Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-06
The Owl Train


A CROSS the cold moonlit landscapes,
4 while good folk are at home curling their
toes in the warm bottom of the bed, the Owl
trains rumble with a gentle dronc, neither
fast nor slow.
There are several Owl trains with which
we have been familiar. One, rather aristo-
cratic of its kind. is the caravan OF sleeping
cars that leaves New York at midnight and
deposits hustling business men of the most
aggressive type at the South Station, Bos-
ton. After desolate progress full of IN
credible jerks and jots these pilgrims reach
this dampest, darkest and most Arctic OF all
terminals about the time the morning Goldfish
begins 10 warm mis- bosom on the gridirons OF
the sacred city. Another, a terrible noe
turnal prowler, slips darkly away from Al
bany about I n. M, and rambles disconso-
lately and with shrill wailings along the
West Shore line. Below the grim Palisades
of the Hudson it wakes painful echoes. It's
first six units, as far as one can see in the
dark are blind express cars, containing
milk cans and cofins. We once boarded it
at Kingston, and after uneasy slumber across
two facing seats found ourself impaled upon
Weehawken three hours later. There one
treads obviously upon a ferryboat in the fog
and bruno of dawn, ungluing eyelds in the
bleak dividing pressure of the river breeze.
DUT the Owl train we propose TO celebrate
- is the vehicle that departs modestly from
the crypt of the Pennsylvania station in New
York at half past midnight and emits blood
shot wanderers at West Philadelphia at 3 :1G
in the morning. The railroad company,
which thinks these problems out with nice
care. lulls the passengers into unconscious
ness of their woes not only by q gentle and
even gait. progress almost tender in its
carefully modulated repression of speed, but
also by keeping the cars at such an amazing
heat that the victims promptly fade, into Il
swoon Nowhere will you see a more com
plete abandonment to the wild postures of
fatigue and despair than in the pathetic
sprawl of these human forms upon the sim
mering plush settees. A hot eddy of some
varnish tinctured vapor-certainy not air
rises from under the seats and wraps the
traveller in a nightmarish trance. Occasion
ally he starts wildly from his dream and
plares frightfully through the mstcd pane
1t is the custom of the trainmen, who tiptoe
softly through the ears, never to disturb
their clients by calling out the names of
stations. When New Brunswick is reached
many think that they have arrived at West
Philadelphia, or (worse Gtill) have been
carried on to Wilmington. They rush des
perately TO the bracing chill of the plat
IL
mood of mystery about this Owl of ours.
The trainmen take quaint delight in keep
ing the actual whereabouts of the caravan
a mercifu secret
ODDLY assorted people appear ON this
" train. Occasional naughty revelcrs, in
evening dress and opera capes, appear among
the humber voyagers, For a time they stay
on their dignity: sit bravely upright und
talk with apparent intelligence. Then the
drowsy, poison of thatNS stifed atmosphere
overcomes them, too, aud they fall into the
weakness of their brethren. They turn over
tie opposing seat elevate their nobler shins
and droop languid heads over the ticklish
plush chair back. Strange aliens lie spread
over the seats. Nowhere will you see SO
many faces of curious foreign carving 1t
seems as though many desperate exiles, who
never travel by day, use the Owl for moving
oSscurely from city to city. This particular
train is bound south TO Washington and at
least half its tenants are citizens of color.
tru.,, kha ondleaa navety of our duskv hrotha,