The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-26
AMONG RAILROAD men
The Burlington and It's Dining
Car System
HAS A RIGID INSPECTION
The Linen Made for the Road in Europe
Southern Roads Object to Ex-
cursions by the North
ern Roads,

Charles Clifford, general agent of the
Union Pacific, calls attention to the
| fact that on February LIST announce
ment was made by the official classif-
| cation committee that the minimum
carload weight on all articles classified
lower than third-class, except as spe-
| officially provided for in the classical
ton, would be 10000 pounds, this rule
to be applicable on business orignat-
ing east of Chicago and St Louis. Sub
sequent notice was received, however.
suspending the above until March 31st,
and states that the minimum in effect
prior to February 1st would continue
| until March 31st, 1899, inclusive.
'The average price Of meals on our
dining cars for the last year was 81. SO
| cents" remarked. l.. N. Hopkins of
Chicago, commissary of the Burling-
ton Route, to a reporter in Omaha the
other day. This shows that the aver
| age passenger who eats in, the dining
car is not an extravagant person. Some
passengers run up a bill of couple of
dollars. while others will enjoy a meal
at an expense of %, cents, but the aver
age amount paid, you see, is less than
go cents. OF course, this is exclusive
of wines, liquors and cigars
What are the favorite orders in the
latter list?"
Beer seems to be the. favorite drink
on our dining cars. AS to cigars, the
Key West and the domestic brands are
called for in about equal numbers. We
DO not sell many cigarettes and the
| cases are rare where women order
them"
DO your dining cars pay better in
one season than in another?' was asked
of the genial commissary
"Oh, yes, indeed. The summer and
autumn months are the best. From
May to November the cars pay better
than at any other time of the year. The
dining cars on some trains pay much
better than on others, according to the
relative amount Of travel. The best
eafners of, revenue are the dining cars
on the train leaving Chicago at 1890
p. M, Omaha at 425 p. M, arriving in
Denver at 7:10 the next morning, and
on the corresponding eastbound train
leaving Denver at $3.50. p. M, Omaha at
sos p. M, arriving in Chicago the next
morning. There. are eleven dining cars
now in service on the Burlington sys-
tenn; one on the Chicago. Burlington &
Northern, six on the Chicago, .Burling-
ton & Quincy, three on the B. & NJ and
one on the Missouri lines. The pay
roll of the cOmmissary department now
contains 11S men. This is larger
force than one might suppose would be
employed in this department. Each din
ing car carries a crew of seven men,
conductor, three cooks and three
walters.
Some of our bills are a great deal
larger than most people ina CINE. The
actual cost for food alone last year was
about $4,000. The linen issued to din
ing cars for the last IL months cost S.
12S, while an $4,000 order for new linen
was recently placed. All the Nnen we
use is made especially for the Burling-
ton route in Europe, and
has the trade mark wow
en- in ON both the table cloths and the
napkins. No linen that shows the slight
est sign of wearing out is allowed to be
on the tables. The china used on our
dining cars costs pretty penny. too.
We have recently purchased $500
worth of the celebrated Daisy and
Violet decorated French china This
was made especially for the Burling-
ton road by Havhand & Co. of Ii
moges, France. | understand that we
are the only people. outside of some
private families, that have this decora-
ton. The flowers that ornament the ia
bles of our dining cars cost $4,6S6 per
annum, while the menu cards cost ST.
$50 for the same period. You are sur
prised at the last figure? Well the
cards, while severely plain, are of the
finest cardboard and printing, and
whenever one shows a finger mark or
grease spot on it a new one imnedi-
ately replaces it. BY rigid inspection
we endeavor to keep the equipment of
all the dining cars in perfect order We
are always glad to get a fair criticism,
and are willing to adopt any sugges-
ton for the good of the service, no mat
ter what it costs"
A meeting was held in Chicago yes
terday by the general passenger agents
of the Western Passenger association
for the purpose of taking action on the
recent excursion rate made to the Pa
cific coast by the Great Northern and
Northern Pacific, and committee was
appointed to confer with the officials
of these roads and ask them to stop
these excursions. IT is feared that
these rates will disorganize the pas
senger traffic and that the Union and
Southern Pacific roads may be forced
to meet the northern lines, says the
Pioneer Press of Thursday Under the
it is permissible to make homeseekers'
excursion rates to points to the North
west, but not to the Pacific coast De-
morallzatOn of all rates west of the
Missouri is expected to follow the sale
of tickets to the coast via the three
Northwestern lines, and Eastern roads
apprehend that the cut may extend to
them in the course of competition for
business. The committee is expected
in st. Paul tomorrow to endeavdr to
induce the withdrawal of the excursion
tickets from sale.
At the general offices of the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific it was
said that they would probably continue
to sell tickets as advertised, as the 9th
er roads seldom consulted them when
they made special rates. The trouble
with the Central and Southern Pacific
lines appears to be that they are afraid
that the traffic will go to the North
ern lines. and they will have to meet
the rates in order to hold the business,
and this, they explain, would result in
a great less of revenue.