The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-13

| He Evolved the Idea of His Famous
Sleeping Cars.
| Chicago Times Herald.
One of the war.nest. personal friends of
the late George M. Pullman was NJ E.
Ingalls,. president of the Big -Four and
Chesapeake and Ohio railways. Both of
these men. who afterward attained such
prominence in the railway world, rose to
commanding positions from humble and
obscure beginnings, and the early career
of each presents interesting points OF
similarity in struggles with poverty
Their early acquaintance developed into
firm comradeship that was terminated
only by death.
Mr.. Ingalls, himself is known trough
out the country as self-made man, and
the interest he took in Mr.. Pullman's
life and his great innovation In the
sleeping car service make his reInlnls-
cences of his dead friend particularly
valuable. Mr.. Ingalls, spent few hours
in Chicago last week and told some in
cidents of Mr.. Pullman's early career
and the origin of his idea for sleeping
car berths.
"With all that has been in print about
Mr.. Pullman since his death, said Mr..
ingalls, Il have not yet seen an au-
thentic statement of the real origin of his
idea for the proper arrangement of his
famous sleeping car berths. think it is
not generally known that Mr.. Pullman,
about twenty five years ago, visited Silver
| Cliff, Colorado. This was during the
days of the great rush of gold finders
| there-the '60s-and Mr.. Pullman. al
! though then stranger to fame and for
tune, intended making small investment
in the mines, actuated by the same hope
that inspired all the hardy crew that
filled the place.
eff / remember correctly his mining
| investment did not prove particularly
paying one, but it was here in this hum
| Bile mining region, that he saw what
first suggested to him the plan which la
terssmade him the greatest railroad Sleep
ing car magnate in the world. AT the
| time of his visit to Silver Cliff he was
accompanied by two or three friends, and
to remain there while he planned the
idea OF his life, for he was even then re-
yolying 1t in his mind. He also saw,
with that remarkable sagacity and fore.
thought that characterized his entire
business career, that commercial center
was desirable (point for the foundation
of the plant he would need, and he also
realized the necessity of laying it first in
q community where the people would be
especially quick to recognize its value.
'sIt was not long before Mr.. Pullman
was on friendly terms with the generous,
open handed men of the town, and was
received by them with the frank cam
raderie of early Western days. 1t was his
observations in this mining camp that
undoubtedly led him to solve the sleeping
car problem, aud it is a curious comment
on the reactives effects of circumstances
that the very thing which has given COM
fort and luxury to thousands found its
makeshift an enforced continuance made
necessary by the privations of life OF
early Western days. At that time men
were literally swarming into Silver Cliff
the town was overrun with fortune hun
ters, and the humble cabins of the more
fortunate early arrivals were eagerly be-
sieged by the new arrivals for what was
popularity known as "berth room,'' that
is, room sufficient to swing cot. or any
available spot where a tired man might
lay his lead at night.
"We are accustomed to the overcrowd
ing of our great hotels on such occasions
as conventions. but even these have not
yet adopted the ingenious plan of the
miners, which was to swing berth BY
ropes from the ceiling to convenient
height above the foors In the DAYTIME
these berths were swung up on the wall
or sometimes drawn up entirely to the
ceiling, out of the way, when every incl
of space was valuable, and at night many
n cabin was irregularly terraced with
berths swinging at uneven distances, an6
each one filled with tired man.
"These hinged cots were boon. Wher
the first man had the genius to put then
up his idea was quickly borrowed by 9th
ers, and soon every cabin was full of them
One man made small fortune in two
seasons by putting up a rudely con-
structed house designed for these berthi
alone. The miners paid $40 and s25 pei
month for the privilege of this "berth
ROOM and considered themselves fortu
nate at that 1t was in the days of the
greatest rush that the demand for thes'
:, berths became so great, and every cabi1
was 80 full of them at night that on
could not walk through it. Then it wa
that variation of the idea led to sus
pending one berth above another, the one
occupying the upper berth reaching then
Q as now, by the way--by means of
ladder.
"The mechanism of these swinging
berths, one above another, was of tn
rudest and most primitive. But Georg
M. Pullman saw, studied, revolved ant
invented from that primitive model tn
superior plan that now gives SO mucl