The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-04-12
Current Comment
The Upper Berth.

According to the poets and romaneers,
the upper berth IN a sleeping car Is as
iriendIess rs an Indian Ghost stories
are written about il, and nobody gives
ii 4 good word. II IS reckoned as occu.
pying 50 much waste space for which the
grasping car companies have the assur-
anee to demand good money, whereas
that space ought to be thrown in, with
the lower berth, for good measure. room
to turn over in, and 50 forth.
But, inasmuch as nobody really expects
to get that space included in the jurisdic-
ton Of the occupant Of the lower berth,
the ingenuity Of the travelling public )
turned upon the attempt TO reduce tie
price asked for the upper berth, which is
eloquently charged with being inconveu-
lent to get into, narrower than the other
and generally inferior. 50 that to charge
as much for sleeping in the upper berth
a. in the lower Is to infringe the rights
Of free people The interstate COM
merce commission has been appealed 10
BIZ a man in ST. Paul. who alleges unreal
sonable charges between St. Paul and
Seattle and 81. Paul and Chicago and il
il rumored that a general reduction in
sleeping car fares win result. and that
the comb Of the upper BERTH ID partieu-
lar. Is to be cut.
There is room for suspicion. however,
that a certain amount Of disingenuous
talk IS released By many persons ia re-
spect to the upper berth IN private con-
yersation it has been admitted, by men
who take long journeys and travel
throughout the wear, that the upper
berth has several points Of superiority
and only a single drawbaek-fhat Of in.
accessibility. These men confess that
though it may Be something Of a chors
to get into the upper berth, yet when You
are once there you get more and better
air feel less vibration from the motion
of the train and need never fear lest
any possible fat man should be loaded
up over you. Moreover. when YOU de.
scend from the upper berth you step on
the man in the lower, instead of having
him step on you; you can see the man
below emerging slowly, and perhaps step
lightly upon his bowed back and get to
the dressing room before he can disen-
tangIe his head from the curtains.
If the price Of the upper berth is re-
dueed, we can foresee a greatly increased
demand for it and sponding easing
up in the demand for lowers II viii
greatly increase the dangers Of the lower
berth, for, 50 long as the price was
the same, many heavy men made q point
81 riding nearer the floor at the car, but
with an additional dollar Or two 10
pay for the privilege, there will be maHY
who viii elect to mortifx their flesh by
hosting * TO the upper level. 1t mighs
be interesting to collect statistics On the
relative financial condition Of travelling
fat and lean men; at venture we would
guess that a considerable number Of iaa
men will be found DESTROYS OF saving tho
difference iii fare
It viii be interesting to see how the
ladies win stand affected. II 4 lady has
an upper berth and a gentleman lower
and she wishes to change should the gem
tleman expect the lady to pay the diff
ference II he Is ehivaIrous enough 10 give
up his place to herr Or should a lady
who prefers an upper berth expect to
collect the difference from the gentleman
who oblges her by changing Many
new questions win be found to arise from
the new order; but there is at least con-
ISOLATION in the thought that there Is to
be reduction in fare somehow, Tor
somebody New York Evening Sun.