The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-22
LIFE ON The PRESIDENTS TRAIN
The Journals Special Representative Describes the plendo of the
Which Bringing President Roosevelt and His Party Mime
apolis-Precauons of Secret Service Men, .-.:.-,
hsr.@l. BY w. w. JERMANE.
speeIal Washington CORE spondent Of The Journal

SPSSIdl' washington SOIFe 5
On Board the3Presidentia1 Train, Sept |
21.-The especial train carrying the presi |
Dental party is said to be the finest the
country can afford. II I We're to compare
1t with other trains. it would be with the
limited trains running between the twin
cities and Chicago, for in many ways 1T
suggests them. 1t is perhaps somewhat
more elegantly finished. You know in the
eastern states the railroads. as a rule, are
not as we'll equipped for passenger pur-
poses as the roads running north and west
out OF Chicago, and cOnvenienceS and
comforts to which twin city travellers are
accustomed have not yet been provided
1or the average traveller out of Phila del
phia, New York and Washington. 1t is
for this reason. perhaps. that the presi-
dental special eXcites so much attention
IN the east. 1t is composed of six cars.
First comes the ATLANTIC. a composite bag
gage and buffet car, not,unlil1e that on the
Pioneer or the North Western limited
nightly out Of Minneapolis. The chief diff
fernce lies in its having barber shop and
bathroom. The Atlantic a part of the
exhibition train which the Pennsylvania
company had in the transportation build
ing at the worlds fair, in 1898 Back of
1t is the dining car Walton, which sug-
geStS the dining cars on the Chicago
Great Western limited nightly out of Min
neapolis, even to the paneled recesses in
which forest flowers and ported plants are
placed. Behind the Walton come two new
Pullman Dissection double drawing room
, cars. In these the newspaper men ride.
The striking characteristic Of these cars
is open plumbing. with which all the high
grade PullmanS are hereafter to be pro-
Vlded. The next to the last car on the
train Is the compartment sleeper Hungary
win seven staterooms and two drawing
rooms The Colonial is the rear car, and
In it ride the president, his private secre-
tarles and the members of the cabinet
who are Of the party. The Colonial is
the most extensively finished and the most
elaborate car Of the train. 1t is high
grade private car. intended especially for
occasions such as this, although it is
rented to whoever may want it and has
the price. l am told that it is on the road
most Of the time, winter and summer and
makes an average of half a dozen runs
across the continent yearly, to say nothing
OF innumera BILE short trips, especially in
the winter when the southern resorts are
open.
There are five staterOoms in the Co.
lonial, each one provided with a brass
bedstead and other bedroom furniture In
the rear OF the car is a drawing room,
where the meals are spread The presi-
dent dimes alone, with Secretary COrtel-
you and his distinguished guests. His car
Is provided with an elaborate Kitchen
whose chef and cooks have nothing to do
with thes cooking for the remainder of
the presidential party.
The train is lighted with electricity
hnd there are lamps in each berth in ad-
nition to those overhead. The dynamo
is in the Atlantic. This car was a part
of the Roosevelt special through the south
few weeks ago. None Of the others
ever was graced before by the presence
of president of the United States.
Every convenience is provided for those
board A representative Of Gach to1p-
graph company is in the party, and sees
to the filing Of all messages those for
the newspapers as we'll as those of per-
sonal nature. Unlimited franking privi-
leges are extended to all the guests, and
there is one man on board whose special
train at regular, intervals and see that it
Is promptly dispatched.
Making Up the Itinerary.
1t is no easy task. making up a presi-
Dental itinerary. This work falls to Sec
rotary Cortelyou, who has been busy with
this one for several months He has had
a protracted correspondence with local
committees in all the places to be visited
and has reserved the right to annul pro-
posed programs Of local entertainment
1t is understood that differences Of opn
ion between the local committees Of the
twin cities compelled several changes be-
fore satisfactory agreement was reached
Before dealing with those committees
however. Mr.. Cortelyou had to go over
the hundreds of letters of invitation and
tentatively accept or reject the time
allowed for the trip would permit. This
rejection was no easy matter. for the in
vitations in most cases were pressing, and
it was difficult to make one town under
stand why it had been turned down in
favor of another town in the same terri
tory. But Mr.. COrtelyOu is a past master
In 6jnlnmacV il
he, has never yet caused any serious fric-
ton unpleasantness on account OF pres
idential VisitatiOns. He did this work
first in the early years of the first Nc
Kinley administration, and has become an
adept. He is said to be the ablest man
who ever has filled the office of private
secretary and his promotion to be the
first secretary Of the new department of
commerce will be not too great a reward
for services already rendered.,
Mysteries of the Secret Service.
President Roosevelt reached the special
train by ferry boat from New York, Sec
retaries Cortelyou and Loeb accompanying
him. Fifteen minutes before his arrival
the newspaper men knew that he was
coming. Chief Wilkie of the government
secret service, who accompanied the train
from Jersey City to Philadelphia, was
standing in the station talking to group
of them, and looking at his watch he re-
marked: THE president got aboard a
ferry at Cortlandt street five minutes ago,
and will be here in a moment How he
found out about it none of us knew, for
he had not been out Of our sight for half
an hour and SO far as we could recall,
had talked to no strangers But the gov
ernment secret service agents have nu-
merous ways Of getting information
which are never disclosed to the unini-
tiated.
Chief Wilkie was true prophet, for
very shortly the president appeared. The
fact Of his presence was quickly adver-
tised 1t ran like lightning through the
crowd Of tourists in the station waiting
for trains and probably 100 of them fell
in behind him and saw him aboard his
private car They stood around the car
for fifteen minutes watching his every
movement through the wide windows and
making remarks expressive of their in
t=rest and good will. I was interested in
what a middle-aged German said:
ut is all right he began; this is a
great country. I have been in Germany