Railway Passes

1895

An Exchange of Civilities With Certain New Features.

Those who best know President Newell of the Lake Shore will best appreciate a recent exchange of courtesies between him and President Caldwell of the Nickel Plate, now also general manager of the Lake Shore. President Newell would give a man a $100 bill and never think twice about it. When it came to giving passes over the Lake Shore, he was adamantine in his refusal. Those he did give were so limited to special trains that a number of the officials of the company have never yet ridden on the limited or fast mail trains.

It is the custom of all railroad presidents to interchange annual passes, and on a recent New Year President Newell made up his list of exchange passes and sent them out. Across the end of the one he sent President Caldwell was printed in red ink the words, "Not good on limited fast mail trains."

By return mail came President Caldwell's annual pass on the Nickel Plate for President Nowell. Across its face in flaring red ink and in the bold handwriting of President Caldwell were written the words, "Not good on passenger trains."

This recalls the story of the general passenger agent in Philadelphia or somewhere who was wont to limit excursion tickets so closely that the passengers had to be on the alert in surrendering the return coupon as soon as they entered the car on the return journey lest it turn to dust and ashes in their hands. One day the G. P. A.'s fish dealer got stuck with one of those tickets, the conditions being printed in very fine type, and he determined to get even. So the next fish delivered was carefully selected for its evident lack of freshness, and of course the cook reported it to the G. P. A., but on close inspection the wrapping paper was found to bear the following words: "In consideration of the reduced price at which this fish is sold it will not be good after one hour from the time of delivery." — Railroad Gazette.

A Dishonest Ticket Agent

New York, 1895

John H. Ferril, aged 21 years, residing at Rockaway Beach, and employed by the Long Island railroad company as ticket agent, was arrested on Monday by Detective Sarvis for stealing tickets from the office at Woodhaven Junction. Ferril was arraigned before Justice Hendrickson at Jamaica. He pleaded guilty to a charge of petit larceny and was sentenced to the county jail for 90 days.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, N.Y., Jan. 18, 1895, unknown page number.

Traveling Second-Class in Europe

1907

What It Means to Ride Second Class on the Railroads

A delusion of the guidebooks is the advice to ride second class on the railroads of Europe. It is often pointed out that first class and second class are frequently but divisions of the same car, and this makes a great impression on the inexperienced traveler, particularly if his purse is limited.

Lauding at Plymouth, Southampton, Havre, Cherbourg, Liverpool, you are at once conveyed to London or Paris on "steamer trains," under the same excellent conditions that have prevailed on your trip, but thereafter you are at your own resources, and if you are wise you will not only travel first class, but you will see to it that your seat is always engaged well ahead.

If you travel second class between cities that correspond to New York and Philadelphia, say where intercourse is frequent and numerous, you will most likely have to stand up in all second class compartments. To get a second class seat between Vienna and Budapest, for example, is about like boarding a train for Coney Island at Brooklyn bridge on a summer Sunday afternoon, and if you do get a seat somebody else sandwiches and sausages on your lap.

Another point to be remembered is that in Europe you cannot engage a whole sleeping compartment for yourself, as you can here. You have to show a ticket for each berth. Therefore it behooves the person traveling alone at night to seek out before arranging the trip some suitable companion or for parties of three or five or any odd number to make similar provisions. — Travel Magazine.