Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-04-12
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MONITOR

years has SHOWN That considerable pro-
portion of such casualties occur through
the inability of train hands to distin-
guish colors, and their consequent mis-
taking of the signals by which they are
guided. To remove this menace to the
safety of the travelling public, the aid
of science has for some time past been
invoked in Europe; and at last the
same precautions are inaugurated in
this country. An exhaustive medical
examination of 5000 employees of the
Pennsylvania Railroad has been begun
this week, the results of which will |
doubtless be published on its complete
ton. Each man is to be tested not on
ly as to his ability to distinguish red
and green (the colors mainly used in
railroad signals) but also to the acute
ness of his sight and hearing.
Still another test is for what is call
ed astlgmatism. In this test the per
son is directed to look at quarter inch
aperture in screen twenty feet dis
tant with strong light behind it, and
then called upon to state in what shape
it appears to him, whether round, oval,
elongated or angular, and to what ex-
tent as near as he can say. This exam
ination. however, is not necessary if
vac uity of vision be found to be salts
factory. Although the test appears to
be simple to the reader, it is by no
means so to many of the subjects under
examination. What appears oval to
the satisfaction of one is triangular to
another, and each has positive convic-
ton as to the correctness of his percep-
tive faculties. The faculty of clearly
distinguishing forms at greater or less
distance is of paramount Importance
in the case of engineers and fremen.
A signal may be perpendicular, hor-
izontal or at any angle of say thirty to
fifty degrees. and to discover its correct
position its point of the gravest con-
sequence.
All failing to reach the standard in
one or more of these requisites will Ell
Their be discharged or transferred to
some position where his defect will not
impair his usefulness. 1t Is reported
that thus far one in sixteen is found to
color blind. Other roads are consider
ing the adoption of the same system,
which must eventually become universal.
A frequent source of wondering ad-
miration to me is the perfection of bust
ness methods, and the number of little
elegancies and commences secured to the
public by modern business competition.
The great army of drummers, the profuse-
ness and attractiveness of advertising
the magnifcence of store fittings. and
he endless variety and low prices Of
goods are all the results of this one
cause. This feeling was excited at the
time by an envelope which fell into my
hands day or two ago bearing the card
of Rogers, Peet & Co., probably the
most prominent clothing house in Amer.
lea. This envelope and its contents for.
med striking illustration of what was
said above. In it l find samples of sea
sonable goods, with the prices illustra
tions of how garments look when made
up; the plainest possible directions fol
self-measurement, and even tape meas
ure to do the measuring with. To rem.
der the whole thing complete there is I
handsome birdseye view of New York
showing the location of this firms es
tablishment, as we'll as all the principa
points of interest. together with concis
history and description of the metropoli
and directions how to spend week il
seeing it to the best advantage. Thi
latter is curiously complete little thing
interesting and valuable even to Me-
, Workers themselves.
Of course the system represented b
this comprehensive little package is e1
pensive, but it puts the house in eve
; better telephone communication wit
the whole country. By its aid man {
boy in the remotest corner Of the Ian
can get suit of clothes of the late
!, city cut pattern as soon as he could Of
tain one from a local tailor. A post
card to get an envelope like the one b
: fore me is all it costs to practically brir
one of the metropolitan warehouses
his door. OF a truth competition
the life of trade ito the buyer at leas
Despite the criminal laxness of Il
b. Park Commissioners IN keeping Il
q. grounds of our beautiful Central Pa
to in order, that spot seems destined to gro
,r in richness and attractiveness. AlreaC
e. it has the nucleus of geological ga
he den to which small additions are constar
N ly making, and already it has one secti
" J completed and magnificent Americ'