The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-21
CHEAPEST and MOST COMFORTABLE
OF Special TRAINS,
COntrived BY Corps Of Railroad Men as a TempOrar
Residence in Central Tennessee.

Down in the wiIds of central Tennes-
see there travels in leisurely manner
hither and thither a special train which
is at once probably the most inexpen-
Sive and the most comfortable railroad
domicile in existence. About twenty
persons live in it. They enjoy most of
the luxuries of city life, in the midst
OF stretches of mountain wilderness.
Cool and airy bedrooms. in sharp dis
JUNCTION to the Stumy boxes that serve
as sleeping apartments in the ordinary
special car, a large kitchen. a pleasant
dining room, a parIor and library. and
bathrooms with running water. hot
and cold, make up a model house or
rather, set Of apartments, on wheels.
And these apartments are nothing more
nor less than condemned freight cars.
Their occupants are down there build
ing a road.
Originally this house on wheels was
scheme for self preservation, con
trived by Mr.. George Weston, general
manager for the Chicago contracting
firm that is building the railroad
When he went down To look the ground
over he found hotels few and far be
tween. After his first night at one of
these hOstelries he wouldn't have cared
if they had been fewer and farther.
Arising in the middle Of the night. he
took his clothes outside. shook them
violently, had a bath in an adjacent
stream. and walked around till morn
ing Then he sent back for a tent.
But tent life in that region Of storms
is an uncertain mode of existence
Sometimes the tent would be there
when Mr.. Weston got back, sometimes
his servant would be struggling to dis
engage il from the top Of a tree whittier
the wind had carried it. Once or twice
il departed preCipitateIy in the night
-Tv-rr u IN
the rain. Mr.. Weston decided that diff
ferent arrangements would have to be
made He didn't propose to be eaten
alive in the local inns, or blown about
I a mountain side by the bOisteTOus
winds. So, as soon as the railroad got
fairly under construction, and other
I representatives of the firm arrived. ne
had five condemned freight cars sent
down there, and proceeded to make a
living place of them.
At the outset simplicity was the
keynote. Doors were cut in the ends of
I the cars. and connecting platforms put
! in. Windows were also cut. When the
weather became intentionally warm a
! false roof with two feet of air space was
put on the cars, which made them cool
and comfortable All that part of the
country is rich in springs and small
| streams An ingenious member of the
/ party put in a detachable pipe system
I 10 TAP Whatever water ElDuLtt lid lftlATN
{ to be nearest. Folding bathtubs fol
/ lowed, and next the luxurious jewellers
/ in the wilderness decided that they
must have hot water as we'll as cold, Sc
/ a big boiler was connected with the
/ kitchen range and another pipe line
I supplied the other cars. As the Off
Gals took constantly more interest in
/ their temporary home, they sent bach
! to civilization for furniture and orna-
ments. Finally their pride in tho
/ home on wheels reached such a poin'
that they must have visitors there Il
/ admire il. Somebody suggested tina
( they invite their wives down there 10
/ a holiday. The single men amended e
the effect that there should also b
1 some unmarried visitors. Within
| fortnight the railroad home had bios
somed and bloomed- under the trans
forming touch of wOmen's fingers, AM
sundry hard working railroad men Wer
frantically telegraphing for white col
lars. and securing the country 70
places where they could get laundr
work done.
Before they had been there a wee
the women had devised extensive in
prOvements. They assigned one car ia
kitchen purposes alone and another 4
a dining room. Flies annoyed then
so they had screen doors put in ais
window screens. They had been al
GuSLOEQeQ 10 udN ing bbitlttS 70 HtN '-
therefore a temporary porch was cor
trived for each car. The Connecun
platforms We're improved, the pipe line
were so arranged as not to force them
selves upon the notice yet with a
this the whole house train could o.
put into shape for removal In ha.T
hours time One day there arriN-
! consignment of table linen ard "a SO
of silver tableware, and the dina
room took on the aspects Of the highe
civilization. Next, smoking was ban
ned in the car, which had been use
by the men as a iounging room, an
delicate curtains and dTaperies weT
up to Justify the new law. Present.
: there arrived a piano, and that ca
I became q drawing room car IN Yer
l truth. Books and magazines arrived
and there was a library in one en-
Having gone thus far the wives an
: daughters and sisters OF the ohtcid
Z announced that as they preferred the
: movable home in the wilderness TO "a