San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-23
Pullman Profits Cut BY Theft
Evidence From MEXICO Shows

whercupon was the inevitable word
Pullman. limited it once had been
pillow slip.
A familiar red-bordered Pullman
towel was easily recognized as sucn
despite its disguise of two inches of
lace crochetcd ON each end. In its
hew role | was informed the towel
had done duty as wedding present.
The bundle was sent to the officials
of the Pullman company by the
American owners of a steam laundry
operated in far away chihuahua,
Mexico. MS good joke on them. They
sent a letter explaining it was well
worth the money" it cost the laun-
dry TO replace the lost articles to
complaining customers.
Two Dollars for Towel.
We had TO pay the owner Of the
Jewel 81 because she insisted that it
mad been wedding present. sand the
letter.
But the Pullman officials were no;
inclined TO see any humor in the
ransactio.I. They said they already
mad 4 regular museum OF women
underwear gathered in from every
bart of the United States, sent i'll
because Pullman property obviously
had provided the material. But this
evidence that the game was being
worked in far-away Mexico rather
staggered them because the farthcst
south their cars go is 10 Mexico City.
We lose 100000 articles of linen
every year through mysterious dis
appearances, officials explained. 1T
seems surprising that the new owners
do not show some originality in dis
guising their product. Many use the
pillow slips for chemiseS, and the
sheets whatever il is they
wear below the chemises. They even
take the heavy berth curtains and
many a street dress on view in the
houlevards of our cities once was de-
signed 10 insure privacy 10 sleepers
in a Pullman car.
But that complaint does not go, he
explained. so far as chihuahua is
concerned if the letter from the laun-
dry manager is TO be credited.
You would feel quite at home
here" it continpes, for there are
evidences OF your popularity on every
hand. Little Mexican pickaninnies
frolic happily in rompers cleverly cut
from Pullman pillow slips, while.
whenever the nights chill, their moth
ers appear in mantles fashioned from
the green curtains which once
screened the berths. Pullman table
damask is unfailingly popular for
family use while | have good reason
TO believe that the fairest toilettes
in the neighborhood are those made
with Pullman soap and Pullman
combs and hair brushes. Our only
suggestion is that you nail every
thing down on all trains that come
south of the border"
1t should be understood that the
company does not blame the passen-
gers for the disappearance of most of
ITS property. Possibly n traveller oc-
casionally may make away with a
towel, or a sheet. or even a blanket.
Who has not reached home from 4
long trip ard found in their trunk or
bag towel with the hotelS-name
inscribed thereon? But what travel
or so bold as TO go south with berth
curtain?
The Pullman concern, however, has
more than 1000 men and women con-
stantly employed cleaning its cars,
while 6J laundries are kept busy
washing soled linen. Last year they
washed 30O,0O0.0O0 pieces. 1t is too
much TO expect that all Of the en-
ployes, or all Of the passengers for
that matter, will be absolutely hon
est. But the company does think
the average woman traveller should
fight off the temptation TO manufac-
ture set of Pullman car "teddies. -
In face of their presentation OF
losses at the hearing before the In
terstate Commerce Commission as an
argument against any reduction of
rates, President +. +. Carey and 9TH
or officials refused today any state
ment although they have signs post
ed in their Pullman cars which say {:
Earnings per day, per car owned
T. cents; earnings per passenger,
LII cents"
The company is going after bust
ness at that. Nowadays the Pullman
conductors are instructed TO pass
through the trains after they leave
the stations offering rates which are
based on the miles Travelled. For in
stance, it is the station at which the
passenger goes TO bed rather than
the station at which he boards the
train that is taken into consideration
should he accept the offer. The same
rate is given owners of space for
lowers if they desire the berth above
them left up and are given the sec
ton instead of the berth. The saw
ing in this way is said TO be very
considerable. One conductor, records
here show, induced 100 day coach
passengers TO become "slccpers' with
in a ten-day period.
False Reports OF Losses.
The company insists that they are
not the only ones who lose things
from Pullman cars, but they like
wise argue that very frequently pas
sengers cry out before they are hit.
A woman passenger recently COM
planned that she had lost her glass
eye during the night on board
sleeper bound for Des Moines. y
day or two later she recalled her re-
port. explaining she had found the
eye in the toe of her slipper.
The hapless porter is not always
the subject Of wrath of .irate pas
sengers at that. Conductor 4. W.
Brouck on returning from trip re-
ported he had been compelled to act
as peaccmaker OH a sleeper 10 Ash