The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
sECoND-CLAss SLEEPING CARS.
Cheaper Accommodations Now Being
offered by Railroads.
20 ltirnora American

Baltimore American.
Many of the big railroad systems have
recently been experimenting with tour
list second-class sleeping car service. Iraf-
fic men who have been giving the conduct
ing of passenger business close attention
have about come to the conclusion that
cheaper accommodations for travelling is
needed, and a peep into the future creates
the opinion that within a short time the
second-class sleepers Will be part of the
equipment of large railroad systems East
and West.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad has es-
tablished a line Of cheap sleepers between
New York, Baltimore and Pittsburg and
California points in connection with the
Southern Pacific Railway. General Manager
w. M. Green said yesterday that the tourist
sleeping cars, in his opinion, would be a
great benefit to the class of people who do
on first-cIass or so-called STANDARD" sleep
ere and he believes that they have come
to stay. The first Baltimore & Ohio tour
list car left New York last Tuesday, and
was run through to California attached to
a fast scheduled regular train A car will
leave New York every Tuesday, running to
day each week a car will also be started
to California from Pittsburg, run by way
of Cincinnati.
In the East it is practically new thing,
as year ago not an Eastern line was
running any but frst-class sleepers. In the
West many of the roads used them. In
the East there was an impression that only
land-seekers and hOme-seekers cared to use
them. Then one of the Eastern lines de-
cided to place. the tourist cars in service
from Boston for the accommodation OF
those who were going into the far West in
search of lands and homes.
The experiment proved success and the
road learned that land and home-seekers
were not the only ones using them, but
also hundreds of persons who before, per-
night were attracted by the lower prices
charged for berthS. This led other big
Eastern lines to adopt the plan. The Erie
put on it's cheap sleepers out of New York
connection with the Santa Fe to Los
Angeles. Other Eastern railroad men made
a strong effort to get the Baltimore & Ohio
and Erie to give up this class of equipment,
but in vain, and it now seems all will be
forced into 1t.
charged on first-class cars. One of the
Eastern lines carrying tourists" to the
Pacific coast, also sells berths to Chicago,
making the rate from the seaboard 81, as
against SIS, charged in the first-class cars.
This is attracting much patronage. and 1t is
thought that all competing lines will in
augurate a similar service in the near
future. Competition then, it is thought
will make the service a daily one, instead
of weekly or bi-weekly and the system OF
second class sleeping car transportation OF
travellers will have become an established
fact.
cago IS interesting. For a double berth
from Chicago to the Pacific coast in first
class sleeper the charge is $3.50. which
added to the cost of first-class ticket
makes the transportation charge $78. The
second-class rate is but $3.50, and the berth
rate in q tourist car but S., making the
through charge $3.50 Persons travelling or
second-class tickets and using the tourist
cars therefore save $3.50. The difference
over the lines east of Chicago that have
just inaugurated the new service is about
the same in proportion.
The tourist" sleeper was inaugurateC
| some years ago by one of the lines between
Chicago ard the Pacific coast an attrac.
tion for land-seekers and colonists At thai
time the cars We're anything but attractive
than he would have had in the chairs OF
| the ordinary day coach He was obliged tC
furnish his own bedding and to make his
| couch on hard planking. Then the equip
ment gradually began TO improve until the
| only difference now between the tourist
| and the standard" sleeper is that the one
| is magnifcently upholstered and furnished
with all that lavish expenditure can pro
! vide, while the other is upholstered in rat
! tan, and has not so many expensive acces-
| series. The beds in both are exactly sim
| liar. and the bedding of one is as good as
| OF the other.
| Just what the railroads offer in these
| cheaper sleeping-cars may be gathered
! from the following advertisement Of one Of
| the big Western lines:
1.-The tourist care in use on this railway
| look like the regular sleepers. being built
| on the same plan. but not having the same
| ornate finish, the upholstering being IL
] leather instead of plush. Unlike the i'm
equipped with carpets, mattresses, blankets
| sheets, pillows, pillow cases, towels, combs
| brushes. etc, requiring nothing OF the knc
TO be furnished by the passenger. A uni
| formed porter accompanies each car, tc
| make up berths keep the clean and &c
| make himself useful Cars can be occupied
| by holders OF either first or seeond-ciass
| tickets and berths arc reserved as on the
| palace sleepers. Berths are made up at nigh
| with the same completeness and seclusior
as is a regular palace sleeper, and each one