Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-10-08
HAD A GOOD Time
c. F. HOLMES AND PARTY Return
FROM EUROPE.
Mr.. KARNES' EXPERIENCES
HE WAS TAKEN FOR 4 BOLD Snug
GLER IN PARIS.
European Street Car Systems Are
Vastly Inferior to Those of Amer
lea and Very Little Was to
Be Learned From
Studying Them.
Mr.. KARNES' EXPERIENCES
HE WAS TAKEN FOR 4 BOLD SNUG
GLER IN PARIS.


Conway F. Holmes, general manager of
the Metropolitan Street Railway Company. !
returned yesterday from a three months
trip 10 Europe. He was accompanied by
Mrs. Holmes, Lathrop Karnes. Mrs. J. P.
Gudgell and Miss Madge Bryant, of indie
pendence. The party spent most of their
time in England, Scotland, Ireland and
France. Mr.. Holmes health. which had
been much impaired by close attention TO
business. was much improved by the vaca-
ton and a three weeks stay at the famous
Eichy water place In Southern France.
Mr.. Holmes made a special study of the
railways and he returned home firmly con-
WINGED that America leads the world. He
was greatly disappointed in the street car
service. which every where was poor and in
most towns positively bad. He thoroughly
enjoyed his trip and shows the benefit of it.
According TO Mr. Holmes. the street rail-
way business in most English cities is in
its infancy. Transfers are unheard of and
equipment is the worst Imaginable.
In London popular sentiment was every
where friendly to America. At the thea
tiers a chorus always walked across the
stage carrying flags of all nations. and the
girls bearing the American flag and the
union jack always walked arm in arm.
This brought forth wild applause. The
vaudeville shows made hits with vitascope
pictures of Dewey on the bridge OF the
Olympia.
Taken for n SmuGgIer-
Lathrop Karnes. claim agent for the
Metropolitan, has fund of entertaining
stories Of his experiences.
When We jumped over to Paris" he
said yesterday. Il forgot about there be-
ing a special custom house for Paris. As I
stepped off the train couple of fellows In
uniform grabbed hold of my dress suit
case. As everybody in Paris wears some
sort Of uniform. / didn't know what these
fellows wanted. They pulled and hauled
me about. tabbering lot of gIbberish. I'M
I'll ! got mad and smashed one of them
who had as much gold on his uniform as
General Miles
Then several men attacked me and we
had rough custom house for a few min
utes, when Englishman told me hey
were revenue collectors. Then / told them
TO go ahead with the examination. They
eTnptied out my stuff and. not finding what
they wanted-namely, cigars, cigarettes or
whisky-they grabbed hold OF me again.
firmly convinced | was a smuggIer. / was
hustled upstairs and on the line Of march
my thoughts ran over all the horrible tales
Of inquisitiOn and torture. dwelling with
specia! acuteness upon the DreyfuS case
When We arrived at the top Of the build
ing ] was made 10 strip to the skin. Every
pocket was searched and my garments
thoroughly examined. After this / was al
lowed to join my friends. who had become
alarmed at my sudden disappearance and
prolonged absence
All Paris Against Dreyfus.
We heard not word in Paris favorable
TRV..V= fa.a-
favorable opinion of him. Everybody was
crying him down and shouting for the
army. IL was like walking on the crater
OF volcano"
European Street Car Systems.
Mr. Karnes said they had paid special at
tention 10 investigating the rapid transit
facilities of the different cities visited
We expected to learn something when
We went over" he said, but We found
Europe away behind us. They could learn
much from US In all departments of the
carrying service. They don't know what
rapid transit is. Why, in London there is
not single street car in the down town
districts. Everyone must patrOniZe cabs
and busses. Sometimes the congestion of
these vehicles Is so great that It delays
traffic for hours. II is IA perfect jam all
day long. and the public stands no end
of Inconvenience and delay without MUIR
muir.
Mr.. Holmes and | asked some English
friends why they didn't build cable or cleo
trio lines to afford better facilities for con-
veying people back and forth from the
center Of the city 10 the suburbs The
Engllshmen said there Were too many
carriages and cabs in the streets. We said
that Just as soon as street cars began run
ming II would do away with half of this
cab and bus service. thereby gaining more
room for street cars; But the English
couldn't see this, and perhaps they never
will. People in England are willing to get
along with just what their fathers had be-
fore them, and for this reason they are
10th TO accept improvements of any kind
Edinburgh which has municipal owner
ship OF street railroads and which has
been held up TO street railway men as Il
model Of street railway service. has a rattly
old system that would be discredtable to
a backwoods American town.
Their cars are old and nearly all are
pulled by horses over tracks that are
rough and crooked. They are building a
lot Of new cable roads although we all
know that cable roads. except in rare cases.
are relegated to the rear in all modern
cities.
No sunday Cars.
Another thing that makes Americans
long for the splendid street car system of
his home when he is In Edinburgh is that
all cars stop at II o'clock Saturday night
and don't start up again until Monday
morning This Is because the people OF
Edinburgh don't believe In doing any work
on Sunday.
I'm the steam cars the same disad-
vaHtaGes of track and equipment are f0urd
With very few exceptions the steam rail-
roads of England vile. The old COM
Dartment carriages are still used on most
lines. In these coaches there is absolutely
no ventilation and the passengers are seat
ed facing each other in Stufy little room.
There are no toilet conyenienCes whatever
there being not even tank of ice water.
The only sign of reform il the road run
ming from London 10 Brighton, a distance
of thirty miles. Some Pullman cars are at
fached 10 these trains.
The sleeping ears are miserable traps.
One of causes of all the discomfort is the
small size of the cars. The track Is mar
row and everything is dumpy.
They have good air brakes on this traiT
and they make splendid time. The IoCOmo
tives built four drive wheels with
out pony truck or pilot. The engineer
sits on sort of platform without ROOT
oT other protection. All crossings are above