The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-09-06
A TEN MINUTE TRIP
QUICK PASSAGE FROM NEW YORK
TO SAN FRANCISCO.
Latest Device in the Moving Picture
Line Is Remarkably Realistic
Seems Like Actual Travel
BY Railroad.

BY Railroad.
AS you are passing with the throng
along this busy city shopping street
you hear presently a sound unexpect-
cd there, that Of a locomotive bell.
Jung with the slow deliberation with
which the fireman pulls the bell rope
just as the engine is about TO start.
AS you approach a little nearer you
hear somebody shout: "All aboard :
and a moment later you come upon a
little crowd of people halted and
looking in at a store whose entire
front on the ground floor has been re-
moved Looking in with the rest you
find yourself viewing the latest
wrinkle in the moving picture busi-
ness.
The ceiling is supported, apparently,
by iron trusses. giving a semblance
OF the appearance Of the trussed roof
train shed OF a railroad station.
Backed up in this train shed you see
the ends Of two railroad passenger
cars.
You hear the bell clang again, COM
ing. as It seems. from the locomotive
up ahead and hear once more the
shout "All aboard" and then you buy
a ticket at a ticket Office on one side
and drop IT into the ticket takers box
and pass on inside the platform rail-
ing and over 10 one of the cars and
step uD fits steps and so on within
the car itself.
There you find Il rather smaller
than you had expected; but 1t is very
carlike for all that. regular railroad
car. with its aisle and its seats and
windows on either side.
The passengers all aboard. that Is
10 say when the car is pretty well
filled up. which is train time on this
road. the lecturer or guide walks down
the long aisle 10 the front end of the
car, and then, II Of the two cars you
have chosen the one for San Fran
cisco. you viii hear him beginning:
Ladies and Gentlemen: This is the
Overland Limited Special. bound for
San Francisco, where we shall view
the wonderful ruins of that splendid
city devastated by earthquake and
fire. All aboardlr
Thereupon you hear the engine bell
clang and feel and hear the car wheels
turn and rumble under you and feel
the motion OF the car as It starts on
It's Journey. You feel the humping
and rolling motion Of the car rolling
along the rails and rocking as II
rounds the curves-all very realistic
Then the lights in the car so out
and the shutters at the forward end
- the car fly back, and the first
thing you know you find yourself look
Ing az scenes in the streets Of the
burned area of San Francisco, with
men and horses and wagons passing
to and fro amid the ruins.
The guide describes the scenes as
they pass. or as you seem to come
upon them. for sometimes. when the
car has that rocking motion on, the
pictures no longer seem to be passing
the car. but YOU seem TO be picking NJ
the scenes. bringing them into view
as from a car rounding a curve.
So II continues for ten minutes, thS
length Of the show. and then the pic
lures stop. and the lights in the car
reappear. and then you hear the guild;
saying: This way. please, out at ths
front door. and you make your way
there with the rest of the passenger
and step down from the forward enc
OF the car into an alleyway that yor
now discover leading TO the side o.
the station. and between IT and the
sidewall Of the store in which the sta
tion is built, and so on out again to
the street.
Out there. Just back yourself, yot
are likely, before passing on, to pause
for a moment to look at the bunch o
people standing on the sidewalk IL
front, as you had stood a few minute,
before, looking in at the railroad sta
ton and at the ends of the car:
steuding there, looking in at the rail
road station and at the ends of the
cars standing there with their tail
lights brightly burning. and listeninl
to the changing of the engine bell anC
to the "All aboard" and meditating
as they looked and listened, as yol
had done. on whether they hadn't bet
ter blow in a dime and take that triT
to San Francisco.