Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 118, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1911 — DINE AT RAILROAD’S EXPENSE [ARTICLE]

DINE AT RAILROAD’S EXPENSE

Thrifty Frenchmen Have What Might Well Be Termed a “Good Thing.” On the state managed Western ralliroad of Prance there is one class of passengers from whom the line should get nothing but praise. Only they are very chary about praising too loudly. It is this way. As the advertised time of arHval can never be depended upon, passengers who have to change cars mlsg very often the connecting train, and If this happens about lunch or dinner time their meal is paid for by the railroad administration and they have only to go to the station buffet or the nearest hotel and send the bill to the chief officers of the line in Paris. This is beginning tj) get known in the country districts, and the artful and thrifty Normandy peasant, when he is not over busy, buys a cheap third class ticket for a short distance involving a change of trains and so gets an excellent lunch at the expense of the Ouest-Etat. If the delay at the intermediate station is too prolonged it is only necessary to make a little disturbance and the admlnlstra tlon will provide horses and carriages to take the place of the train. These little entertainments, it. is said, cost the Western line hundreds of dollars a week.