The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-22
AMERICA EN- ROUTE
The Amusing Exneriences of Pullman Trip from
Boston to Portland Oregon

'Is this our sectiOn2 Sunny slider Mighty
POOR cars. Why. when I was on the
Michigan Central" And the voice on
the shady side goes on. while the sunny
side exclaims: Great. Look at the hooks
for our coats-and how wide the windows
are-and the screens, how easily they
work.
It is the p. & A. Chicago Pullman that
Is putting out from the South Station,
carrying in its wake merry and morose.
a gay and gloomy set Of fellow-uavelers
bound for points farther west. writes
Louise MacWhinnie IN the Boston Tran
script. America en- route. Let's follow
Ter as she journeys.
First Day.
Immaculate men and women with crisp
stocks. mems faces freshly shaver. and
women's hair carefully groomed-linen
collars rampant aud nails rosy from GU
galine. No boredom here, and even the
shady side seems sunny. Would you like
bag for your hat? Ring for the porter.
Would you like a pillow for your head?
Ring for the porter Would you like a
table for cards2 Ring for the porter
And the bell rings often and long. for the
heavy black man who says thank you"
in three different tones-IO cents, a quar-
ter, and 50 cents. But why shouldn't the
bell ring often for him? Some OF the
passengers gave him 50 cents at the start.
which, 10 them, insures a safe Journey 70
the Pacific. and they tie up their hats or
deal out their cards with .'We-pay-for-
What-we-get' air which no one disputes
the first day out.
No y upper berth does not glance at
No. p lower. The people lat the other
end of the car are distinctly separate
from this end-there are women in brown
and green and red, men with blue ties
and men with black but no one person
is distinguished - merely distinguishable.
Does one venture a general pleasantly. he
Is speedily chilled After few hours
some are discovering that they cannot
ride backward. others are taking a men
tai inventory of the eirth OF the man who
is TO occupy the berth above them. Night
approaches, and there is an austere So
lemnity over all The porter begins 10
make I'D the beds. The procession starts.
Kimonos. given by friends 30 the de-
parting. Just the thing for the train,
pass in quick succession. White hands
pull the heavy green curtains together.
and big men struggle manfully, in TWO
feet Of space. All Is still, save for
murmured yes, ma'amT Of the porter.
Second Day.
The woman in No. 10 upper asks the
woman IN No. 10 lower If she has slept.
Much hinges on the reply. II the one
questioned happens TO be favorabiy dis
pcsed-and the weather is hot-it may
mean that only one berth is made UP
later on. Collars seem a bit wilted. but
surely they can go two days. Shirt waists,
less aggressively stiff. betoken a little
dropping of the lofty attitude Of the pre-
vious day. A diner is on; shall II be oat-
meal or wheat cakes2 It's never one or
der for two. for this is vacation time and
only the second day out.
Time tables are consulted and accumu-
late. No. II. In his zeal over a proposed
California trip. fOrgets the pr0prieties and
discusses IL animateoly with No. 9. Post
cards enter-great. gorgeous post cards
Of rocky canyons and mighty falls. But
we have never seen those places" What
difference does that make? You will on
your way. SO you buy them. Later you
discover that the raging torrent is a
damned little waterfall You passed at
night, but the folks at home will never
know the dinerence-an twas such a
pretty card
The plague has begun. Few are i'm
mune. and from now on each little way-
side station viii be flooded by an exodus
Of tourists. But haven't you anything
OF local c0lor?"-and tinted millpOnds and
''the oldest house in town have a great
sale.
There's scenery along the way. Yes;
but don't you like TO play fiinch7
Familiarity, grinning, garrulous Famil-
ierity takes q hand. Now the car inmates
are becoming distinguished. The man
with the blue tie is prospector. knows
lots OF interesting Times about the cOun-
try" the woman I'm brown IS going TO
visit a married daughter in Omaha. The
personal has been infused into every one
from No. ! TO NO. j.
The rugged, sweeping hills OF New Eng
land are vanishing and the level fairness