The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-08
TRAINS.
A Traveller VINO Refuses 20 Regard Them
win Mr.. Loomis's Twinkllng Eyes.

To THE EDITOR or The SUN-Sir: The
article on travelling here and In England
in the Sunday SUN by Charles Battell LOOMS
may increase his reputation ~ q humorist,
but az an addition to the sum OF travel knowl-
edge IL has about As much value as Tartarin's
adventures.
Ihave often thought that the reason British
ers are such good pedestrians is that their
train service is so bad. You can at least keep
warm walking. American railroads | know,
from the White Pass line to Clarkes narrow
gauge into Jerome-on the curves you can
look squarely out Of the window and see the
engine going In the opposite direotion-ano
from the White Mountain special to the
wheezy little road in Frisco that gives you
such a splendid view OF the Golden Gate. And
European roads? Yes. l know them; not
wisely but too well.
Let me narrate a typical experience with
the splendid English baggage system q couple
OF years ago. Two days before Christmas i
drove to Euston. the bronchitis classic, 70
catch the London and Northwestern night
express for Holyhead, the steamer train.
There was somewhat Of a crowd going to the
ould sod for the holidays. and moving how
good a chance l had to -loll back In q third
class smoker with this bunch" and It's bag
gage plus mine on board. 1 looked up the
check foom. It took more than -tuppence'
to find it, but 1t was q diversion. When they
had finished asking questions and charging
me 30 much per one fellow got sixpence for
plastering on carried luggage labels. There
was some satisfaction in getting back on the
bleak house platform and watching the shiv-
ering crowd watching It's baggage. not daring
to 70 out of sight until the dinky little guards
van swallowed up the larger boxes ana
gave the light brigade a chance to turn the
measly little compartments into 80 many
furniture vans. An American crowd woeid
have checked It's baggage on arrival free OF
charge, and sat In a snug waiting room unth
the train was called.
When the fog permitted we got away. tight
as sardines. in q smelly. grimy. lampiit
third class smoker, filed to the racks with
bundles and bags and every man tarpaulined
down TO his neighbor with . steamer rug to
keep the animal heat In. for we supplied all
the combustion outside of the lamp. 1t was
too chilly to open the windows. and before we
got to the Holyhead dock the air had the
flavor Of embalmed beef and really wasn't as
nutritious. Tn cross Channel boat was all
right, for II Britons know little about COM
fort on land they do better on water. Next
morning. when WI got on at the North Wall
in Dublin / waited at the dock but did not
read any carried luggage" labels. They
weren't on the dock and they weren't on the
boat and you couldn't get mad at the jackeen
who smiled when he said: And sure maybe
they're comm on the freight boat" And they
did about noon when the cattle boat tied up.
II was Christmas Eve. the place / wanted to
do business at closed early. and without my
bs ggage--nothing doing"
Going back I got into a coach for Liverpool
on arrival at Holyhead at night-a cold, damp
and musty carriage-and was dumped out
at Lime street in the small hours. chilled
through, to 1nd that the station hotel porter
couldn't get me q drink sitter than water.
One shivers at the memory OF that cold stor-
age house. in which an Icy corridor led to a
frigid room and a frowsy though animated
bed.
To a robust man English railroad travel
is endurable. because. you know that II the
train doesn't stop soon IL will drop on the
edge Of the island: but for women. children
or delicate folks in winter especially it is the
limit. On an American train you are never
more than one seat removed from the window.
you have the services Of a porter or conductor
between stops to answe inquiries. and you
nave c~onveniences that Il Is sonnet mes awk-
ward to be without-especially in the En- giish
type of coach. Mr.. Loomis will not need to
try very hard to hear some distressing stories.
By the way. it il strange that about the worst
trains in America are run as locals out OF
New ~York-trains that would not be tolerated
In Montana. Really the most enjoyable ride
I ever had in Europe was from Paris TO Strass-
burg in a cosey second class coach hat i'm its
furnishings and fittings showed an exquisite
taste. IL lacked many OF the modern con-
veniences Of our great limited trains, but 1t
was miles ahead OF anything in Britain.
At atmospheric pressure Mr.. LOOMS GER
tainly has a high thermal efficiency. He
recalls that eminent correspondent vi went
to London some years ago and discovered the
Tower. Il is truly wonderful what things q
stranger sees. Salts VERBoRUM.
New YORK. November Z.