The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-18
Poorly Paid Railway Servants.

A railroad official who has been very success
full in the operation of the road with which he
is connected, in answer to the question, if there
is any truth in the report that spoilers are
working his road, answered: No, sir; they
are class of men Who the further we keep
from the better shall be pleased. The fact is,
have several times expressed myself on the
treatment Of conductors to the president of our
road, and urged upon him an increase IN the
salaries of conductors My opinion IS that a
conductor shall be paid 49, 600 year. then the
position would command the best of men, and
every five years a conductor is in service his
salary should be increased 500 year why,
said he, 1--WE pay men in our passenger depart
ment who are nothing but bill posters,
as much as a conductor gets Yes more; for In
addition to his salary the bill-poster has his eX
penses paid The passenger conductor is away
from home two-thirds of his time, anu while he
may be favored some in hotel rates, his expenses
are heavy. To appear as well dressed as most OF
the roads expect man to be will use up $l5O
year of his salary. Then there are incidental eX-
penseS which q conductor must meet to carry
out the expectations of his superior officers
He then cited cases which came under his special
notice coming West over the Pennsylvania lines:
"A short time since l noticed, as the train was
about to leave Jersey City, an aged lady come
into the car who was to go to Evansville, Ind.
Friends came with her to the depot, who called
the attention of the conductor to her, and asked
that he turn the old lady over to his succeeding
conductor on the next division safely, with a re-
quest he kindly care for her. and so on it went
from one conductor to another until lndianapo-
lis was reached. Here the G., St L. & P. con
ductor saw her safely seated in the Evansville
coach. On the same train was a lad who re-
qured fully as much attention as the old lady.
To be sure, the conductor had the assistance of
the Pullman car porter in the charitable work
yet the porter was paid in each case for his at
tentiou while the conductor received nothing
and, in fact, one or two of the conductors pur-
chased some ck-nacks for the little boy There
dozen little kindnesses shown to the old
lady and lad which struck me with the
necessity there was to have true gentle
men and kindly-inclined men in the position
of a passenger conductor" He then said 81
have had great respect for VIM r. McKeen,
president of the Vandalia since heard a con
versation between Mr.. MeKeen and Colonel
Thomas Scott, a few years ago, when President
Scott was making trip over the Vandalia Mr.
Scott proposed that the pay of conductors along
the whole line from New York TO St Louis be
reduced to $75 per month. Mr. McKeen, his
eye Frightening as he looked Colonel Scott
ion, be better to increase their pay to $3.50 per
month Here the conversation dropped. While
the pay Of conductors on the Pennsylvania lines
east of indianapolis we're not advanced
as suggested, Mr. McKeen's timely re-
marks doubtless prevented reduction"
The railroad official from whom we have quoted
so freely said, he took no stock in the com
mon slang phrases regarding passenger con-
ductors. They were deserving men, and very
small per cent. of them, in his opinion dishon-
est, and with the exposure they were subjected
to, and the responsibility that rested upon them,
he thought they were poorly paid railway serv-
ants.