Morning journal and courier., 1882-12-18
Human Wear a nd Tear,

1t is not desirable to enter very fully into the duties of railway men, for these must necessarily be tedious to the reader With regard to tho work of signalmen, engine drivers and guards, it may be well to point out that the nature of their employment is more difficult, and involves a greater mental and phy sical strain than the work engaged in by the ordinary artisan, while it is also very much longer continued. s1gnalman is often called upon to work stretch of 12 hours, (mamy slgnalmen work their whole number of hours at one stretch, during which he can barely find leisure to swallow his food. He has to manage the levers, (many are extreme ly heavy,) the disk, bell and single needle instruments, and the line clear boot Not only does his work involve great physical fatigue, but it is also harassing and anxious to q degree incomprehensible to one who has never been inside a signal. box, and who, con sequently, cannot realize how easily mis take may occur. The signalman knows the terrible results that may follow upon an act of carelessnesS, and when he is depressed or out of health the verdict of manslaushter looms before him. The engine-driver must look out for signals, regulate the running of the train, and keep his engine under control. He remains standing the whole length of the journey exposed more or less to snow and storm, lightning and burning sun sore feet and rheumatism are frequently the result. The guard is obliged to watch the white light or all right signals, the green light or caution signals, and the red light danger signals to regulate the breaks of the slip coaches attached to some express and fast trains, and in case of accident to protect the train by going back one mile to place detonators on the rails. The days work of the artisan is 9 hours, and his weeks 54 hours the days work of the railway servant varies from 10 to 12 hours, and his weeks work from GO to S4 hours. The artisans 9 hours are done regularly in each 24 hours, while the railway servant, owing to the exigencies of his oc cupation, is sometimes called upon to per form two days of work, or 2 to "A hours, at one stretch, and then he is sent off duty for an equal period. The artisan is paid at a greatly enhanced rate for time work on week days over his 9 hours while the railway want, with some exceptions, is paid at the ordinary rate for such time; and on some railways, and in some grades, he is not paid at all. The artisan ends his work at o'clock on Saturday, and resumes duty at o'clock on Monday, after enjoy ying day and half of uninterrupted rest; the railway servants week is often without beginning or ending, and he cannot be said to possess one regular day free from toll. Tho evil conse quences resulting from the systematic over- work of railway men may be summarized as follows: Increased mortality and ill health from alleged natural causes, overwork being without doubt productive of premature death and premature old age; loss of regular rest and necessary recreation; non participation in home life and consequent non fulfillment of the functions of heads of families; loss, wholly or in part, of the rest and privileges of Sunday; demoralization, the outcome of physical fatigue and exhausted energies. Systematic overwo k, it will be allowed, is not compatible with continued and careful sttention to difficult and important duties It produces listlessness and this adds to the risk of accidents happening to both railway servants and passengers for excessive periods of labor men to fall asleep at their posts, and force them to neglect the constant care and unceas- ing watchfulness necessary in order to insure the safety of their own lives and the lives of the public. It cannot, therefore, be doubted that many of the casualties on the line are indirectly caused by the demoralization pro- daced among railway men from excessive toll | and want of rest. man who works 16 hours daily, when the strain is over, returns | to his family too tired to take interest in
 home matters, too cross to attend to wife or
 children, only fit to drone over the fire or
 creep worn out to bed--again, after few
 hours of sleep to be reused half rested, with
 aching body, heavy limbs and jaded spirit, | for the renewed performance of a round of | monotonous toll. Such a man, living at a
 miles distance from his place of employment,
 is reused at o'clock in the morning and
 reaches his work by o'clock. He returns
 1t 10 o'clock in the evening, and if he goes | straight to bed obtains six hours of sleep. l How can the habitation of that man be called | ''home ?''