St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-29

YARDMAsTER.
the miscellaneous cars, such as oil and fat
excepting when there are cars containing
live stock in the train. In this case the STOCK
cars are placed near the caboose in order
that the stockmen may look after animal
| easily when stoppages are made. 1t gener
ally takes from twenty minutes to half ar
hour to make ny train, according to cir
cumstances con nected with the loading.
THE YARDMAsTER
has a little Office of his own in the localit,
back of the warehouses, known as the trair
yard, and, as may be inferred from the fore
going sketch, is an important and autocrati
parsonage. He is usually man of promp
decision and handy with his adjectives II
cases of exigency. But the boss of them al
is the freight conductor. When he roll
along with list of cars in his hand anC
murder in his eye, the casual tramp who hap
peus to be loatiug around watching for
chance to steal a ride involuntarily murmur,
prayer and steps out of sight until after
the train has started. Then he usually turns
up at the first stopping place, nonchalently
walking along the side of the train and look
ing at it curiously as though it were an un-
familiar sight.
When this terrible conductor, who evil
IDENTITY proposes to be president of the road
some day-has checked off his list and salts
fed himself that nobody has tried to make
chump of him by pocketing one of his car:
he steps into the Office for moment as i
to tell the officials and clerks to try and ge
along without him for few days; walks ma
jestically back to the platform, and takes
fresh chew of tobacco. Then he looks VI
and down the track, turns a shrewd eye
heavenward, expectorates gloomily, avert:
his eys, waves his hand to the engineer, who
has got his machine hitched on by this time
and steps aboard the caboose He doesn'
look to see whether the train is going. HI
knows it has got to go if he says so. II,
simply stands on the back platform Of tn,
caboose as the train recedes into the clouC
made by his wheeling engine, and eyes sus
piciously everyone who regards him. Their
the tramp seated astride the brake-beam I'M
derneath begins to breathe freely-dust and
cinders-and the loaded train is fairly off.
THE TRICKS TO BEAT
the freight agent are many. 1t is said BY
the agents that even houses known to stand
high in commercial repute are sometime,
guilty of attempt which, to put the matter
as mildly as possible, look trife funny
For instance, an agent of one of the grea
railroads leading out of st. Paul says tina
one Of The leading business men O
this city once attempted to ship
lot of butter and eggs as feed" AS ''ani-
NAL feed" was at that time handled as fourth
class matter and groceries as second-clas,
the shipper was willing to save few dollar.
By turning casuist. In like manner mer
chants have attempted to ship cutlery as
| bolts and pistol cartridges as hardware. In
deed, one firm in this city had printed plainly
upon a letterhead used as instructions to il.
| travelling men to "ship as - TO secure
| low classi fcation.n Another firm in tn,
East prevailed upon a certain railroad freight
| agent to favor him with advance charges
upon what he said were crates of valuable
crockery, worth about $4,000 Upon tn,
strength of his representations quite sun
of money was advanced him, as is customary
for railroads to do when dealing with we'll
| known business houses. When the crate:
reached their destination they were refused
by the consiguee-being found to contain
only pieces of broken drain thing. As
consequence the crates were left on tht
hands OF the railroad agent, the shipper prov
ing a non-locstsble myth. Sometimes, too
advance charges are obtained upon package:
which are directed TO non-existent con-
! signees. These, it is said, are only few ou
of the many methods by which the railroad:
are worked for sums of money ranging from
few cents to great many dollars. The
excuse is, generally, anything Is fair tC
| beat railroad The result has been ex
! ceediugly disadvantageous to the shipper Al
large, who has been compelled to pay highel
rates, which the railroad companies have fell
obliged to levy in order to compensate then
for losses incurred through Undertaking. anC
other methods of getting even With Wander
bilt."
For the purpose of regulating these anC
other matters of detail in freight handling a
this point the local freight agents some litti,
time since formed an association which nov
consists OF thirteen members. The orcaui
cation is known as tine Local Freight Agents
association, and it has been OF cousidcrabi.
service in the way of practical suggestions tt
the large shippers as well as to each OF tn.
members thereof.