The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-14

New Cafe Car system Likely to SuppIant
the Dining Car.


the Dining Car.
Chicago, Aug. 13.-The Illinois Central
railroad is running cafe cars on its
Sioux City trains.
This is believed to be another nail in
the coffin" of the regular dining cars with
their 81 dinners and breakfasts. Pas
senger men generally believe the cafe
car has come to stay. Its success on all
the roads which have so far adopted t
* said 10 be unqualified.
The action OF the Illinois Central is ex-
perlmental 10 some extent. The cafe car
will De attached to TIE train leaving for
Sioux City at 800 p. m. 1t will remain
on the train and be open for business
unt ebout s o'clock a night, when it
viii re taken off at Dubuque. The next
morning it will run to Wegster City. The
return trip will be made on the same
lines The company has constructed
some very handsome cars for the SER
vice.
The dining-car. service has long been
a bughaar to the men who figure out the
iiviiend-paying end of the railroad bust
ness. No road has ever expected 10 make
4 cent out Of il and has generally con-
fined Is efforts to keeping the lossdown
o a reasonable figure. On the western
Dads particularly the dining-car has lost
,avor of late years. The hard times have
made travellers look at a dollar bill twice
before putting il up for a meal. The la
cIrte service. where man can spend 25
,erts or nearly as many dollars if ne is
80 inclined, has proved much more popu-
lar.
Not many months since the Erie road
put on cafe cars between Buffalo, Cleve-
land and New York The result was
surprise to the directors. Instead Of
losing money as under theo Id plan, the
ears paid their way and in many cases
have melted a fair profit. These cars
we're divided into two sections-one an
ordinary dining car and the other an
oriental cafe. where a passenger could
smoke and enjoy cup of coffee. or pos
sbly something a little bit stronger.
The oriental end has proved a partic-
uar success, and Passenger Agent Bus
kirk says in the trip to New York the
car frequently does a continuous busl-
z IS from noon until after midnight. On
the regular Chicago runs the Erie has
adopted a compromise plan, and serves |
breakfast and luncheon az Ia carte and |
a table d'hote dinner at the regular price. |
The Milwaukee and ST. Paul road has |
run cafe cars for some time with con- |
siderable success. Out in Iowa, Mime |
sofa and the akotas this road has start |
ed a lunch-car system. Baggage cars
have been fitted up with lunch counter |
and kitchen, and meals ar served "a
moderate rates. Two walters are attach
ed to each car. One attends 10 the lunch |
counter. and the other goes through the /
train and supplies passengers Win re-
freshments VINO do not wish TO leave
their seats. Nine times out of ten the
lunch car is said 10 reach the te-mina
in claaned-up condition.
The eastern roads have been slow In adop
ting the cafe-car system, although many
admit its advent is only a question OF time.
General Passenger Agent Ruggles OF the
Michigan Central believI the cafe car a
good tang He says thu main objection
10 a change lies in the fact that on his road
the old plan Of dining car seems TO be gen.
orally satisfactory. and, this being SO. il
seems hardly advisable TO give il UP.
While some eastern men argue that a
different class of travellers make up the |
bulk OF the business 10 New York from
THOSE travelling in the western states, they |
admit many people would go in the dining
car who now stay away provided they could
obtain cup Of coffee and rolls for - cents
and a more varied menu in proportion
The trend of opinion seams 10 be clearly in
the direction OF the cafe car and there are
men who declare the dining car dollar din
Ter viii scarcely outlast the century.
TIME TO SIGN PEACE TREATY