never forget
ments of the Holland State Railway struck
me when we arrived at Flushing. They
were beautifully clean, built of hard wood,
the windows of thick plate glass, with met
al frames, fitting tightly. The upholstering
was or first quality and comfortable in the
extreme. Moreover these carriages are
much larger, giving more air, and they run
more smoothly. Contrasted with the flimsy
pine painted carriages of England the
Dutch railways are far superior. While the
Dutch, and German, and Austrian, and
Swiss railways are more comfortable than
the English by day, by night they are bad
ly managed, and it is difficult to secure
sleeping Accommodations, even of the in
ferior sort provided. How would those who
growl about American railways like to wait
about one of these palatial state operated
stations and as the train rolls in rush up
to an aIghting sleeping car conductor and
practically football with him. And after q
scramble in which clothes are torn. luggage
sent flying and temper ruff1ed find that the
few sleeping compartments have been TAX
en-. Then second rush is made for the reg
ular carriages, in which the unhappy pas
senger and his wife rush into the compart-
ment sans all packages and bags, and by
physical force hold the places near the win
Meantime
the porter from without hands the luggage
in through the window. After these fierce
ing, and may have to pass the night sitting
upright in a single seat. Or, even worse
the seat under your rug, and just as sleep
steals over your body, worn out by the ef-
forts to secure q sleeping berth, the train
pulls up at station and two or three addi-
tional passengers enter to share your nea-
ger space.
COMPARTMENTS DE Luxe.
But there are the compartments de
like, F" exclaim my millionaire friends.
who can travel in Them" I reply, .sbut
lords and American millionaires?p
There is the compartment "chambre a
couche," with its five or six first-cIass
fares, the compartment salon, which you
may have for five first-class fares, and
supplements" for journey of not less
than $50 kilometers. Then there is the
coupe, with numerous other restrictions,
three first-class fares and supplements"
Nor does this end the list, which. among
other sleeping complications, comprises the
coupe-fauteuil, the coupeeinterieur, the
coupe-lavabo. the coupe-lit the coupe-liI-
toilette. the lits-salon. the liks-toilette and
the fauteuil-lit. until the whole business
becomes so confusing, with its additional
frst-class fares. its supplements and its
extras, together with restrictions as TO
the length of the journey thrown in by
way, or making the problem more difficult
of elucidation. that the ordinary mind and
limited pocketbook gives Ii up and jumps
into the first regular coach. with the fer
vent hope Of getting somewhere in the
morning, tried one Of these devices once,
which one ! could never make out, and
what with supplements and extras"
and one-dollar tip actually demanded by
the conductor, who himself made UP the
so-called beds lin style that would have
FRUSTRATED our colored guardian angels)
literally paid my way all night. and these
interminable financial operations destroyed
all hope of sleep. How longed for reg
ular two-d0liar Pullman sleeper with the
civil business-like conductor exchanging
my ticket for the punched slip which gave
me a sure nights rest. and the E0od~na-
tured colored porter with the USUAL query: