Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-12
RAILWAYSIN GERMANY
PASSENGER CARS NOT EQUAL TO
THOSE IN AMERICA.
Systems Run on Basis Of Paying for
What You Get-Traveling
Made Safe.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| form of ownership necessarily has the
| disadvantage that it does away with COM
petition to very large extent, and thus
J prevents retards the latest modern i'm
provenlents from coming into general use.
| However, everything in connection with the
| railroads is perfectly systematized, with
the result that the trains are nearly al
ways on schedule time, and serious wrecks
| very seldom occur
! Union stations have not as yet come into
general use. and in several of the largest
cities there are five or six different rail-
road stations, which are usually some dis
tance from each other. This large number
of stations from which to choose makes
1t very easy for foreigners to make mis-
| takes, and often causes much fnconven-
| fence and delay. The stations themselves
are, as a rule. rather ancient-looking struc-
| lures, and many of them, save at train
| time, seem to be almost deserted. If a
person wishes to meet friend at the sta
! tion he must procure ticket before he
| can pass through the gate. These tickets
are sold by automatic vending machines,
which are found in all stations. FOR I'D
| pfennigs (21a cents). Special tickets must
| be bought for dogs that are to be taken
| into the trains.
The cars in Germany are very different
| from those In America Although Prussia
| Is introducing large, heavy trains, most of
| the cars small and light. Because of
| their lghtness there is always very per-
| ceptible motion to the cars, and unless the
track is level and well laid one can readily
| imagine that the cars are equipped with
| oval or square wheels instead of with the
circular variety. All cars are divided into
| compartments, which run crosswise of the
| car, and in most cases these compartments
can only be entered by door at the side.
| One advantage of having side doors to
| the cars is that even the most crowded
| trains can discharge their passengers in
uar Chnrf fiN,,n In OF = ,o
| passage runs through the center, which al
| lows the passengers to pass from one COM
| partment to another while the train is in
motion. The most satisfactory cars are
| those which have the passage along one
| side This enables the passengers to Sc
lect their seats after the train has started
and yet maintains the privacy of the sepa-
| rate compartments. Each compartment
seats from six to ten people, the exact
number depending on the class of the car
| and the size of the people.
Doors Closed Between Stations.
| When the train is ready to start the
| door is closed by an attendant and there
| Is no getting out until the next station ia
reached. On many Of the fast trains the
doors are so arranged that they can only
| be opened from the outside. AS a result
| of this arrangement there is always quite
! cOmmOtion when a train pulls into a sta
ton, as the people fear that they will not
| get out in time and show this anxiety on
| their part by kicking and pounding on the
| doors as signal that they would like to
| be released. Just before the departure of
a train there is always a great banging of
doors. Those who come late rush from
| compartment to another seeking seat and
| usually end their search by jumping, just
| as the train starts, into compartment
| that is already occupied. In such a case
there is nothing for the unfortunate person
| to do but stand until some one gets out
| The Germans seem to think that even
| short trip on the train requires a great
deal of preparation. Frequently a man will
| get into compartment, take Off his hat
and coat, wrap himself up in his train
rug, open his valise, take out q cigar, three
or four books and papers, and settle down
| as though he were starting ON trip across
the continent. He will probably get OF at
| the first station, provided he can repack
| his numerous articles in time to do So.
| Many people always carry rugs with them
| when they travel and often sit bundled up
| in them, even when the temperature is
| about ninety, with the windows open.
| Few dining cars are seen except on some
| of the fast through trains, but. even on
these, the service and meals are not all
that could be desired. At nearly every
| station there is restaurant, and these
| restaurants take the place of dining cars
to a very large extent. Every time the
| train stops several small boys are on hand
with hot sausage and cold beer for sale.
If they do not sell their goods one day
they will persevere until they do. This
commendable quality on the part Of these
station peddlerS makes every purchase from
| them more or less matter of luck. Sleep
ing cars, owing to the small size of the
| country, are seldom used except on the
transcontinental trains
Four Glasses Of Accommodations.
On most railroads there are four classes
of accommodations. There is, of course,
a distinct scale of prices for each class.
The first class is the best. and, therefore,
the most expensive. About the only adj
vantage of travelling first-class is that
one will find that his fellow passengers
are very few and will probably be able to
secure a compartment all to himself. The
second class is very good, and people
take it in preference to the first, as it is
much cheaper and practically the same as
the first-class. except for the upholster-
ing and the interior decorations of the
cars. In many of these cars are compart-
ments which are reserved for ladies who
are travelling alone. Sometimes men make
mistakes and get into the compartments
at the last moment when 1T is too late to
change; they are, however, coldly re-
ceived that they get out as soon as pos
sible.
The third class is quite good and is,
perhaps, more patroniZed than any other.
The cars are about the same as those of
the second class. the only difference be-
ing that the seats are upholstered with a
thick coating of varnish instead of with
cushions. This slight difference becomes
very apparent after one has occupied the
same seat for a number Of hours. This
is especially true where there is a great
deal of motion to the train
Nothing can be said in favor of the
| fourth class except that 1T is, perhaps, a
little better than walking The cars of
this class are always very plain and it
| cannot be truthfully said that they are
all immaculate. The compartments are
usually larger than those of the other
classes, but the number of seats is about
the same. This class is patronized chiefly
| nv working DpOpla and standing ic
often at premium.
No Tickets Collected on Train.
One peculiar feature of the trains in Ger
many is that tickets never collected on
the train. Every one must show his ticket
to the man at the gate at the station where
he buys it. When he has reached his des-
tination he must surrender his ticket to the
man at the gate before he can leave the
station. Sometimes inspectors at the vari-
Gus places along the route go through the
I train and examine the tickets.
Only ffty-fiye pounds of baggage may be