N&W in 1909--Drinking cups

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
July 15, 1909

INDIVIDUAL DRINKING CUPS ON TRAINS
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Norfolk and Western First Railroad in Section It Traverses to Install This Innovation
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CONTRACTS SIGNED WITH A NEW YORK CONCERN
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Nickel-plated Devices Attached to Side of Water Coolers Automatically Dispense Dainty White Paraffin Vessels
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CANNOT BE REPLACED AFTER ONCE BEING  DRAWN FORTH

    The Norfolk & Western Railroad [sic] Company will install individual paper drinking cups on all its regular passenger car equipment this summer.  Contracts with a New York cup concern were signed several days ago.
    The Norfolk & Western road will use automatic vendors for dispensing the cups.  These small nickel-plated devices are placed at one side of the water coolers.  In each of them is nested one hundred or more dainty white paraffin cups.  The cups once drawn forth and used cannot be replaced, but must be discarded or carried away.  They are in the exact form of a drinking glass, and are stiffened by a coat of paraffin.  The cups are manufactured by a semi-automatic process and are absolutely sanitary when they reach the lips of the drinker.
    The Norfolk & Western will be the first road in the states through which it runs to supply individual drinking cups to its passengers, although the Baltimore & Ohio is said to be contemplating the move.  Several large railroads in the northeast are furnishing  individual cups.  This move follows the action of the conference of the state and provincial boards of health in Washington last month recommending all railroads to abolish the dangerous common cups.
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[Common drinking cups?  Yuck!]

Gordon Hamilton
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