The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
THE PRESIDENTS TRAVELS.
RAILROAD ARRANGEMENTS WIEN HE
GOES ON 4 JOURNEY.

for Presidents-The Matter of Paying
Fare - Arranging tho Time Table.
II is only in recent years that Presidential
journeying has been made Spectacular. Tho
early Presidents could travel about without
being mobbed. Jackson and Taylor walked
the streets OF Washington and stopped to chat
with friend like any other citizen. and when
they travelled no one thought Of standing ard
gazing at them or OF forcing himself upon
them for a handshake. Then the President OF
the United States could travel as simply and as
unostentatiously as he pleased. Now he goes
in special train and the band at every
crossroads station plays Hail to Tie Chief"
horribly.
There was only one President who hai pri-
waite car. That was Lincoln the man a. We all
others who was simple in his tastes 1t As not
q very fine affair. To-day 1t would not be used
for seeond-class traffic. All the other Presi.
dents have travelled in private cars offered for
their uso by railroad companies or sleeping
car companies
just after the election OF President Mckinley
some railroad men got together and planned q
special car for the President, which was to be
finer than Queen Victorias. 1t was to be
built throughout OF native products. 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
for an entire train for the Presidents
use. to be an arpanago OF the execu-
tive Office, not Mr.. McKiney's private
property The elaborated plan provided for
baggage car to contain O dynamo for heating
and lighting the other cars. a sleeping coach
for tho Presidents secretary and clerks. and o
special car for the President and his guests.
AS planned. the Presidents car WINS 10 he 80
feet 3 inches long. or 49, feet longer than
Queen Victoria's. while It's width was to be a
feet 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. Nothing has been done toward build
ing this train and the project seems to have
fallen through SO the President in his out
inEs will use other persons cars as most OF his
predecessors have done.
Sleeoing car companies put at the disposal OF
the President their finest cars. and railroad Of
flcers tender the use OF their private coaches.
because as they 20 about the country thoy are
peripatetc advertisement for railroad and
sleeping car companies. and either one would
be very glad. II 1t were necessary. to pay some-
thing for the privilege OF carrying the Chief
Magistrate. Only one railroad man dsagrees
with this proposition 80 far as is known.
He was the general passenger agent
Of line running east from st Louis
when President Harrison visited that
city. The railroad man who was man.
aging the trips was allied with the same inter-
ests as the general passenger agent though on
q different line. He declined the invitation Of
another road to take tho Presidents train
east through loyalty to his own people. And
then the general passenger agent made him
pay the full flrst-class rate for hauling the
Presidents special. 1t was repaid to him later
and that IL about az near rs President OF the
United States has come to paying fare in long
time.
When President Cleveland made his first trip
West he paid fare for himself and all the mem
bers Of his party. The 1nto.ttate Commerce
law had Just gone into effect an,.da was afraid
OF being criticised for violating it. etpt the five
or six first-class tickets which his prso ate sec
rotary bought did not pay for the fine, coecial
Hauling the Presidents special is an tfpen-
siye undertaking On most roads II noaa5
side-trhcklng all other business for the tim
One Of the big coal railroads once put every
President was going over the line. Another
road .sdetracked, hundreds Of cars Of grain
the beginning and end Of the Presidents Jour-
ney As an ahditional preGauti4n pilot en-.
See sect that Ia ' tn" track e is safe t' '0'' a"
To arrange the scheduIcs for Presidential
Sss done small OF tx tion
railroad man and he could arrange to take the
IrGssldkent safely ar9ppd Il" Eord on forty
TO make long journey h" usually calls Mr..
BOYD in Tor copsultaton AS an expert, Mr..
roads 10 be covered and calculates the running
time Of their trains, He has to balance
to bring the President to a big city at
2 IN the morning or hand him at a terminal
other line When he nnS mapDnl ont
the trips he tslegrarhs the oiIl" ials Of all the
Iair1tads to ask i they can pix the Presi;
take it through to the other station at such an
hour This schedule includes all the impor-
tant stors, with an allowance OF five or ten
minutes for each daylight station on the route.
When the railroads agrer to the schedule it is
Thus. the President personally has very
LITTLE voice in III. matter: lie must pass
ton, Public sentiment demands that he stop
for i've minutes hare md for a half hour there.
raiiroai must be c"nsitcr"d. and The Presidens
seldom travels at the highest rate for fear Of
max Ing and dining and sightseeing arranged
for him by thr local committee
President Harrison aud President Cleveland
always took newspaper c9rrespondents. with
them on their journeys. President Mckinley
so far has refused to do 80. AMI his secrctaries
have made w report OF tn" incidents Of the
trips 10 be given t. the press with comics of the
the Presidents train stops The speeches are
not prepared except for important occasions.
The President has his own st"uographcr take
note OF what he SAYS IN his imprOmptu speeches
and then rrfully reviscs the manuscript. All
this business is handled for him by his private
secretary. George Is. Cortelyou. who always
accompanies him.
The President chooses the members OF his
party. with tho exception OF tho train crew.
every man or woman aboard is his guest Ono
feature Of the expense OF the journey the Press
ident usually pays for 1t Is the provisioning
~ his car. It is no small part Of the cost Of
trip, for in much OF the sparsely settled West.
ern country through which President McKin-
ley must necessarily pass on his next trip he
will bren kfast aud dine on the train. 1t is q
matter Of pride with tn" ear cook to put an
elaborate meal before the President three
times day. SO when thecar Is stocked the best