Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-06
nv c. r WILLIAMS.

A0Ws l
ny c. ARTHUR WILLIArfS-
When a new arrival In Australia an
nounces his intention Of making al
joursey he is saluted by a sort of para
phrase Of Punch's advice to those
about to marry. Instead OF saying
Don't his friends all say Don't 60
hy rail-"
Ny frst experience with the Austria
fian government railway took place in
New South Wales, where the system is
In better working order than else
where, and It was q journey from sgd
ney to Springweod, forty-seven miles.
A freight t~rain-shey call them goods
trains In Anstraiia-stuck In the tun-
mel ahead of us, though 1t had left the
last station three-quarters of an hour
before we arrived. We had taken the
b:37 train and were due at 6s55. We
arrived at 7:5d, two hours and thirteen
minutes for the trip of no greater dis
lance than is traversed by thousands
of commuters every day from New
York. The Zine Is double tracked all
the way up from Sydney. and ours
was a through train. An American
road would hardly contain a tunnel
grade so steep as to stall even the
heaviest Of freight trains. especially
on a suburban line With n heavy pas
senger traffic, and an American dis
patcher would hardly send out a
freight train drawn by a locomotive
which might not be able to pull 1t uI
the grade directly ahead OF q fast pas
sengers1rain.
The rate for first class tickets rs
nearly 5 cents per Eile, for second
class more than 3 cents. When
4 suggested travelling second class M
friends told me that ] would be crazy
to do so, and when l tried 1T ! realized
that they were right. Yet, In spite Of
these high fares, the government mach
of the time fans to pay 31a per cent on
its investment. 1t Is thrifty, though.
for FIRST class passengers are entitled
to only 112 pounds OF baggage carried
free. while holders OF regular second
/ class tickets pay excess on everything
over eighty-four pounds.
My business in Sydney ended o n Sat
urday. and 1t would have been con-
yenient to leave for Melbourne that
night. But this was impossible, since
there is no Saturday night train south
between the two cities and but n
train a day each way during the week.
Assthe Saturday half holiday is gener-
ally observed throughout New South
Wases and Victoria, the traveller be-
tween the capitals of the two states
must lose that half day and all the
next because of the way in which the
government railway schedule is ar:
ranged. He can leave Sydney on Fri
day night, but will reach his destSna-
ton too late for business on Saturday.
II he takes the dilemma by the other
horn. he must lose the day and a half
IN Sydney, take the Sunday night train
and reach Melbourne about l O'Clock
Monday afternoon. There is a Satur-
day train from Melbourne to Sydney.
but none on Sunday. And bear in
mind that this service is between the
two principal cities of Australia. each
with a population of more than half q
million and only $40 miles apart.
Tire season was midwfnter, being
early August. and there was no pro
vision whatever for heating the sleep
ing ar. In Australian sleeping cars
the men are herded off in one end of
the ear and the ONE in the other,
with a screen ACROSS the aisle between.
Even man and wife cannot have q
section. but are separated perhaps by
the entire length of the Gar. The
berth curtains fasten only at the top,
aDd everybody who passes down the
narrow aisle pulls them along with
him. betting in the light and disturb
ing the occupant. 1t was 1idnight
when this sort of thing cecsed and
sleep was possible. At 6 in the morn
ing 1t commenced again, and a few
minutes after the curtains were pulled
entirely back and everybody was told
to get up. Before l was fully dressed
the train RAJ into the station at Al
bury. on the boundary between New
South Wales and Victoria. Those who
were not SO nearly prepared for dis
embarkation as l was spoke and acted
as If they were not happy.
But why all this haste and pother9
Merely because the gauge of the New
South Wales railway system is four
feet eight and a half inches and that
of the Victoria roads is five feet three
inches and trains cannot be run
through; hence passengers are hauled
out at 9 O'clock Of midwinter morn
ings in an unbeated car.
the breakfast In the restaurant was
the worst meal j eve ate in a railway
station. which is strong language.
There is but one dining car In the
whole of Australia.
1t was as cold in the Victoria train
as 1t had been on the New South
Wales sleeper. 1t was a smoking com
partment, this, and brass cones, sunk
point downward through holes in the
floor Of the ear. had been provided by