RAILROADS IN A SOCIAL POINT OP VIEW. 



Beyond the mountains I found no car with high-backed seats to support the 

 head, though all of them nearly are employed for night travel. One scene will 

 suffice to describe the state of discomfort which exists with more or less force 

 every night from the seaboard to the Mississippi ; and I will give it exactly, and 

 without the least exaggeration, as I experienced its inconveniences, to use a mild 

 term. A fatiguing day's ride was succeeded by a chilly night, and our party was 

 compelled, to make certain connections, to take a night train. It consisted of 

 three cars, of sixty passengers each; every seat was filled, and to prevent danger, 

 as was alleged by the conductor, each back door was locked. A wood fire was 

 made at starting, two poor lamps were lighted, and we all settled down to enjoy 

 a night's " rest" as best we could. Most of us fell asleep, but wakefulness on my 

 part induced watchfulness; very soon the car became insufferably warm and close, 

 inducing sounder sleep on the part of most. The back door could not be opened, 

 and the Avindows swelled so much with the moist breath of the sleepers, or were 

 deranged by age, that they too became immovable ; the front door admitted such 

 a rush of cold air that the sitters near declared they should die if it were 

 opened. The conductor admitted that the circular ventilators in the top were out 

 of order, and that there was no remedy ! 



I bore this as patiently as the others, only slightly remonstrating, when I was 

 informed the scene was nothing more than usual. At twelve o'clock the two 

 miserable lamps simultaneously went out, just after a fire had been made up. The 

 smoke from the lard pervaded everything; the stove got red hot, and the con- 

 ductor disappeared into another car. When the stench from the smoking lamps, 

 the heat from the stove, and the influence of so many breathers were concen- 

 trated, you may imagine the condition of those so unfortunate as to be awake I 

 At the next stop the conductor entered, and attempted in vain, by the burning of 

 a great number of the most offensive kind of sulphur matches, to enlighten us ; he 

 opened no window or door ! Need I say that when daylight exhibited us to each 

 other, we were a sorry sight ; the women were yellow and pale, and looked like 

 hospital cases ; the children were cross and unhappy; I was — what shall I say? — 

 distressed for my companions no less than for myself, mortified at this phase of 

 our civilization, and determined to address the controllers of our comfort in this 

 l)ublic manner. 



If managers consult their pockets, this system will not do ; as you say, all who 

 can will stay at home, while, if everything w^ere made comfortable, all who could 

 would travel. Calculate the difference of receipts 1 



One other crying evil, that cannot long remain unremedied. The roads rent 

 their eating saloons at a high rate to parties who supply meals (mostly at truly 

 inconvenient hours.) This high rent obliges them to study the utmost economy 

 of supply ; the result is, in thousands of instances, improper, insufficient, and 

 unwholesome food. The butter, throughout the fertile West, at these eating 

 stations, is often such as is used in the West Indies ; the sugar, the tea, the 



