The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-10
ON ITALIAN RAILROADS
TRAINS MANNED BY MODERN Bril-
GANDS WHO HOLD UP TRAVELLERS.
American Sightseers I'm Particular
Are the Prey of These Pirates
Impositions Practiced.



ROME, July 26.-"Officered by pirates and
operated by thieves is the way an Amer
lean traveller has characterized the Italian
railroads. Not inaptly either. for the dis
honesty and discourtesy of the Italian rail-
way officials is causing English and Amer
lean travellers wherever it is possible to use
the sea route from one part Of Italy to
another. American railroad managers have
found that it is good policy to require their
employees to be courteous to travellers. Pos
sibly Italian railway managers will learn
this lesson in time. Meanwhile there is not
a train leaving Rome in the season which
does not carry with it a generous proper
ton Of fretting. fuming-possibly swearing
Americans who yesrn in Italy for sight
of a Pullman-car porter or Pennsylvania
Railroad brakeman they do in no other
part of Europe.
Like the railroads of France, those of
Italy are operated by companies; but they
are semi-public institutions which are en-
dowed by the government with almost ar
bitrary power. Among other powers they
have is that Of fning the traveller who one
OF their employees believes-or claims to be-
Levels guilty of an infraction Of the COM
panys rules. For example, was fined about
81 going into Venice from Bologna for inno-
Gently violating a rule OF whose existence
1 was ignorant This rule requires you
20 give notice that you desire to change
from one class to another. Like all Euro
pean railroads, those of Italy have three
classes. Where the German and French
railroad companies operate through trains
to Italian points, the trains are so well
equipped that. second-class compartments
are quite as comfortable as those which
are Of the first class. The difference in cost
is about one-third of the first-class fare,
so where II il possible to use the through
trains, American travellers, as rule, travel
seoond-class. The Italian railway official
has a way Of lining his pockets at the ex-
pense OF the American traveller.
| SOME OFFICIAL TRICKS.
The capo stazione, or station master, in
making up his train provides insufficient
| accommodations for second-class travellers.
| 1t frequently happens that at the moment
Of the trains departure there is not a seat
/ to be had or the cars are crowded that
/ travel is most uncomfortable. If you are
informed in the ways of the Italian rail-
| ways you will ask the Cook interpreter
| what remedy there is Are you willing to
| spend something to be comfortable?" the
| interpreter asks. Being an American you
| are. How much will it cost?" you reply
About francs" the Cook man tells you
| That is the equivalent of a dollar. Per
| haps yoU are of a party of two OF
three The individual cost is not consid-
cradle. You give the interpreter francs
He interviews the station master. Pre-
sumably the dollar passes to the important
| official in red cap who parades the plat
form. without whose sanction the train
cannot move Traffic is suspended. There
is fuss ahead and presently the inter
prefer tells you that a car has beer
switched into the train and you are to have
a compartment in it for the use of your
party The people who did not bride the
capo stazione can crowd and sweat anC
swear in the other coaches; you are rea
sOnably comfortable and you think th'
investment was worth while; but you re
sent the piracy of the man in the red cal
and reflect regretfully on the American
system.
There is another way of evading tn.
discomforts of a crowded second-class-tha
is, TO transfer to a first-class compart
ment. To be sure, in the season, that i
very likely to be overcrowded. too, for tn
Italian railroad management never put
on more cars than are needed to squeez
and crowd the travellers into every avail
able place.
CHANGING COMPARTMENTS.
But there is more likelihood of finding
space and comfort in the first than In tn
second-class compartment. This is what
did at Bologna. Arriving after the hOu
fixed for the train to start. l found it yer
much crowded in all the second-class com
partments. So 1 told one of the officials o
the road that / wanted a frst-class com
partment. When 1 had got in, 1 shove
him my tickets and he indicated where
should sign my name. Before 1 coul
speak 10 him about the difference i'm fare
{ which desired 10 pay. he walked away.
had supposed he was the conductor.
: learned afterward that he was only
[ facchinO porter-sOmething like IN
r brakeman on an American train Present.
, someone cried: ''Partenza"-the signal tina
! the train is about to start, and the
2 "PTonti'-ready. The little tin horn wa
blown and the train moved ont of the sta
ton. From that time till the arrival lat
b at night at little station not far fror
Venice / saw no railway official AT thi
station there was a slamming OF doors an
4 cries OF Observation-Disclosures. The man VIII