The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-01
oLD.T1ME EATING STATIONS
IryCH-BAsKET SYSTEMS ABROAD TO
BE COMMENDED.
They supply a Want Not Met by Rail-
way Companies I'm Our Country
British Tastes.
of tn. indianapolis Journal.

pleted meal IN pennsylvania dining
car between Philadelphia and Pittsburg.
The oySters were fresh and properly iced,
the soup was hot and nicely seasoned, the
turkey was tender. the Roman punch was
vell-havored, and the ice cream was not
served to me swooning a hot plate. For
all these favors my stomach gives thanks.
To be sure. the dinner was not my ideal
no set dinner is ever ideal, judged by the
standard of individual tastes If I had
talked with the steward before he made I'D
his menu there should have been-but
never mind My ideal is probably not
yours. And whatever the steward has
done he has done well. In fact, after a
long siege of table d'hote dinners in New
York. should say he had done excep-
tionally well, judged even by the metropoli-
tan hotel standard. And his achievement
marks an epoch in travelling.
How short time II is since men who
travelled discoursed of the excellence of this
railroad dining room and that Pittsburg
had reputation for serving a first-class
meal-a meal that the traveller could stow
away in the allotted twenty minutes with
out fear OF indigestion. Philadelphia had
its good points and Baltimore served grid
die cakes that were the subject of reminis-
cent conversation on every train
The Mobile & Ohio eating stations were a
household word with those who Travelled
TO the South for Mardi Gras-Florida as
fashionable resort was then unknown
Not only the quality, but the abundance
Of the Southern meal was a subject of re-
mark. The Southern Railway, too, had
some fine restaurants. And no warning
voice caused you to gulp your food down
half-ready with Train starts in five min
utes." The proprietor walked up and
down the dining room assuring every tray-
eler in softly-modulated accents that there
was plenty of time-that due notice would
be given-that there was no occasion for
hurry. And in the other ear sounded the
almost pleading voice OF the negro waiter
"A little mo- chicken. please subj" Nature
rebelled at the sight OF the exhaustless
plates Of tender chicken before the voice
OF the conductor called the passengers to
their seats on the train.
To-day the eating station has been
robbed of its interest by the dining car
There are still eating stations, but most
of them are of the pie-and-milk variety
Every frst-class railroad now has its din
ing-car service, and as the train hurries
along from Philadelphia to Harrisburg
without a pause the traveller spends a
ieisurely hour over his well-cooked meal
opened with a cocktail and closed with
the conventional cup of coffee.
OUR SERVICE IMPROVED.
IL IS an evidence Of American genius that
the dining car, inaugurated for the con-
venience OF travellers and run at a loss, has
been improved in quality and still made
profitable. You cannot put too extrava-
CANT price on the American travellers
comfort. He recognizes a good thing
promptly. And when the dining car meal
was made good thing. in fact-was re-
deemed from its early reputation of stringy
steak and sodden eggs-the American pub
lie began to patronize it freely. Now there
Is variety in dining cars-the table d'hote
dinner on the Pennsylvania. the cafe car
on the Wabash, the Lackawanna and the
New York Central and the grill on the
Canadian Pacific.
We are so thoroughly self-satisfied that
We are apt to think we are the originators
and perfecters of every modern improve
ment in travel. Usually we consider it i'm
possible that any foreign country should
have system equal TO our own. 1t will
probably be news to a great many Ameri-
cans who have not travelled abroad that
every continental railroad of any impor-
tance has dining car system. 1t is not like
our own; according to American standards
II is not so satisfactory as our own. But
the German, French, Italian and British
dining cars are very excellent of their kind
and they are a great comfort to the trav-
eler.
In respect of facilities for feeding the
traveller by slow trains or by fast trains
which have no dining car equipment, other
countries are far ahead of us. At every
station of any Importance on the London
d Northwestern Railway. for example.
luncheon baskets can be had. Notify the
guard and he will telegraph without any
eharge) TO the first of these luncheon sta
tons. When the train stors, uniformed
boy will deliver to your compartment fiat
wicker basket. For midday luncheon
this basket will contain half a cold chicken.
Some bread and butter and cheese and a
bottle OF beer or claret or mineral water.
All OF this is arranged in compartments.
There is clean plate from which to eat.
a glass. a knife and fork and napkin.
pepper and salt-in fact, everything es-
sential to satisfying luncheon For this
You pay 90 cents. When you have eaten,
you stow away the utensils and push the
basket under your seat.
IL the hour is late. you get a supper bas-
ket with hot steak and potatoes instead of
chicken. and perhaps an orange or an ap-
pie. These luncheon facilities exist on the
London & Southwestern, the Caledonian.
the Southeastern & Chatham, the Great
Eastern-in fact, on every first-class rail-
road in the Kingdom
Landing at Dover from the Calais boat.
Your ear is greeted with cries Of tea ba-a-
ah-aket." An army OF little boys races up
and down the narrow platform. A tea
basket costs a shillng-24 cents. For that
sum you acquire pot of weak tea. a few
wafer-like slices Of bread thinly buttered
and shadowy piece of cake. AS meal.
II Is wholly unsatisfying, but as stop-gap
OF appetite IL is very refreshing. In two
hours you viii be in London. where you
may feast as you will AT the end Of your
strenuous channel voyage the bit of
bread" and the "dish of tea" are very well
come.
What railroad in America provides SINH