The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-09
:. LIFE'S "REMINISCENCES
John Barr, We'll Known Series of Articles of Per- Local Student of History sonal Experiences - Tells Traveller, Speaker Starts of Eventful Railroad Irlp
(BY JOHN BARR)


 Fifty years ago (1Ss6) was . red-letter year in my personal calendar. For me that year con- tained two trips to California and ono to EurOpe-and travelling was more of novelty then than now adays.
 Exactly fifty years ago this month (March, 1SS6) the liveliest railroad war in history was started - and for several weeks first.CIass tickets from Chicago to San Francisco were sold for five dollars, and, in the fury Of the fight, for one hour at noon one day they were sold for one dollar.
 There was no interstate com merce law at that time to regulate railroad rates. Up to then the regular passenger charge from Chicago to the west coast, had been about hundred and twenty five dollars. The "war" was ini- tiated by the audaciOus young Atchlson, Topeka & Santa Fe- who began slashing passenger rates with . vengeance. C0mpet- ing lines joined the melee much to the great joy of the travelling public and the immense enthusiasm of the CalifOrnians, including the hOtel-keepers ana wmmV maAaAa oWAnta
 Naturally, an opportunity to visit California for the price Of a theater ticket created a major sensation, and the inhabitants or the eastern side of these glorious United States promptly resolved to see for ourselves our vast weSt- ern plains, our rampaging herds of buffalo, our picturesque Redmen on the warpath (as some tribes like the Appaches were then), the grandeur of our Rocky Mountains and to swim in our Pacific Ocean, to try the flavor of our California oranges-fresh from the groves, and to behold with awe and rever- ence our Mighty Trees, that were already old, as we mortals meas ure time, when PharaOh's task masters were flashing hundred thousand slaves to build the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
 I was the youngest of . party of four men to join the 'grand rush" in the middle of March. We left Chicago on an all-Pullman train that grew so long as we proceeded westward, that on crossing the Mississippi river 1t became necessary to divide 1t into three sections - running quar- ter of a mile apart; and in that formation we travelled at a 25 to 30 mile speed across the continent -the sections always in sight of each other, day and night, over prairies, deserts and mountains.
 My companions were all success full middle-aged business men - COmstOcl, millionaire lumberman; Brandon, manufacturer; Henry, lawyer. Immediately I became favorite with them - because I weighed under 15O pounds. They were all 200 pOunders. broad shOuIdered and wide at the girth. Of course our two upper and lower sections, when made up for the day, gave us each a whole seat, but when we played euchre Or uoker with a strictly cent limit we had to double up, and they quarreled over me for . seat mate; two of them squeezed into one seat--speIling misery.
 And the thinly concealed repug- nance with which each regarded the buIging physical proportions of the others (though they were the best of friends) added much to the enjoyment of my journey. It was the same way in carriage seats when we rode behind horses in California.
 Good fellowship and good humOr pervaded our train. We made many pleasant aeGuaint- anees - not only in our 0wn ear but ln aII the others. And it was noticeable how generally cue fel- low- messengers were not forget ting their families and friends hack home, writing letters Co be mailed aa every stepping place.
 [ had ths questionable dlsilnc- eiam ef being the elliy passenger an ihs whoie train who brought nn