Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 291, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1913 — First Pullman Car Was Run Over C. & A in 1857. [ARTICLE]

First Pullman Car Was Run Over C. & A in 1857.

A Canute, Kano, paper describes the flout Pullman car: “Fifty-six years ago, J. L Barnes, of Chanute, Kans., was a conductor on the first Pullman car ever run. He made the trip between Bloomington, IIL, and Chicago, over the Chicago & Alton, on the night of Sept. L 1857, and one of his passengers was George M. Pullman. Mr. Barnes recalls that Mr. Pullman on the next morning was somewhat doubtful as to the ultimate success of his invention. Mr. Pullman is 78 years old, and it would probably be rather unfair to visit him with the punishment to which he is clearly entitled, but he told how he stood idly by and permitted the first Pullman porter in history to maltreat a passenger with a whisk broom and collect the original Pullman tip. He was a husky lad of twenty-two summers at that time and Ms muscles were-in good state of vigor, but he did not interfere. ‘The car was a remodeled day coach and there were built four compartments, eight berths, four upper and four lower. The people of Bloomington, little reckoning, that history was being made in their midst, did not eome down to the station to see the car, lighted by candles, move away in solitary grandeur, if such it might be called. “Mr. Barnes retired as division superintendent of the AtcMson, Topeka & Santa Fe in 1910, after a railroad service covering 56 -years.”