The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-08
THE PRIVATE TRAIN NOW.
LATEST PHASE or LUXURY IN
TRAVEL BY RAIL.
American Private Cars the Finest In the
World. bat something Better Demanded
by People Able to Afford It-Private Carsa
Necessity ~ Well as . Luxury for Some Men.


= Copyright. 1000. bv W. W. Young.
Luxury in railroad travel has reached III
highest point in the United States in the form
OF the private car, 1t Is true that Queen Vic
toria. the Car OF Russia, Emperor william Of
Germany and n few other crowned heads have
special trains brilliantly painted and emblaz
oncd with the royal arms and carrying M
abundance of gliding. yet It il a fact that there
are more than n hundred private cars in tbs
United States which far surpass any cars il
Europe. Nearly all the great railway Presi-
dents and some other millionaires in this coun-
try have better cars than the best in which any
King, Queen or Emperor ever travelled.
This modern luxury had It's origin In necessity
There are many biz modern enterprises which
require for their successful management Rr
ability az great as that needed 10 administer
the aInairs Of government. Men able IA
hapdle interests like those Of trunk railroad
lines and the greater manufacturing plants are
rare. and when they are discovered or devel.
oped IL is vitality impor'ant thai they should be-
SO cared for all protected that their e1ergies
may not be impaired. Naturally the railroal
companies were first 10 see the advantages II
this respect afforded by ths privacy Of Tho spe-
cial car. IL makes possible the quiet which Is
| tSrfh'ld " '4'dTUFSS OF tnDllEUb ma lnOTCuA n
consideration Of the imp rtant matters upon
which the Off al is called to pass judgment
even while travelling. More than a lundr j
private cars have been built for railroad on
cials at thu Pullman shops alone during The
past seventeen years. while the Wagner Com.
pany hos turned out nearly as many more. to
say nothing OF those constructed by several
smaller ar-buildinR concerns.
nh. l.. "a - T.
portance in the country which has not cars sel
aside for the exclusive use OF its President, its
vioe-President and several others OF It's lead
ing officers. One big system has about twenty
OF them. Even division superintendcnts OF
some Of the great roads have gorgeous private
cars. These rolling palaces cost from SIS. 600
TO $4,000 each.
DR.. W. Seward Webb, for many years Presi-
dent Of the Wagner Palace Car Company. and
an officer OF several railroad. has had four
| private caro- built for him in the past dozen
| years, probably the most luxurious and ex-
pensive in the world, their aggregate cost,
with furnishings. being in the nelghborhood
Of s,cO,co, DR.. Webb spends more time in
his private cor than any other mar in the coun-
try. a great many Of his trips being made for
the mere pleasure of travelling. On several
o'cdsiOHh It's HAS flhue Journeys III tIulllS mdue
up Of private cars. One Of these trips was
made in a train Of five cars. The party con-
sisted OF DR.. and Mrs. Webb and eight guests.
They went over the whole OF this country and
through Mexico. covering about 1900 miles.
This was purely a pleasure trip.
First in importance always in DR.. webb's
pleasure train is his new private car Ellsmere.
which Is considered the finest specimen Of roll
l~. - Il arab,t~s,-, shat ono -.l .o.l..
can produce. 1t lacks only a half inch Of being
70 feet long. Is 10 feet wide and IA feet 8 inches
high. 1t is built to accommodate ten people.
but has been comfortably used by fifteen. DR..
Webb usually has the car to himself and family
giving his guests private cars for their own
use. The Elismere Is furnished with every
convenience and luxury that II is possible TO
Srowa, Into no it. The car proper is said 70 have
library, paintings. tapestries. &C., which have
been put In 1t. probably represents an invest
ment q $50 Soo AZ the rugs and carpetins,
much Of the furniture. were especially i'm
You enter this palace on wheels through
ton room. The walls Of this room are almost
all glass So numerGus and wide ere the win.
general furnishings Of the room have been ar
apartment. as well as Tor observation pur,
poses From thi. you pas: into a handsome
There are two Of these. handsomely furnished
oyer : feet | ksa: BY dIo. wide and ssld IN them are
and connecting with each Is a toilet room with
hot and cold water.
Passing these you step into DR.. webb's own
OK inches wide. and is equipped with every
luxury and comfort that insenuity can sqg.
oman ha1 A,a faAt vida thArA a IraaaA-
stationary berths for the children and an
abundance Of clothes press room. closets for
hats and shoes and everything that one could
work Is mahogany.
room. II is eighteen, feet long and has in Il
pie can be seated. In one corner there Is a
large mahogany writing desk with a book
case over 1t. while in the opposite end Is a Turk
sides, which, when occupied, have all the pri-
vacy OF ,suterooms, being separated from the
main saloon BY an ingenious arrangement Of
toilet room and a large bathroom. Next
come the china, closet, pantry. and, in the ex-
IRENE front, the Kitchen. An Of these are
finished in black walnut, even TO the kitchen.
The berths for the servants adjoin the kitchen
snd, are models IN their way,
There is a tendency nowadays toward special
trains, or several private cars In place OF one.
In addition TO his maxninoent car, the One
onta, Coils p Huntington has had a car built
ior a kitchen ana Tor the travelling nome OF
Seeing railway officers travelling in such
luxury. II was not long before the mulN-mil-
~lionaires or the country not connected with
railroads began to follow suit. To-day there
are more than three hundred private cars
IN the United States. and in them the owners
live a. they do at home having their own ser
wants. their favorite books and means for
amusement In abundance.
One OF the latest and most interesting pri-
yate cars Is one built for Henry NJ. Flagler.
IL is rs feet 3 inches long, At the entrance i
a large observation room fitted with reed furni-
tire and with a writing desk and bookcase.
The interior finish Is OF white mahogany. The
car Is lighted by gas and the chandeliers are
fitted with cut glass globes, There are two
staterooms accessible from the corridor. nn-
i!shed In white satinwood. The larger Is Mr..
Flagler's room. 1t has a double open bed
toilet room adjoining, fitted with onyx wash
stands. The smaller stateroom has two berths.
q folding washstand and toilet conveniences.
The central part OF the car Is the dining room.
In II are an extension table and chairs of white
mahogany, and the upholsterings are of green
leather with rich embossings. At one end Of
the room is a buffet and china closet. Oppo-
site the buffet is a handsome cabinet. with an
ONYX fireplace. The upholstery throughout
drapcries and ceiling decorations TO harmoni2e.
Adj Joining the dining room Is the pantry fitted
with chinaware, lockers and a large ~refriSer-
ator. The kitchen has, q steel range and all
the convenienoes Of a kitchen In q hotel. In
the extreme end Il a stateroom for the SER
wants. The outside Of the car Is painted or
ange and the decorations are In gold leaf.
j pIerpont Morgan does most Of MS land
stanford always travelled in. q private car
named the Stanford, although II l.
known as the Golden Car. II Is painted gold
from top TO bottom
Many private cars Of American manufact-
IlFn hnva M Tn fnTAlDn RnIInfTiag Ta,n