The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
A CHICAGO EPISODE.
It Was on . Dining Car and was y Little Out
OF the Cook County Routine.

OF the Cook County Routine.
The Inauguration OF q dining car service on
one OF the trunk lines eastward from Chicago
was an event in the city by the lake seventeen
years ago. The ceremony consisted Of running
the car. fully equipped, some seventy-dve miles
out and back
There were twenty guests. They included
representatives Of the daily publications of
the city, two press association agents,
and several men about town. one of
whom had the somewhat questionable reputa-
ton OF never having been put under the table.
The man who arranged the details and accom-
panied the car and guests was singularly quail
hed for such q mission. In one sense he was a
Mark Tapley. In another he was a B~oniface.
To drop comparisons, he was the advertising
agent Of an enterprising 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 1 o'clock In the afternoon OF q win
ter's day. Every invited guest was there. It
was q 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 at
tached to the ribbon was written: The COM
pliments Of - Railroad Company to Mrs.
-" II . guest was not entitled to q box
with such an inscription the agent Of the COM
pany knew 1t, and the inscription was TO o
Miss" And the agent made no mistake. It
was no trick for the agent to get the home ad-
dress of each guest, and this address was print
ed on cardboard, to which was appended q silver
thread. The addresses were held in reserve by
the company's agent
Somewhere ON the white sands that skirt Lake
Michigan and exte-d into the pine tree forests
tina train "a ma "a a ~ M for n fapC rtinnfas md
the guests were seated at the tables in the dining
car. Then the engine shr;eked. pulled out. and
generally distorted in efforts to describe big din
ners, and the wise generation has come TO skip
reads this may be assured. however. thai though
he wing his imagination he cannot fancy u
spread equal 70 the one on this occasion.
Somewhere in Indiana the train stopped. and
the engine was turned about and started on its
return trip with commissary and dining car at
in the pine tree forests the train slowed
up, and a man who had been constituted
nnsli,i s OF s as[en nor snd os om EsasSm Q, MS stasinas az
unrolled a manuscript and read theretrom bonn
bastic words in which the greatness OF the cor
lauded its generosity and hospitality. and the
grand giorihcation In the closing paragraph was
rea apl s6e Of aw sRs sxsRs q d Ind GSo resoI8yds HHA wf1S
dramatic force. the master OF ceremonies said in
true sincerity:
Il take il upon myself to move the unani-
nous adoption Of the resolutions. Under ordi-
nary circumstances ! should ask for a rising
vote. hut that on this occasion is inexpedient.
/ shall therefore content myself with asking
every guest 10 raise his hand-which ever hand
is convenient. / trust that every one will do
this heartily, for the resolutions ! have Just read
were written by Major -, the gentlemanly
agent OF the company to whom we are indebted
for this occasion. and IL is due him that the vote
should be unanimous" 1t was unanimous.
Then silence came upon those at the tables.
Every man slept. The "gentleruanly and eff
Client agent" took his cards OF addresses from
his pocket. and every sleeper Was properly
tagged. When the train stood still in the sta
ton. back OF the old Exposition building, there
were drawn up at the platform as many car
riages as there were guests. A corps OF efficient
employees OF the company was on hand. and
each sleeper was taken from his table to his car
riage. The driver looked at the tag on the but
ton OF the sleeper, the door was closed softly, and
the vehicle went its way.
The genial and inventive man who represented
the railroad company OH this occasion Is an ap-
plicant for q consulate.