The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-03
ON A SPECIAL TRAIN.
The Way the President of the
United States Always Travels.
Presidents Have Specials Thrust Upon
Them-Reasons Why They Can
not Use Regular Trains-Har-
rison Protested Once, But
Yielded to Authority.

Yielded to Authority.
WASHINGTON, March president
Elect Mckinley came east on special
train over the lines of the Pennsylvania
West and the Pennsylvania railroad.
When he was governor, special cars
were unknown Injuries to the major.
He preferred the day coach.
But presidents and presidents elect
cannot carry modeSty to the point of
risking life, and it would be a risk of
life for the president elect to make his
journey to the capital on regular train.
Leaving out of consideration the cranks
who are always a menace to safety,
there would be danger from the enor-
nous crowds which would flock about
the train-danger to the president elect
and to the people too.
Handling president or a president
elect is ticklish business. An accident
to him would hurt the railroad company
beyond repair. That is why the presi-
dent always travels in a special car and
usually on a special train. lie does not
ask this luxury The railroad company
forces it on him.
When President Harrison was plan
ming his trip to the Pacific coast, he
sent for George w Boyd, the assistant
general passenger agent of the Pennsyl-
vania road, who was a personal friend
of many years standing, and asked him
to plan the excursion. He said he wanted
to start on a certain day, to return on a
certain day and to visit certain cities
en- route. He expressly stipulated that
he would not have special train.
but, Mr.. President, - said Mr.. Boyd
in that engaging way which so endears
him to his friends, you cannot make
the trip on regular trains. -
President Harrison made sweeping
gesture with both arms. ST won't have
a special train he said.
ut is all very well to travel by regu-
lar trains in the east, where trains run
every half hour said Mr.. Boyd, ''but
when you have to travel over some line
that runs only one or two trains day
you can't make the connections. -
II don't want a special train, said
the president in his peculiarly obstinate
way. And Mr.. Boyd left him with his
mind unchanged.
Returning to Philadelphia, Mr.. Boyd
sat down at his desk and with the time
tables of all the railroads the president
would use made up schedule. He took
the maximum running time of each
road and fixed that as the minimum for
the presidents train. He marked the
stops along the route. Then he sent tel
egrams to the general managers of all
the roads, asking each if he could haul
q train between two given points in a
certain time for the president. Every
manager answered accepting the >sched-
ule. Then Mr.. Boyd had the route care
fx717~ n @ho 117lo
printed. The next day he called at the
White House and laid before the presi-
dent the plan of the whole trip. The
president found fault with the length Of
the stops in certain places, but Mr..
Boyd showed him that every one of
them was necessary. At last he said:
ST leaye the whole matter in your
hands. You shall arrange the entire
trip, and promise not to interfere with
your PLAN
On the night of the departure from
Washington the president, entering the
station, saw train of five splendid cars
waiting for him. He made no comment
nor protest against the special which
he had been so sure he did not want
During the trip he offered no sugges-
tons about the arrangements. Local
committees, which urged him to stop
over for a day at certain points, were
referred to Mr.. Boyd. Every detail of
the original schedule was carried out.
1t called for the arrival of the party in
San Francisco at 7:30 one evening, and
on the evening of that day, as the ferry
boat carrying the presidents party en-
tered the slip at San Francisco, the big
illuminated clock on the ferry house
showed that it was 1880 to the minute.
The return trip was made with the
same exactness, and after travelling
nearly 10, 600 miles and making more
than so stops the president returned to
Washington on the day and at the hour
he had appointed in his first converse
tion with Mr.. Boyd. This accuracy was
made possible by the fact that ether
business was subordinated by the rail
roads, just as it was subordinated for
President Elect Mckinley.
When Mr.. Boyd was here few days
ago, he told me that he had never met
Major Mckinley. He will not be long
in getting acquainted with him proba-
bly,, for one Of the responsibilities of
Mr.. Boyd for many years past has been
the travelling arrangements Of the presi-
dent of the United States He accom-
panied President Harrison on almost all
of his travels, and he has been with
President Cleveland more than once.
President Cleveland has done very
little travelling. He has run up to New
York occasionally. But most of his time
has been spent in Washington, or on
what Mr.. Dana of New York is pleased
to term "the floral and arboreal feet
belonging to the lighthouse service.
Hayes was a great traveller. Arthur
was not. Harrison moved about good
deal. Mckinley has accepted already
enc invitation to journey to big con-
:ention, and think it quite likely he
.7ill emulate the example of Hayes and