Arizona republican., 1910-04-02
LUNCHEON ON THE RAIL.
The Old Time Hamper Again Seen m
 the Psrlor Cars.

| American railways have been a lit-
 tie slow tu conform their dining ar
 engagements to the changing habits of | the American people. In the days within the memory of men yet in [ their early fortics when one of the best known hotels in Philadelphia 1 rigidly closed it's dining room al 0 i o'clock because guests. whether tran 1 sient or permanent. were supposed tu i have dincd four ar five hours earlier. ! and tu need nothing but d light sup 1 per as the third meal of the day it was not easy to get anything but d midday dinner on the dining ears. 1 Stations where the traveller had ten minutes for refreshments were still not unknown even in the east. and | the old days of the dining hamper were not long departed
 \ few stations on main lines still | prepared meals on tclegraphlC or dcrs and put them aboard express ! trains when they arrived. The dishes
 were returned by tn" next train, from station perhaps two hours away. The same practice prevails now in Japan only the Crocllery in which the simple meal of cakes and tea is served is so cheap that the traveller buys it along with his few pcnnyworths of food and drink
 For while after the a li carte midday meal was established in the dining cars the railway folk were d bit inSistent that travellers hy parlor ear should take luncheon in the dim ing car or from the buffet. if that was all the train afforded. PrcSum- ably poorer folk in the ordinary | coaches were permitted [" munch their sandwiches and fruit as uncomfort- ably as they liked, but the company contributed nothing tu further the amenities of the meal.
 After a time travellers by parlor ear began to rebel at the enforced eating of food that they did not want. and the old time hamper was revived. Sometimes it was an elaborate picnic basket. but as often as not ii was a plain pastcboard box with ample home napkins and all sorts of cold good things. The railway folk froWncd at first on the innovation. and the in- vitation to the luncheon now ready in the dining ear" was given with point and smphas. but the parlor car DOT
 
 dincd out uf the hampers
 He Checrfullv set up his little tables at the luncheon hour. and after a while he was permitted to supply a cloth at each table. such was the po- tcncy of tips. In little while th" luncheon hamper was thoroughly well established. Now the trains between Boston and New York have the mcr- ricst little mnchng parties imagin- able
 Nothing shocks and surprises the chance British traveller more than the attitude of the conductor toward these travelling piCniCs. No British guard could SO far forget himself aS tu stop and inquire of a traveller as {" his en ioymcnt of luncheon. but that K just what happens in the parlor ears every day. and the American traveller never rcscntS the friendly interest "i the conductor. AS to the porter. it Is as much his picnic as the travellers. He anticipates every want oi the luncheon tables. and does 1t with a holiday air which the traveller misses in the regular dining ear.
 Maybe the railway folk would not land themselves to this open compc- tition with their own kitchen. but the fact is that the dining ear usually gets something out of the picnic lunch con partv. By the time all the cN- tras arc bought and paid for the pie nic luncheon has proved very Tar from measure uf economy, and the railway company has had it's fair share of profits.
 fNa
 No long waits at the Adams Phar-