The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-11-21
HARRY D DANIEL'S
ing train provided the right person
does the studying. -:
OBSERVA TIONS.
copyrisht. 1909. By Harry panisi

ing train provided the right person
does the studying. 553g
But. whether fellow-passenger
gets our watch or whether we get
his, we should, while travelling, not
forget to be thankful for the i'm
proved conditions of travel as they
exist to-day. and when we are com
PEELED to ride hour after hour at the
side of a wide and pomPous tourist
who wears number 19 collar around
his so-ca1led neck and wants two
thirds of the seat, or when the anna
teur traveller who occupies the seat
in front of us throws up his window
in order that he may let in more
smoke and get a better view of the
landscape, we should not become an
cry and morose and call for the con-
}5ductor and say mean and unkind
jthingsS about the railway company,
but we should bear in mind how
much more fortunate we ars to-day
than persons were who undertook
to do any travelling so years ago.
Il Fifty years ago travelling in this
country was slow, tedious and uncer-
tain. The railroads were rough,
crooked, inadequate and unreliable,
and were nearly always covered with
dog-fennel and hopeless Indebtedness.
Railroads in those days gave little att:
tention to schedules, and only the
most fashionable and elite depots
wore time tables. 3
4 The members of the train crews.
took life in an easy, matter-of-fact
/ way, and if q passenger train got or
ders to pull onto q siding and wait
for No. AZ, or, If it otherwise became,
late, the conductor would not come
Through the ear with his cap hanging
4 over one ear and slam the door and
a refuse to recognize an old gentleman
Il in home built pants and q hickory
shirt who had got UP to ask hint :fo for
the eighteenth time they had
q Preached his destination yet.
Il In those days, too, the pamphlet or
u folder which is to-day considered as
essential to successful railroading as
4, a safety valve or terminal facility
q was unknown, and railroad never
4 thought of patting it's own scenery
]. on the back or Of coming out in a
4 plain and uncompromising indorse-
J, Iment OF it's smooth roadbed.
What changes 50 years have
3 wrought in the matter Of travelling!
j Back in the pioneer days Of railroad
j ing, a. train might pull out in the
q morning in good shape and with
L Ievery prospect Of a fleet and pros.
porous journey, but before it had
gone far it would be delayed by 9
: Washout or a writ Of alta achment, and
s there would be no telling when traffic
II icould be resumed. To-day, however
) passenger may be knocked dowI
& on depot pla form and run over by
1 rumbling and remorseless baggage
truck, he may be 4yilifed by the con
ductor, humiliated by the brakeman
Il scolded BY the porter and whipped
T by q ellow-pa ssenger, but as he goe'
on in his journey he is soothed ant
s eomforted with the assurance that h
6 will reach his destination on time
Ii dead or alive. s83s s2
d With ,all its xcitement and smok
Il and head d-end oilisions and hot boxe
a and hot employees, we S believe "
.el would raj her take q journey in raj
hS road coach to-day even if the ma
gs across the aisle from us has taken 9.
is his boots to enj 10y the scenery, tina
lss we would travel under the condition
E, which existed SO years ago when
le train freq tly had to stop and wa
Is for the firema to go out ahead an
leE It must be admitted, however, stlls
some Of our modern roads are not q
ID that heart could wish. We remembs
Id of having ridden recently over q roa
is sof this kind. 4 never learned JIM
ao what was the mat ter with il, Whethe
lis 4 the coach in which We rode had Shu
,k ried Off that morning and had TO
81 gotten put on Its spring
ST wIleth her the Toadbed had cnrYatul
id / Of The spine. We suffered great a
lis appointments, we remember, as vs.
lis as several other ries, for on
he the day before we had caught tn
4 same railroad making the remal
st- in d pale green circular that it ~
su- universally acknowledged TO be q
H. finest and best equip pped railroad s.
dy tenn hat ever foated q bond hir
ed u section ha nd
,ar We believe that an rai1road max
IT, q mistake sslIen il treats the pub
lis Ill 4 III this manner. railroad who
il; right of way is bothered with In
its bagc, and the tering 81 who
5e1 assepger seats has beer onIe lean q
id emaeiated with the onward mar
,ve ST. is vi II 4 Oft ma friends #;
insses come out in panlph
@ 4D and aalusae
Iflrs 5Ils Is
nc. tie cultu 20 md ref mt 81