The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-08-10
THE PRESIDENTS TRAVELS
RAILROAD ARRANGEMENTS WHEN
AEG0ES ON A JOURNEY.
Lincoln the Oaly President who Had
Private Cnr-PrOpOsed Special
Train for Prcsidents-The Matter
Of Paying Fare-Arramging the
Time Table.

Oh raging Fare-Arr0mGAnG the
Time Table.
1t is only in recent years that presidential
5ourneying has been made spectacular. The
early presidents could travel about without
being mobbed. Jackson and Taylor walked
the streets OF Washington and stopped to
chat with a friend like any other citizen
and when they travelled no one thought OF
standing and gazing at them or of forcing
himself upon them for a handshake saws
the New York Sun. Then the president of
enc United States could travel as simply
ana as unostentatiously as he pleased Now
ne goes in special train and the band at
every crossroads station plays Hail to
the Chief" horribly
There was only one president Who had a
private car. That was Lincoln. the man
ABOVE all others who was simple in his
tastes 1t was not a very fine affair. To-
day 1t would not be used for second class
tramc. All the other presidents have travel
ed In private cars offered for their use by
railroad companies sleeping car COM
panies.
Just after the election Of President Nc
hinley some railroad men got together and
planned special car for the president
which was to be finer than Queen Victoria's
1t was to be built throughout of native pro-
ducts. and the blending of native woods in
Its decoration was to suggest every part of
the country All the material was to be
contributed and the labor was to be done
In the railroad shops This scheme was so
attractive that presently 1t expanded into
plan Tor an entire train for the presidents
use. to be an appanage of the executive
once. not Mr.. McKinley's private property.
Inc elaborated plan provided for a baggage
car 10 contain dynamo for heating and
ugnting the other cars. a sleeping coach
Ior the presidents secretary and clerks, and
special car Tor the president and his
guests AS planned, the president S car was
to be SO feet 6 inches long, or 1871 feet
longer than Queen Victoria's, while it's width
was to be nine feet eight inches At one end
was to be the kitchen, with quarters for
COOK and porter. A salon in the middle of
the car. two bedrooms, bath room and an
observation room were also in the plans.
Nothihs mas been done toward building this
Train ana the project seems to have fallen
through. so the president in his outings
Will use other persons cars as most of his
predecessors have done
Sleeping car companies put at the dismissal
OF the president their finest cars and rail-
Toao omcers tender the use of their private
coaches' because as they go about the coun-
Try lhey are peripatetic advertisement for
iaiiroau and sleeping car companies, and
either enc would be very glad. if it were
necessary, to pay something for the privilege
or carrying the chief magistrate Only one |
railroad man dlsagrees with this proposition |
oo Lar DIS is known. He was the general !
passenger agent OF line running east from |
~ i1ouiS wnen president Harrison visited |
1hat city. The railroad man who was man |
oil ioI
interests as the general passenger agent |
though on different line. He declined tho |
invitation of another road to take the nres-
1dent train east through loyalty to his
own people And then the general passen-
ger agent made him pay the full first class
iaee LOT haullng the presidents special II
was repaid TO him later-and that is about
as near as president of the United States
mas come to paying fare in long time.
when President Cleveland made his first
trip West he paid fare for himself and all
tne members OF his party. The interstate
commerce. law mad just gone into effect and
NC was AFRAID OF being criticised for violat-
ing It, But the five or six f1rst-class tickets
"nicn MS private secretary bought did not
pay for the fine special train that no usea
Hauling the presidents special is an ex-
pensive undertaking. On most roads n
means slde-trackfng all other business for
lhe tlne. One or the big coal railroads once
put every freight car side tracks all
nisnt because the president was going over
Inc hne Another road sidetracked hundreds
Or cars of grain and live stock and loft tho
track clear between the beginning and end
Oh the presidents journey. AS an addi-
tiohai precaution pilot engine is sent
anead OF the presidents train to see that
The track Is safe.
To ARA 90 Tho .ohoa,
Journey is no small undertaking George
". Boyd has done more OF this than on,
'tner railroad man and he could arrange tn
AXE the president safely around tho world
On ~ hours notice. When the president
wants to make long journey he usually
;aiis MI. BOYD in for consultation as an ex
'ert Mr. Boyd looks up the regular sche-
luies OF all the roads to be covered and CAL
ulates the running time of their trains He /,
las 10 oalance everything with great nicety
70 as not to bring the president to q bio
Hy at In the morning or land him at a
without provision for continuinp
lie journey on some other line. When he j..
as mapped out the trips he telegraphs the
ln''dis oi ali the railroads to ask If they
an pick the presidents train up at thi.
oint at that time and take It throuo,, a.
ne other station at such an hour. This i.
cnedule includes all the important stons
nth an allowance Of Ave or 10 minutes for
acn daylight station on the route. When 2
ne railroads agree to the schedule it ia
naliy delivered to the president.
mus the president personally has very
tile voice In the matter. He must nass
lrough certain places en- route to his desti
ation. Public sentiment demands that ho II
top Tor five minutes here and for ha,t
our there. Between these stops the speed
lpacity OF the railroad must be considered s.
nd the president seldom travels at tho
ghest rate for fear of accident. Ar tho T.
40 OF the route the president has to eo a.
trough a program of speech-makine ana
ming and sightseeing arranged for him nv s.
lie local committee. $
PRESIDENT Harrison and President Cleye- II
nd always took newspaper correspondents
18th them on their journeys President
ckinley so far has refused to do 40 and ~
secretaries have made up a report Of the q
cldents OF the trips to be given to the ~
'ess. with copies of the presidents
eeches at the large cities where the pres VI
eht traln stops The speeches are not TX
epared. except for important occasions. 81
he president has his own stenographer take CO
'te OF what he says in his impromntu "
eeches and then carefully revises the 81
All this business is handled for
IN by his private secretary. George p de
'rtelyou, who always accompanies him
The president chooses the members ~ ~. ia
rty. with the exception of the train de