Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-09-18
A PRIVATE CAR CLUB.
New York Business Mea Form
Novel Organization.
THREE FINE COACHES LEASED

These Are Attached to Regular
Trains For the Use of s;iIlionaires
Who Have Summer Ho.ies In Con-
necticut - Membership, which L.
Limited, Is FiIIed-Many on the
Waiting List.
1t is called the Private Car club, and
1t Is the very latest association of men
of millions, says the New York Herald.
1t is exclusive as its name implies,
and there is no other club like it In the
world. Included in its membership are
men of wealth whose business is In
New York and who have summer
homes along the line of the New York
New Haven and Hartford railroad.
Each morning, attached to the Green
witch Conn express when it rolls into
the Grand Central station, are two
handsomely appointed private cars,
which do not discharge passenger
until the crowd in the dozen or more
ordinary coaches is out of the way
Then nimble porters spring out, and
following them come threescore of men
who are prominent figures in CONNER
Cial, professional or financial affairs in
New York city, who alight and hurry
away to begin the business of the day.
One of the first to leave the car the
other day was William Rockefeller,
and he was closely followed by Samuel
Truesdale, Lionel and Richard Sutro,
William II. McCord, James McCut-
cheon, William II. Newman, c. T.
Wills, Colonel Henry H. Adams, Rob-
ert Baker, +. NJ. Freeman, ]. l.. Elliott,
W. L. Graham and other wealthy men
who make their homes in the summer
season in the suburbs between New
York and Stamford, Conn.
There are always two of these club
cars attached TO the train arriving at
o'clock and one on an earlier train,
as there are perhaps thirty Of these
men of millions who believe in getting
to work early in the day and getting
through. For the convenience of these
a car leaves half hour earlier in the
afternoon.
These men are proud of the cnly pri.
vate car club and have adopted regua-
tons which make it difficult to become
a member. The membership. which is
limited, is already filed and there Is a
long waiting list
The genesis of the club was due to
the fact that at all seasons of the year,
and particularly in summer time, the
travel on the suburban roads is very
heavy, and it is not always possible to
obtain seats coming to New York in
the mornings after trains reach Green
wich, Conn. Similar conditions prevail
in the afternoons.
There had been many expressions of
dissatisfaction at this state of affairs
when one day, In the presence of sew
eral wealthy men, James McCutcheon
suggested the idea of forming club
and obtaining the exclusive use Of the
car. The idea was received with en-
thusiasm, and every man to whom the
subject was broached favored it. An
informal meeting was held, at which
committee was appointed to confer
with officials of the railroad and the
necessary arrangements We're made.
AT first it was intended that there
should be but one car, which would ac-
commodate about forty men. but two
more cars were necessary for those de-
manding membership in the unique or
ganiZa ton.
When these men of millions are on
board their private club car, either
coming to New York or going to their
homes, all thoughts of business are for
gotten. They lounge about In their
comfortable chairs, smoking and jok-
ing. There is always a card game
which Is both interesting and exciting.
All the p vate cars are fitted alike
with every modern convenience and
comfort. Every member of the club is
compelled to buy his train ticket Just
as other commuters are, and these tick
cts are taken up by the conductor
With the exception of the conductor
however, not man save the porters
is permitted in the private cars unless
he be member.