The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-12-24
FIRST PULLMAN CAR
CONDUCTOR IN KANSAS
EIGHT BERTHs AND LIGHTED BY
CANDLES - DISPATCH OF
TRAINS BY TELEGRAPH.

/ When the first Pullman Sleeping car
was rolled out of the shops of the
Chicago & Alton in Bloomington, en-
ployes who had been engaged upon
the construction regarded II as a JOKE
and they had considerable fun at the
expense of the struggling inventor.
George NJ. Pullman
The first car has long since been
consigned to the junk heap but the
first conductor, J, l.. N. Barnes, is
still living, his home now being IN
Chanute, Kan. He recently retired as
division superintendent of the Santa
Re railroad, after 56 years of service,
beginning as conductor of the first
Pullman car. Mr. Barnes recalls that
in 1856 he was q clerk in dry goods
store in Chicago and made his home
with family near the office of Mr.
Pullman. On reading in the papers
that Pullman was building a sleeping
car Barnes asked him for job as
conductor and was engaged.
The First Pullman Car.
The first Pullman was lighted by
candles and heated by oil stoves There
was no carpet on the floor. The back
of the seats were hinged and to make
up the berth, the porter simply drop
ped the backs until they were level
with the seats. and upon them were
placed a mattress and blankets there
were no sheets. The upper berth was
suspended from the ceiling by ropes
and pulleys. and kept raised during
the day,
On the maiden trip between Bloom
lngton and Chicago patrons were
charged $3.50. Mr.. Barnes recalls that
he had some difficulty in persuadlng
the passengers to remove their boots
upon retiring. The first 10 months
patronage was poor In those days
not many could afford to pay the
sleeper charge. Accordingly Barnes
was laid off, and his duties were in
trusted to the train conductor. Soon
however, business improved ard Per
mes was put on the Job again Nor
sleepers were built, and Pullman
speedily became a millionaire.
The first sleeper was stored In the
shop yards at Bloomington for manV
years following its displacement by
improved cars, and 1t was a great cur
iosity 1t had been rebuilt from a day
coach, and contained but eight berths
First Train Dispatcher.
The first man to move trains by
telegraph dispalching is also livino
He is A. H. Copeland, for 40 ye2r
agent and operator for the Chicago :
Alton at Chen a, Illinois. He i
now living in retirement at Oak Park
It was in Vermont in 1852 that tn
! Morse invention was first brough
into use for train dispatching, In tina
year Copeland was young clerk Il
the postoffice at Middleburg and wa
r also the telegraph operator, In thos
= days trains were run solely by tn
time card. In December, 1852, a heav
, snowstorm delayed all trains on tn
, Rutland e. Burlington, the mail fror
Boston being held back for man
hours. When the train from the mort
! came in Copeland told the crew the
would have 2 long wait at Pron'"r
the next stop where they usuo'
passed the mail from Boston II
, then suggested that the operator ?
Brandon call Rutland and ask ~
crew of the mail to wait until III
j .southbound train could get throu"'
thus saving a long delay. 1t develon
ed. however, that the operator 2
, Brandon had gone to Burlington, TIL
:. train crew then induced Copeland
ride with them to Brandon and sen
the messages.
First Train Moved by Telegraph.
Upon reaching Brandon Copelan
sent n message to Henry Howe, cor
ductor Of the mail train, asking hi
to hold his train at Rutland until tf