Evening journal., 1897-05-07
A CHICAGO EPISODE.
It Was en- Dining Car and Was Out
of the Cook County Eousine.

- AI4t(fNAAO E|i~@A~A-t
Il was on n Dining Car and Was out
of the Cook County Eousinc.
The Inauguration OF 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 IS miles out and
back
There were 20 guests. They included
representatives of the daily publications |
cf 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
Bonifaee. To drop comparisons, he was
the advertising agent of an enterpris-
ing railroad company lie understood
his business.
The train. made up of a locomotive
decorated with bunting, q commssary
and dining car, moved out at four
o'clock in the afternoon of 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 q
dainty box, daintily tied with ribbon.
On the card attached TO The ribbon
was written: "The compliments of
-- Railroad company to Mrs. ---.'
J 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
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
u stand for a few minutes, and the
guests were seated at the table in the
dining car. Then the engine shrielJed,
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 a
spread equal to the one on this occa-
sion.
Somewhere in Indiana the train
stopped, and the engine was turned
about and started on it's return trip
with commissary and dining-car att
tached The feast continued. Some
where in the pine tree forests the tram
slowed up, and a man who had been con-
stituted master of ceremonies by rem
son OF his staying qualities stood up
and commanded silence. He unrolled
a manuscript and read thereirom bonn
bastic words in which the greatness OF
the corporation was extolled; sentence
after sentence lauded its generosity and
, hospitality, and the grand glorifcatior
/ in the closing paragraph was in honor
- Of the agent of the company Having
o. read the "whereases" and resolves
p with dramatic force. the master OF
I ceremonies said in true sincerity;
b II take it upon myself TO move th,
unanimous adoption of the resolutions
Under ordinary circumstances shoulc
. ask for a rising vote, but on this occa
sion it is incNpedient. / shall therefor,
, content myself with asking every guest
e TO raise his hand-whichever hand i!
I convenient. 1 trust that everyone vii
do this heartily, for the resolutions
Z have Just read we're written by Mai
-, the gentiemanly agent of the com
4 pany, to whom we are indebted for this
= occasion. and it is due him that the voti
should be unanimous" 1t was unani
nous.
Then silence came upon those at th'
r tables. Every man slept. The gentle
r manly and efficient agent took hi
l. cards Of addresses from his pocket, ant
/ every sleeper was properly tagged
/, When the train stood still in the sta
4 ton, back Of the old Exposition build
/ ing, there were drawn up at the plat
;: form as many carriages as there wcr
- guests. A corps of efficient employc
e Of the company was on hand. and eac
sleeper was taken from his table TO hi
D. carriage The driver looked at the "a.
+, on the button of the sleeper the doc
- was closed softly, and the vehicle wen
its way.-N. y. sun.
The Home influence.
"Charity begins at home" says tn
a III .l..r. ..,,l 49,. ~, ,frrbt a.f1 sss, foo