The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-03-28
SECTION HANDS.
The Mon Who Mend and Keep safs the
Iron Highways.

Iron Highways. d.
Since the death of General Manager
8. s. Merrill, Of the Chicago. Milwaukee
and st. Paul Railroad, and the publica-
ton of his history, very humble class
of railroad employees has been made the
subject of much inquiry. They are
those who attend to the general track
repairs Of railroad line. To show
their possibilities it is cited that Mr..
Merrill, in fifteen years time. rose from
the position of section hand to general
manager of one of the most prosperous
roads in this country. One day he
asked for work at railroad Office, and,
when questioned as to what he could do,
replied.
II can use a shovel and pick"
He was given work with gang OF
railway graders, and in 1858 was made
foreman of the gang. By sheer hard
work he earned promotion after promo
ton, in turn becoming conductor, pay
master, assistant superintendent, chief
superintendent of a division, assistant
general manager, and then general
manager. This position was rendered
him in 1865. He was not man of lib
eral or even common school education,
but one of practical ideas, sound COM
mon sense. and judgment. He knew
every round of the ladder. and for that
reason was an excellent manager Of
men. No one was ever more admired
and respected by those under him. His
is remarkable case, but still it is only
one out of many similar instances.
The section hand belongs to the
lowest stratum of railroad employees,
and yet he is, to a great extent, a
skilled laborer. Although his work is
of routine nature, still he must have
the intelligence to meet any emergency
in his path of duty, and be able to
overcome difficulties. This department.
of a railroad is one Of the most inn
portant, for the condition of the road
depends upon the work done by the
men in it, from the assistant engineer
of division down to the humble spike
these workmen Assistant Engineer Alex.
T. Gest, of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
was interviewed yesterday afternoon.
1--WE have on this division about eight
hundred men who have immediate
supervision over the tracks," said he.
There are four divisions on the road,
but l could not say how many such
men are employed. In this division
there are five supervisors, each of whom
have under their charge from twelve to
fourteen subdivisions, and each sub
division is in the care of foreman, who
has gang of track hands, varying in
number from seven to twelve.
"a foreman, when picking gang,
takes the best and most experienced
men. If l see ten men carrying five
UNDERGROUND rail / get at the opinion
that it is about time six of them were
discharged. I have known four strong
men to walk right off with rail thirty
feet long. That is the work the green
hands are put at until they get over
their awkwardness, learn how to be
spry, and quit falling over each others
hammers, shovels, and other tools.
Fastening on the connecting bars
between the rails is very particular work
and requires care. The expansion and
contraction of rails must be considered
and they are laid accordingly for winter
and summer temperatures. Frogs and
switches require painstaking and must
be properly adjusted. Then besides
track-hands we have watchmen. There
are sixty men doing this sort of duty al
night between here and Altoona, and
quite a number by day, as at Horseshoe
and other special places. The watch
man goes along the track after every
passenger train and examines every bar
bolt, rail and switch. If there is any
thing wrong he reports it to the neares
telegraph Office to the foreman of ths
subdivision. who always lives along thu
track, and, if he has not time to motif.
anyone, he displays a red light or flag
Red always means danger and white
all right.
1.-The tunnels are all similarly
watched, man going ahead Of ever.
train. A good section hand has
chance of being promoted to gan.
boss or foreman at salary of from
$50 to $50 a month. As these foremel
generally live in the country, this j
good pay. They have few expenses
and great many of them own thei
own house and four or five acres O
ground to raise vegetables. Then, al
intelligent foreman will be advanced
Many of the best railroad men of thi
country have started where they are.
Pittsburgh Dispatch.