The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-04-29
EPISODE.
II Was ON = Dining Car ana Was Oal
of the Cook County Routine.

- uVsS O1
of the Cook County Routine.
The Inauguration Of a dining car SER
vice on one Of the trunk lines east
ward from Chicago was an event in the
city by the lake II years ago. The cere-
mony consisted in running the car,
fully equipped, some rs miles out and
back.
There were 90 guests. They included
representatives of the daily publications
CT the city, two press association agents
and several men about town, one OF
whom had the somewhat questionable
reputation Of never having been put
under the table. The man who ar
ranged the details and accompanied the
car and guests was singularly qualified
for such a mission. In one sense he was
a Mark Tapley. In another he was a
Boniface. To drop comparisons. he was
the advertising agent Of an enterpris-
ing railroad company. He understood
his business.
The train, made up of a locomotive
decorated with bunting, a commissary
and a dining car, moved out at four
o'clock in the afternoon of a winters
day. Every invited guest was there.
1t was a novelty to some. No particular
reflection is intended on dining car
service Of to-day in the statement that
the menu was, in the free and easy talk
of the agent, 'strictly bang up" As
each guest took his seat he received a
dainty box. daintily tied with ribbon.
On the card attached to the ribbon
was written: "The compliments OF
- Railroad company to Mrs. -
If a guest was not entitled to a box
with such an inscription the agent OF
the company knew it. and the inscrip.
ton was to a miss" And the agent
made no mistake. 1t was no trick for
the agent to get the home address OF
each guest, and this address was printed
on cardboard, to which was appended
a silver thread. The addresses were held
in reserve by the company's agent.
Somewhere on the white sands that
skirt Lake Michigan and extend into
the pine tree forests the train came to
a stand for n few minutes, and the
guests were seated at the table in the
dining car. Then the engine shrieked,
pulled out, and the first dinner on that
line was begun. Fact is generally dis.
torted in efforts to describe big dinners,
and the wise generation has come to
skip that part of an account of feSti.
val. Whoever reads this may be as
sured, however, that though he wing
his imagination he cannot fancy q
spread equal to the one on this occasion.
Somewhere in Indiana the train
stopped, and the engine was turned
about and started on it's return trip
with commissary and dining-car at.
tached. The feast continued. Some.
where in the pine tree forests the train
slowed up, and a man who had been con
stituted master of ceremonies by rea.
son of his staying qualities stood W
and commanded silence. He unrolled
a manuscript and read therefrom BON.
bastic words in which the greatness OF
the corporation was extolled; sentence |
after sentence lauded its generosity and
hospitality, and the grand glorification
in the closing paragraph was in honor
Of the agent of the company. Having
read the "whereases" and resolves
with dramatic force. the master OF
ceremonies said in true sincerity:
Il take it upon myself to move the
unanimous adoption of the resolutions.
Under ordinary circumstances | should |
ask fora rising vote, but on this occa
sion it is inexpedient. l shall therefore
myself with asking every guest
to raise his hand-whichever hand is
convenient. | trust that everyone will
do this heartily, for the resolutions ]
just read were written by Mai
. the gentlemanly agent of the com.
pany, to whom we are indebted for this
occasion, and it is due him that the vote
should be unanimous" 1t was unani.
nous.
Then silence came upon those at the
Every mar slept. The gentle.
manly and efficient agent" took his
of addresses from his pocket, and
very sleeper was properly tagged.
When the train stood still in the sta.
ton, back of the old Exposition build.
ng, there were drawn up at the plat.
'orm as many carriages as there were
guests. A corps of efficient employees
II the company was on hand, and each
was taken from his table to his
'arriage. The driver looked at the tag
IN the button of the sleeper. the door
vas closed softly. and the vehicle went
is way.-N. Y. Sun.