The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-04
RAILROADS TRY TO PLEASE.
SOUTHERN PASSENGERS TRAVEL
COMFORTABLY OF LATE YEARS.

Railroad OmeiaI Says the Lines In
the south Have Made Great
Changes in the Accomm oda Il ORS
Furnished Their Patrons The
Service They Give Becomes Mat
ter OF Pride To the People of See
lions Through Which They Rum.
Passenger Coaches, in Convent
ence and Appointments, Compare
FavorabIy with Those OF the
NOrth-SOmethinE About the Cost
of Rolling stock.
Yes said a wen known railway official
yesterday, "the roads of the South have
made a distinct advance of late years in
the accommodations they furnish the trav-
cling public They have expended great
deal of money in improving their equip
ment and putting 1t in a condition that
has caused It to become, not only a mat
ter of comfort, but of pride to the people
OF those districts through which they
run. 1t was not long ago that the manage
ments of the roads began to see the wisdom
of making change for the better in their
equipment, and the advance has been re-
marlIable since the movement was inau-
gurated. The equipment of the Southern
roads for passenger service compares IA
vorabiy with that of the Northern lines
in so far as day coach accommodations are
concerned. The roads in the North, of
course, have q more elegant Sleeping and
dining car service, as general rule, and
they are better provided with parlor and
chair cars But in some states this is done
for purpose. Passenger fares by legisla-
tive Gets have been reduced. so the roads
adopt the subterfuge of putting on special
cars. The privilege of riding in these cars
| costs the passenger an additional sum, so
that If he decides to travel in perfect com
fort, his fare really amounts 20 as much
as If he were paying it on the old basis.
The lines that make this a practice do not
admit it, but il is true that they do not try
to render their ordinary passenger ac-
commodations as comfortable as possible.
They want to so order things as to induce
passengers TO ride in the cars for which
there is an extra cost and the best method
is found In making the common coaches
uncomfortable"
Tho official believes the people of the
South appreciate good passenger service.
He says. ut is an advertisement for road
TO have fine cars on its line. As they pass
a station the inhabitants proudly watch
the handsome rolling stock and remark TO
the visitor that theirs Is certainly a fine
road. Then, too, there is likely to result
an invIdious and hurtful comparison If
handsome and well appointed through cars
are put on road as a convenience for pas
sengers from one section to another. Local
passengers win want to know why it is
that they are not entitled to the same ac-
commodations and they win be very apt to
feel unkindly toward the railroad that does
not furnish them with equally as good ac-
commodations as they see for tourists"
The Savannah lines are up to date when
| the comfort and convenienees of their pas
| senger cars is considered The Georgia and
Alabama has two fine parlor and buffet
| cars on its trains, and they have become
! very popular with the patrons of the
roads. The Central has recently put on a
parlor car between Savannah and Atlanta,
| frightening this service, as for a number
of years 1t has only extended from Macon
| 10 Atlanta. These cars are elegant and
| costly, and stand as evidence that the
roads are anxious to keep up with the pro-
| cession in their efforts to accommodate the
| public. There Is small cost extra for
| riding in these cars, but the additional
| comforts are such as to make the passen-
| ger feel wen repaid.
The Plant System and the Florida Cen
| trial and Peninsular both have good service
and conveniences for their patrons. The
| vestible trains these roads put on during
the Florida season are among the most
| splendid in the world. During other sea-
sons the roads render a service and furnish
accommodations that are appreciated.
The cost of rolling stock is great.
An ordinary passenger car costs from
| $1,000 to 5000 and weighs nineteen tons.
A mail car which costs from 5000 to 81, 500,
and is shorter by about one-quarter than
the ordinary passenger coach, weighs six
| teen ions. 4 baggage car without the bag
gage In it weighs 2s,0OO pounds. or fourteen
| tons, and costs about as much as mail
car. A sleeping ear is more expensive than
any of the others, and 1t weighs a good
| deal more, too. A plain, simple but dur
| able sleeping car with observatory attach
ments, literary annex and culinary depart
ment costs anywhere from $4,000 to $40,
| COO The average weight Is from twenty
to twenty-five tons.
Freight cars among the railroad men
| are divided into four classes-hat cars,
such as are used for the transportation
| of stone machinery, and lumber; box
| cars, such as are used for the transpor-
lation OF grain. fruit and ordinary mer-
chandise; stock cars, such as are used for
cattle, and coal cars, such as are used for
the transportation of coal and oil-those
used for oil being supplied with tanks.
The average weight of fiat or gondola
car is seven tons. The car costs from $500
| to $4CO Box cars weigh ton or more and
cost 500 more each. Stock cars weigh
| eight tons each on The average; coal cars
weigh three tons each. 1t costs about $500
to build coal or Oil cars, and they are de-
signed to carry five tons apiece.