Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-10-26
INVENTED THE SLEEPING CAR.
Biographical Sketch of the F0un ! e
Of the Great Palace Cur COMPANY.

Biographical Sketch of the Foun4 Ter
OF the Great Palace Car Company.
George M. Pullman was one of Chicago's
most distinguished citizens He was born
IN Broct ION! Chautauqua county, N. Y,
March 5, 1881. His father, James Lewis Pull
man, was native of Rhode Island, me-
chanic by occupation, and a man Of char
acter and influence in his community. He
died November l, 1853. Emily Caroline
(Minton) Pullman, his mother, was a
woman of rare sense, daughter of James
Minton, Of Auburn, N. Y.
Mr.. Pullman received common school
education, and while a boy gave evidence
OF that independence and manly persist
ence that characterized his subsequent life
His ideas were original, and he was
possessed of much native genius. His in
PRODUCTION to business life was as clerk
in store near his home, when IA years old,
for which he received an annual salary Of
$40.
Pullman. was conducting small cabinet
shop at Albany, N. Y, and at the end Of his
first year in the store George took place
In this establishment to learn the cabinet
making trade. While in his teens'he became
partner with his brother, and they were
prosperous. Upon the death of his father
the care Of his mother and younger broth
ers and sisters largely devolved upon him.
and he found it necessary to increase his
income:
lnVentS the sleeping Car.
Upon the discovery of gold in Colorado
Mr.. Pullman spent three years there pros
pecting and mining, accommodating consid-
erable wealth from this source. But prior
to going to Colorado the then contractor
and engineer had conceived an idea of
introducing practical sleeping coaches into
use on the different railroad systems Of
the country.
To illustrate his theory he had fitted up
in 1859 two old passenger coaches belonging
to the Chicago g. Alton Railroad company.
Upon his return to Chicago from Colorado
in 1868 he set to work with determination
characteristic of his whole career, to per-
feet the ideas he had so crudely developed
in the two original sleepers, and after
experimenting and an expenditure OF $751;
600 he produced his first improved sleeping
coach. 1t was christened Pioneer" and
was a marvel Of comfort and luxury, such
as travellers in this or any other country
had never seen.
The Pioneer was destined for high and
solemn honor, for upon it's first trip it was
one of the train that bore the remains OF
Abraham Lincoln from Washington to
their last resting place In Springfield.
In 1867 was organized the Pullman Pal
ace Car company, which has so increased
in size, that now it ranks as one of the
largest&manufacturing plants in the world.
In 13 years the demands made upon the
company by the railroads of America, and
the entire world, in fact, made it necessary
to increase the facilities of the plant. So in
1880 it was decided to build new works.
Building of Town of Pullman.
It had long been Mr.. Pullman's plan to
build town for workmen that would be
complete within itself, providing means OF
entertainment, worship and education, to-
gether with mercantile establishments suf-
f1cient to supply the requirements of ali.
Four thousand acres of land were bought
along the western shores of Lake Calumet,
and some II miles south Of the then limits
of Chicago, and work upon the town OF
Pullman was begun.
In June. 1884, the town was the scene OF
the Pullman strike. The value of property
destroyed, hire Of United States deputy
marshals and other expenses incidental to
this great strike were estimated by the
Cleveland at 8o,3O8. The loss of earnings
Of the roads implicated was estimated at
$,672, 916. Some 300 Pullman employees
lost in, wages $350.o0o. About 100000 en-
ployes on the "a railroads centering in Chi
cago lost In wages s., SS9,14S.
The Pullman Palace Car company Is the
largest railroad manufacturing interest in
the world. 1t employs capital of $40, 000,-
COO. and has assets exceeding $4,000 .00O.
About the time of the Worlds Columbian
exposition it had in its service 2,239 cars
and employed 1885 persons, whose annual
wages aggregated s. 221 .527. being an aver
age Of 500 per capita. At present. however.
both the number Of employees and their
wages are lower than then.
The Pullman company now has in opera
ton 2,40S sleeping, parlor and dining cars,
of which 1853 are buffet and dining cars.
The largest regular unbroken run in the
Pullman service Is between Washington
and San Francisco, "a distance Of 1926 miles,
The company runs cars under contract over
81 lines. with a total mileage Of 124 ,149 miles.
/ .. IS ~. -
g.: <ss Against Silver. U.s.. Il.
4 London, Oct. 81 The British govern
ment has decided against silver and
there is now no hope for an information
al conference on bimetallism. , s.
;:szz Indiana Bankers. IF. r.
Indianapolis, Ind, Oct 21.-Indiana
bankers met here and formed a state
association with Allen NJ. Fletcher, Of
this city, as president. ..=... .
Convict Counterfeiters.
Pittsburgh, Pa, Oct. 49,. Convicts IN,
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