The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-09-04
GERMAN RAILROADS.
Tive Separate Operations Necessary to
Start an Ordinary Passenger Train.

Tive Separate Operations Necessary to
Start an Ordinary Passenger Train.
fear there would be strike On
| every road in America if the employees
saw the working of railroads in Ger
many. 1t seems as if the end in view
were tie see how many officials could be
used, instead of how few; indeed /
always feel as if the aim of German
rule is to find sinecures for all the men.
1t has been a never-failing amusement
to see our train arrive and depart from
station. The first impression one has
is what gorgeous uniforms! Chief in
plumage and importance is the station
master. With his bright red military
cap, dark blue coat with brass buttons
everywhere that a button can stick,
velvet cuffs half up his arm, and panta-
looms to match coat, he carries the
dignity of the Government and does
nothing but oversee. A train carrying
one hundred and fifty passengers is a
heavy one; there will be at least four
conductors, all in green and gold mill
tary inform. Then there is the porter,
almost as brilliant as the station-master;
he does no manual work except taking
passengers light traps and caring for
them (for fee.) Then on every train
is a respondent official, the starter,
distinguished by a brilliant red sachel
carrying his time book; he has his time
of arrival written in by every sta
tion-master and starts the train. Then
the post-otfice official at every sta
ton has his scarlet plumage and
rarely less than three uniformed men to
run the little go-cart carrying the mail
from his office to the train. With us,
one good-sized boy would do the work
of all four. The chief does nothing but
strike attitudes and look as conse-
quential as possible, after the station
master. Then there is man specially
employed to stick little stamp on
your ticket, if you stop over at station
(and woe to you if you omit this form
of all to one used to the baggage on a
Long Branch or Saratoga train is to see
the handling of baggage; it looked as if
SIX men licked stamps for every pack
age; and with ten pieces, there were
red blue and white papers checked
and handed around as if it were State
affair. The truck was in itself load;
so there were four men to lift these
ten pieces on, one at the handle and
an extra one to shove-Sir full gr01O1
men struggling with this load to the
baggage Garland even then a grey
headed fellow l had not seen before
trotted alongside to see if the count
was right. AT every station is also q
telegraph operator, not one of whom
have l seen take message during the
time have been in Germany.
Imagine this troup of officials running
or standing about every train! You
would think, when it was time to start,
one man could do it; but no, there are
five separate operations. First, the
starter blows or whistles as a signal
to the station-master; the latter makes
dignified wave of the hand to an
official | have not noted before, the
bell-tapper; the Taper gives three taps,
never more or less croft goes his official
head then the starter blows whistle
for the engineer, who blows his whistle,
and we go in solemn decorousness.-
Dresden Cor. Country Gentleman.