Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-20
A NOVEL SCHOOL.
Instructing Railroad Men How to
Gather Tickets and Impart InfOrma-
Philadelphia Times

Phttddetphid Times.
suppose a passenger having a ticket
dies on my train, would it be proper to
lift it?'
'What-the tramp
"NO; the ticket"
"A full frst-class ticket is required for
a corpse" is the answer.
yes; but then it travels in the baggage
car. The circumstances in the case l
state are unusual. What must l doY'
You have no authority to touch any
thing on the body. The Coroner is the
proper person to take up the ticket and
deliver it to the company" explained the
instructor, clearly.
Fifteen men sat at desks in a rear wing
Of the vast building of the Pennsylvania
Railroad on Fourth street every day last
week undergoing the usual inquisition
which determines their capabilities. The
above and many similar dialogues oc-
CURED during the weeks examination
and so far from appearing humorous or
ridiculous to the preceptors, such inqui-
ries were encouraged.
almost anything is liable to happen
on train" explained one of the tutors to
Times reporter on Saturday. "a
thorough knowledge of the rights of the
company and the passenger is essential,
In the case you overheard, the respon-
sibilities of the company undergo a COM
passenger from natural causes. You can
see that conductor may be called on, in
an emergency, to decide some very I'M
portant and knOtty questions"
Beginning this morning, fifteen more
applicants, coming chiefly from the
ranks of brakemen and gatemen, will be
examined for prospective cOnductOrships.
Six applications are already filed for next
week. The method pursued in the weeks
examination
time to time, but stakes this general
shape: The candidate is first asked to
write letter. Then he is tested as to
his knowledge of. mathematics. A state
ment more or less intricate, and involv-
ing numerous while and half fare tickets
and rebate coupons, is read to him. He
is told to render an account. The time
consumed in making up his statement
is noted to fraction of a minute. At
other times a statement is required of the
miles Travelled by passengers on a myth
cal train that makes lightning trips to all
parts of the main and leased lines. The
candidate is then lectured for two days,
generally Tuesday and Wednesday. All
the kinds of tickets are described. The
rights of passengers and of the corpora
ton are defined; local, first class, thou
sand-miles, communication, school, limited
excursion, wOrkmen's and stock-shippers'
tickets are carefully described. Samples
OF the various tickets are shown the can
dldates,a and some Ofthe interpretations put
on the language of the ticket by the mas
cent conductors are novel, interesting and
often startling. Not much time is wasted
over free passes, for the company Incurs
no responsibility for a passenger travel
ing on tickets Of that kind. About this
point, budding conductor asked several
days ago: suppose man goes to Pitts
burg on return pass and dies there, will
his pass be good to bring the body back?"
The answer was in the negative, though
circumstances might secure a waiver of
the cOmpany's rights.
by Thursday the applicant is expected
to know every station on the main line.
the points at which branch roads defect,
the crossings where connections are to be
made and the names of all the leased
roads in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The rest OF the week is devoted to ques-
tloning and drilling him in the details of
his daily work.
Finally, on Saturday a tabulated state
ment is made of the candidates grade.
The successful men are rated first, second
or third class. All ranking below the
latter grade are dropped. Men of the
hrst or second classes are appointed to
mainline trains; those of the third class
are only placed in charge of trains on
branch lines. When the applicant has
been unfortunate in his early education
and is naturally intelligent he is urged to
try again, and is allowed year or more
to prepare for his re-eXaminatiOn.