Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-03-23
UNsAlTFD RAuLRoAD HANDS.
The Cruel Jokes Perpetratesi on
Them BY the sailed Ones.


joke on new train hand. Ii new
hand takes hold of his duties With a
willing spirit, and does not seem 10
expect TO be promoted TO general su,
perlntendent the first week, the boys
eonhne themselves to innocent Jokes
like sending him 20 the cabeose after
q coupling pin or link, which has
been heated IN the stove, and laid 10
the corner Of the car. BE picks il up
and then drops 1t. But If the new
hand Is unsslted, and shows that it is
only matter OF time when he is going
10 own the road, they lay for him, and
before they get through teaching him
BIO ieels small, and is willing to admit
that there are others that are worthy
Of passing notice. Not long ago a new
hand was put on q wayireight that runs
estfIom Milwaukee, and the old hands
could see at once that he was going to
be meat for them. lie wore an imita>
ton seal skin cap, with coon skin ear
laps, and Prince Albert coat, with
the middle button buttoned. On the
coolest day he would not wear an over.
coat because it would cover his Prince
Albert, and he had an air Of crushed
tragedian. He seemed above his bus.
mess, and the little education that he
had, was constantly Obtruded upon
the boys in the cabOose. After two
or three trips the boys decided on a
plan Of action. They carried their
meals in tin pals, and would get in
the caboose when the train was side
tracked, to eat, and they began to
grumble because they could not have
the trains to run so they could strike
an eating house at the hours
for meals. They arrived at the
question, and the conductor said
be believed that if good smart rail.
road emplOye should be appointed to
go and present the case to the general
manager, that he would order the
freight trains to run so they could get
warm meal BY connecting with eating
houses. But the conductor said there
was no freight train man that had the
intelligence, or the prepossessing ap-
pearance necessary for the task. He
said what it wanted was a man who
had gall, aud face to back his remarks
II such man, one whose education
aud How Of language, aud decent ap.
pearance, would command the respect
OF the manager, should go to him as a
representative OF the hard working
freight train men.it would have good
effect, and such man would be sure
to make his mark He said the old
man liked to have the boys show spirit,
and yet there are few that dare 20 up
to him aud make demand. What was
wanted was man that was not afraid
to make demand, and insist on its
being granted. This was meat for the
fresh brakeman. He said if the boys
said so he would 90 to the manager
and take bis scalp. He said when he
was attending school he was a terror
in debating society, and if he
couldn't argue with man he whipped
him, aud that ended it. So tho BOYS
drew up paper demanding that all
freight trains should be run on SEIZED
ule time to connect with eating houses
at meal time, aud the next day he was
to go to headquarters with the petit.
tion, and make his demand The
boys posted some Of the fellows, here
in town, and they fell in. They secured
the suit OF rooms of one OF the superin.
iendents, in the city, and put sign on
the door of one OF the rooms, with the
name of the general manager of the
road, and marked it private" They
then got a six foot brakeman from
another division to personate the gem
eral manager, and the conductor of
the freight piloted the first brakeman
into the front room, where n dozen
who were in the secret were sitting
around apparently busy, as clerks, etc.
The conductor said he would only
90 to the front room,as be would not
meet the general manager for a thous
and dollars The first brakeman
said he was not afraid of any man on
earth, and he would go in. He spoke
to the man in the trent room, who
seemed to be in charge, and asked if
the general manager was in. The man
said he was, and asked the business of
the visitor. The unsaIted brakeman
said, as he pulled out the
petition, that he had been
appointed a committee TO wait
on the manager on a matter of impor-
lance. and the man in charge told him
to step right into the back room. He
went in there, his knees trembling a
little, and the boys in the outside
could hear, between thei. smokers,
the conversation. The brakeman
walked up to the supposed general
manager, and that parsonage, who was
busy. said
What in - do you want?"
"Well," said the brakeman, what
We want is to have freight trains run
so we can get our meals at eating
houses. And by the eternal, we are
going to have them run that way
Or"
He never finished. The genera
manager got up and pulled of his
coat, aud took the fresh brakeman b.
the neck and the pants and carried
him to an open window that looked
out on an alley, three stories below
and was going TO throw him out, bul
be begged so the manager
relented. Then he took III,
brakeman across his knee, anC
picking up his fire shovel he spanked
him, and the fellow yelled till he wal
hoarse. Then he let go Of him anC
gave him one kick, and the dool
opened and he came cut where thu
other boys were, the scaredest mar
that oyer lived. His conductor stop
ped him and saidl
well, how did il work2'
\ Mighty Caesar, said the brakeman
r. Il