Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-27

with him. And after scramble in which
| clothes are torn, luggage sent flying and
| temper ruffled find that the few sleeping
compartments have been taken. Then a
second rush is made for the regular car
| riaSes, in which the unhappy passenger
and his wife rush into the compartment
sans all packages and bags, and by ply
steal force hold the places near the win
dows or other desirable seats
But there are the compartments de
| luxe" exclaim my millionaire friends.
WHO can travel in them l reply, but
lords and American mllionaires?'
There is the compartment chambre Il
| couche, with its five or six first class
fares, the compartment salon. which you
may have for five first-clasS fares. and
supplements for a journey of not less
| than $50 kilometres. 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 coupe-interieur.
the coupe-lavabo, the coupe-lit. the
coupe-lit-toiette, the lits-salon, the Its
toilette and the fauteuil-lit until the
whole business becomes so confusing
with its additional first class fares. it's
supplements and it's extras" together
with restrictions as to the length of the
the journey thrown in by way of making
the problem more difficult of calculation.
| that the ordinary mind and limited
pOcketbook gives it up and jumps into
the first regular coach, with the fervent
hope of getting somewhere in the morn
ing. l 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 a style that would
have Frustrated our colored guardian
angels) l literally paid my way all night.
and these interminable financial opera
lions destroyed all hope of sleep. How
I longed for regular two-dollar Pull
man sleeper with the civil. business-like
punched slip which gave me sure
nights rest. and the good-natured colored
porter with the usual query:
Twill you have your head or feet to the
engine, sab, and what time shall l call
you in the morning, Sah?'
In nearly all these high-sounding and
uncomfortable efforts to provide passen-
gers with sleeping accommodations, the
toilet arrangements are abominable, and
an actual danger to health, to say moth
ing of the lack, in many cases, of Sepa-
ate accommodations for women.
Speaking of the American conductor
calls to mind the fact that he is just now
being discussed in letters ITO the Edi-
tor of the London Standard. One Eng
lish correspondent comes to his rescue
and says so many things that are true
about him that / am tempted to repro
duce few sentences:
During the last four years I must
have Travelled above twenty thousand
miles over the American and Canadian
railroad systems. and have observed the
conduct of the train hands on both sides
of the line, and under all sorts of condi-
tions; and must say there is but little to
choose between them, though the bias Is
in favor of the courtesy of the native
American railroad man all the time. And
the reason is that on all the great rail-
road systems a man has the chance of
reaching one of the highest official posi-
tions from the lowest step of the ladder;
and as that is only attained by courtesy,
ability and seff-contrOl, the men know 1t
and practise it. l can never recall a
single instance of petulance or 1ncivillty,
but, on the other hand, quite long re-
cord of incidents of manly and unseliish
helpfulness in the matter of making train
and boat connections, the hotels to stay
at best fitted for ones purse and re-
uuirements. and other interesting travel
ling points, with never the expectation
of 'tip" as is the universal custom
nearer home Treat an American tram
man with courtesy, as he deserves 10 De,
being invariably weil-informed ana ed
ucated man. and / don't think there VIII
be a chance to find fault with him.
This is no more than just and right.
The English guards. as general rule,
are nolite enough. but their politeness
often borders on servility and has tip
at the end of the. string. The continent
tai guard is even more polite, nut not so
keen on the tip l have met continental