Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-11
Books and Authors.

0OOAAo oAAN 4 AAlk40k De
A prominent American railroad man
Who prefers not to have his name
published, although he readily vouches
,or the accuracy of the facts recited,
gives the following account of his ex-
)eri"nce in table d'hote dining-car
II Europe some two years ago:
Dinner was served table dhote by
.wo walters in blue cutaway coats,
covered with large brass buttons, and
whether because of the presence of
IN unusual number of diners or for
ONE other reason (although l am I'M
Ter the impression the conditions We're
lormaD, no greater confusion can be
imagined than that which followed the
Efforts of these two men to serve din
Ter to thirty three or thirty four per-
sons.
1.-The two walters ran headlong from
one end of the car to the other, pas
sengers shouting orders to them, and
at times attempting to detain them
~ clutching their coat-tails. The
courses, while in some cases palatable,
were often cold, and always served
IN cold plates, and because of the
taste necessary under the circum-
stances, and the motion of the car
lpon it's rigid wheels, were served both
IN the plates and on the tableclOth.
THE bread-the long French roll
was served in sealed paper cases, to in
sure measure of cleanliness, but that
ierved to us had been burned in the
waxing. The same thick-lipped cups
IN which the potage was served were
alter introduced as the demi- tasses
With which this extraordinary meal
closed. while the warm champagne
afforded the waiter an opportunity of
giving us a partial bath and receiving
our tcnedictions at the same time.
enough of the wine however, was
'crved to partially fill three of the
leavy tumblers which We're provided,
out it was tasteless by the time the
:aiter had returned many minutes
atcr with some ice and extra napkins
% repair damages.
"Our only other experience with a
lining-car was on the Italian railroads.
where lunch was served. The familiar
sets of two or three plates appeared. |
The first course was some kind of |
iausage and picked fish, which was
matched from the table before we had |
time to ascertain whether it was pala- |
able or not. Following this came |
roast beef and fried potatoes; the beef |
was good we held on to our plates |
his time. The beef was followed by |
I vegetable of some kind, which was |
1ot at all inviting in appearance, then
cheese finished the meal The walters |
wore dirty, greasy coats and grabbed
averythng off the table before the pas
rengers had finished. JARVIS Pen
'iington, in FIarper's Weekly.
The place where these old locomo-
ives are dismantled is mechanical
lissectirg- room. The men who work
there see nothing that is romantic
about their labor: yet the casual Wis
tor who is at all imaginative finds
much that is pathetic. The old, tar
nished, dingy mass of steel and iron
hat was once the crack racer of the
ine seems to have an air of detection
and despair as if it knew that it's end
vas near. 1t is almost like droop-
ng, WORKOUT horse, waiting to be
:hot.
AS soon as the engine is run on to
he dismantling track scores OF work.
len swarm over it. With hammer
nd chisel they tear it to pieces. The
plot, headlight, every easily removable
lifting, every bit of unscrewable brass
" steel, is stripped off. The jacket
dark rlanished steel that covers the
ong tabular boiler is ripped away.
1 ne t!re-box, once the flaming heart
# the locomotive, is cut out. The
mighty bolts and bands that held the
,oier to its supporting framework and
O the trucks are removed. The once
,raccGul and beautiful piece of mech
lnisn is reduced to a rusty skeleton,
great cylinder resting on dismantied
yheels-a naked, headless torso.
Then huge travelling crane rolls
heavily along until it pauses directly
verhead. Chains clank down and
re twisted around what were once
i've giant lungs of the old racer One |
Of the workmen gives a signal; a man
ii Tie little house up under the roof
moves a lever; the chains tighten and
nc, resistiessly and the boiler swings
rec from its resting-place. The wheels
overhead rumble and groan as the
boiler travels swayingly down to the
,ther end of the long, grimy glass
-oofed place where another group of
men and destructive machines arc
awaiting it. There the rivets that held
it together are sheared away with cold
-risele or nv electricity. and finally
the hulk is reduced to heap of steel
..,.s. a pile of boiler tubes, and
nushel of battered tolts.--Thaddeus S.
in Harper'S Weekly.