Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-08-11

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man Gar fs Hss Osea Ensagh
-~Oraesisx oss . Special Train
20 Es - she opera.
A brakeman attached to one Of the
passenger crews On the New York divis.
ion OF the Pennsylvania railroad reosnt-
ly expressed himself with considerable
freedom to q representative Of the III.
tune. His statements. which are here
presented In substance. have some In.
terest A. an expression OF the views Of
one Of the most intelligent Of his class;
and although his account Of certain luz
urious psrquisites enjoyed BY his supe-
riors 10. perhaps, cslorsd too intensely
BY the glow Of . vigorous ~prsjudics. II
may Be ~salutary TO take q look at thsss
practices a. seer through the atmos'
phers BY which he II surrounded.
when w complain. said he, ''thst
our wages are o small to support a
comfortable life. they tell IN that rail.
roads do not exist primarily to support
us In any ssrt Of life--that the man
agers are trustees Of other peoples
property. and they must conduct their
business 70 - 10 protect the intersat Of
the property holders. Now We can't
help seeing that these managers. In
spite OF their conscientious devotion 10
the interest Of the road.ownsrs. have
been wildly squandering this property.
income and assets. In o crazy struggle to
slaughter each other. Everybody knows
that they have been sinking money.
sinking nsedlsssly and williully ; and
when this ruinous rivalry flares out
In such freaks Of pusrile and jealous e.
trayagancs ~ those ssnsslsss, danger
Gus and demoralizing races across the
continent with fast trains, w lose some
Of our reverence for the superior
sagacity which capital il said 10 attract
into Its service. But 1t IL still more IT.
ritsting to see the money. which is
whitfield from our wages by these mag.
mates. spent with open handed liberal.
ity TO crafty their love 81 display anil
snmptuous pleasure. Right here, into
this Jersey City Depot there come at
least n dozen private cars. each of which
belongs to soms grandee on q Of the
lines In this 'sysism.' Now there 10 &C.
tual need VI some private cars ON some
occasions. and II the gorseousness Of
these vehicles could be subduel . triis
In the interest OF economy and good
taste. and II they were only made to
facilitate the business OF the road. they
would provoke no complaint or com
msnt. But hardly u day passes without
or two Of these imposing palaces
rolling in here. Enpty Pullman
coaches are running every hour. but the
railroad Pasha must have q car Of his
own. lie may have his car all to him
self. or he may have all his friends with
him. The supplies which arc furnished
to these luxurious travellers are not such
a. families Of braksmsn habitually en-
Joy. but they are luxurious meals. In
several artistic courses. with wines 10
suit. and all are charged to the company.
The occupants sometimes live In these
coaches for days together, and they (ths
coaches) are always A~uisancss here.
They are In sverybody's way and some
body Ia kept switching and backing and
hauling them until they are coupled TO
an outgoing train. and on the way to
another yard. Tho actual expenses Of
around trip to Philadelphia for ono Of
these cars is $40 at moderate estimate.
and when forty or atty Of such trips are
made in . msnth, besides voyages to
other places. q clean $1,000 10 wiped
out.
"But there are still more expeditions
methods than this Of bringing about an
alarming 'shrinkage Of values In rail-
road stocks. Private cars are not SUN.
GENTLY distinguished to crafty the most
luxurious officials. They must have
special trains. and everything must clear
the track for them. Mr.. - thinks no
more Of ordering locomotive l.00l
hooked up to car 2.002. than he does Of
ordering his coachman TO harness his
bay mare TO his road-wagon for . drive.
Last winter he used TO roll from fhila.
dslphis to New York In this grand style
to attend the opera. whenever the per-
formsncs promised 10 be sufficiently at
t%ractivs for his elegant taste, and then
be would steam back after Il was over.
Il costs about $3.50 to make the run.
and Ave or six specials a month knock
the bottom out Of another $1,000. Now
~. 900 y month for private cars and
specials Is rather prscipitous. IL IL 10
per cent. OF $40. 900. or the pay Of 400
men at $50 per month. And this
amounts to saying that the 10 per cent.
saved by reducing the wages Of 400 men
on this division never gets M far a. the
stsckholdsrs. but 10 charged up in .
couple OF items to the vanity and ease
account.
"Now you can snow us under with
arguments and political economy and
social science. and IL may be that oil
this has no bearing upon the question Of
wages as viewed by philosophers. Our
men are not profound thinkers, per-
hsps. but they keep both eyes wide
open. aud these things are e~xasperating.
II the men who ars pairing down our
wages for the good OF society al large
and railroad stockowners and Sondhold-
ers In particular. would only pinch
themselves in the general squeezing up.
We could listen with more patience to
their professions. They say We have o
common interest In the prosperity OF
tho roads. Why don't they distrsss
themselves just a littls-say to the sx.
tent OF riding In Pullman palace cars~
so that We can luIuriate In some COM
munity Of suffering for high principle ?"