Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-02-24
BY c. ARTHUR WILLIAMS.

ney TO SprinRwood, forty-seNen hiiieo'
freight train-they call them goods
trains In Australia-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 600. We
arrived at $50, 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 line 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 q suburban line with a heavy pas
senger traffic, and an American ais
hatcher would hardly send out a
freight train drawn by a locomotive
which might not be able to pull it up
the grade directly ahead OF fast pas
senger train.
114 rare lOI ulbl AlaHo tA's~NN
nearly s cents per mile, for second
class more than 3 cents. When
| suggested travelling second class my
friends told me that | would be crazy
to do so, and when l tried It l realized
that they were right. Yet, In spite OF
these high fares, the government much
of the time fails TO pay 3h per cent on
its investment. It 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
ever eighty-four pounds.
NV business in Sydney ended on Sat
urday. and It would have been con
venient to leave for Melbourne that
night. But this was impossible, since
there is no Saturday night train south
between the two cities and but one
train n day each way during the week
AS the Saturday half holiday is gener-
ally observed throughout New South
Wales 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 destina-
tion too late for business on Saturday.
II he takes the dilemma by the other
horn. he must lose the day and halI
in sydney, take the Sunday night train
and reach Melbourne about L O'Clock
Monday afternoon. There Is 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 population Of more than half a
million and only 5T6 miles apart.
The season was midwinter, being
early August, and there was no pro-
vision whatever for heating the sleep
ing car. In Australian sleeping cars
the men are herded off in one end oil
the car and the women In the other
with a screen across the aisle between
Even man and wife cannot have
section. but are separated perhaps by
the entire length Of the car. The
berth curtains fasten only 1T the top
and everybody who passes down the
narrow aisle pulls them along with
him. letting in the light and disturb
ing the occupant. 1t was midnight
when this sort Of thing ceased ano
sleep was possible. At In the morn
ing II commenced again, and a few
minutes after the curtains were pulled
entirely back and everybody was told
TO get I'D. Before l was fully dressed
the train ran 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 was spoke and acted
as If they were not happy.
But why all this haste and pother'
Merely because the gauge of the New
South Wales railway system is foul
feet eight and a half inches and thai
| of the Victoria roads is five feet three
inches and trains cannot be run
through; hence passengers are hauled
out at @ o'clock Of midwinter morn
ings in an unheated car.
The breakfast In the restaurant wal
| the worst meal / ever ate in railway
station, which is strong language
There is but one dining car In th'
whole of Australia.
It was as cold In the Victoria tran
as It had been on the New souti
Wales sleeper. 1t was smoking com
partment, this, and brass cones. SUM
point downward through holes In thu
floor Of the car. had been provided b!
a thrifty government to serve as Gus
pidors. The wind came through then
unchecked. Of course.
And all this on the crack train be
tween the two principal cities Of Aus
| fraIial