Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-15
PASSENGER Fares on British Railways.

Halls Family Pills are the best.
Passenger Fares on British Railways.
Regular passenger fares on British
railways are not absolutely uniform
Oh all roads for similar distances, re-
ports United States Consul Mahin from
Nottingham. First-class fare ranges
from three to four cents mile, Sec
ond-class is about two and one-half
cents, and third-class about two cents.
| Distance has little to do with the
rates except where several lines COM
pete for business between two impOr-
| tant pOints-LOndOn and Liverpool,
! fer instance-when the longer routes
make their fares the same as those
OF the shortest route. First-class ac-
cCmmOdations are better than those of
the ordinary American day coaches,
but hardly equal to those of our draw
+, ing room or parlor cars. The first-class
compartment is more extensively up
hOlstered and more roomy than the
second and third-class. Usually it is
arranged to seat only six persons; the
other classes eight. The first-class is
comparatively little used, and then
chiefly by persons who want seclusion
or who ride on passes or season tick
cts. The familiar remark that only
royalty and Americans travel first
class in England is hardly pertinent
now. My own observation is that
Americans generally ride second or
/ third-class. Both are sufficiently COM
! Portable, and are seldom crowded, long
trains being uniformly run, and Amer
leans excepting the uninitiated on
their first visit generally consider it
q mere waste of money to buy first
class tickets. The second and third
class compartments are obth upnol-
stored, contrary to the continental sys-
TEN. where thilM-class means a plain
wooden seat The casual glance sees
no difference between the British sec
ond and thirdclass, but the second has
& better quality of upholstering. Some
OF the railways have. however, drop
ped out the second-class, and use on
~ first and third. the second being so
little used. None of the railways ira
versng this consular district provide
the second class. Nearly everybody
rides third-class. 1t is essentially as
good as an ordinary American day
coach. and therefore the fare of about
two cents mile is lower than the
usual fare in the United States
But the multiplicity of special eX-
curoion and weekend rates makes it
possible to travel almost anywhere, at
almost any time, for fraction of the
regular fare. These low rates usually
apply to only the thir1-class, in this
locality. but sometimes are extended
TO the first, when one may travel first
class at less than ordinary
third-class fare-that is, for less than
two cents a mile in a compartment
nearly equal to the American Pullman
or parlor car. For instance, the reg
ular fare from Nottingham to Skeg.
ness, a seaside resort seventy-three
miles distant, is 1897 first-class and
$3.50 third, one way. Round trip
weekend (from Friday to Tuesday,
tickets cost $1.94 first-class and $1.21
: third, or one and one-third cents a
mile first-class.
Every week one or more special at
fractions in London give occasion to
offer low excursion rates. and in addi.
ton, every Saturday round trip reduc-
ed rates are given on one.half day up
to six day tickets The regular third.
class fare from Nottingham to Lon.
don, 1875 miles, is $2.49. The special
J round trip fares are $103 for half a
, day, $1S2 for one day, 1921 for two
days, $2.67 for five or six days, and
r S34O for eight days. Only the half
: day tickets are limited to special ex'
: curson trains. The others are good
Oh ordinary trains. Most local people
: who can arrange to return within the
time limit go to London on these tick
: cts. AS would naturally be expected
: people who do not intend to return
= often buy day or halliday tickets be-
t cause they are cheaper than the reg
l ular one-way fare, and sell or give
: away the return coupon in London
. but in spite of this the railways evil
S IDENTIFY find advantage in continuing
q such rates.
Similar reduced fares are constant
ly being given to both nearby stations
{ and distant points on the islands, and
for the round trip are less or little
J. more, depending on limit of ticket
/ than the regular fare one way. In
J. short, if the traveller can suit his con
1 venience to the particular days of the
2 week when reduced rates are given
r and to the trains. of which there is
V often choice of several, ne neet
d never pay more than half the SEIZED
t ule passenger tariff on English rail
g ways. This acme of cheap travelling
l, III tHlS CouHti! was IedCIeu lHlS sum
Y mer. Once or twice each week rail
d roads give excursion rates from Lon
d don and provincial towns to seaside
S resorts which range from five to nins
g miles for penny 1.-TWO cents). These
l. are not on slow way trains, made III
of obsolete cars, but on fast express
j. es," some being nonstop and compOs
e ed of new corridor cars. Taking &C
it count of all these reduced fares, it Il
d probable that English railway trave
a. is the cheapest in Europe; and. with
n al the English railways and their ser
a. vice are inferior to none
n The Key That Unlocks the Door Il
d Long Living.