LADIES' COMPARTMENTS in RAILWAY TRAINS
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir, - Will you allow me a short space to mention a subject
which will interest a large portion of the travelling public. I allude to the
absence of ladies' compartments in railway trains.
I have within the last few weeks travelling by train some 400
miles in England, Wales and Ireland, with my wife, two children under two years
old, and a nurse. We travelled first-class express the whole way, but, except on
the broad gauge, I could not obtain a ladies' compartment for the women and
children. At Bristol (Midland Station) I was laughed at for requesting such a
thing as a ladies' compartment; at Liverpool I was almost insulted for the same
request; at Chester they were more polite, but would not promise to keep a
compartment for ladies only; at Dublin it was useless to mention the subject,
and so on at many other stations.
Now, Sir, anyone who has travelled far with children knows
the trouble and annoyance they cause to everyone in the carriage, especially to
those in charge; and surely it would be the greatest boon to mothers and nurses
to be sure of having a compartment to themselves, or, at least, with only other
children and females as companions.
I would therefore respectfully inquire whether railway
companies could not, without either expense or trouble, order their
stationmasters and guards to have a compartment, or compartments, kept for
ladies only, both first and second class, with every train, and thus benefit a
large number of their passengers.
Beseeching you earnestly to give publicity to this subject, I
am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Oct.
28
PATERFAMILIAS
Times, January 29th, 1861