The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-03-24
HOW THEY RUN TT.
THE OFFICIALS, GREAT AND SMALL
WHO MANAGE A BIG RAILROAD.
Mysterious Rules with Which 1t Takes
Time to Form an nAcquaintancc-Worl
Done by Subordinatcs-Prcsidc WHO
Earn Thcir Salaries.


Time to Form an nAcquaintancc-worl
Done by Subordinatcs-Prcsilc WHO
Earn Their Salaries.
Very few persons comprehend or in any
way understand tho organization and man
atscmcnt of the large railway systems which
are now such an important factor in the
commercial affairs of the country The gen
eral organization is about the same on all
the large systems, there beng, however,
some difference in titles of department off
GERS and matters of detail, according to the
fancies OF the directory or president, or the
peculiar necessities of each case AS the
properties in this country are owned hy
private individuals, who naturally try to
obtain tho best service ut the least cost. it is
prcsumablc that no cStravagant or unncccs-
sary positions or departments are provided
1t is usually thought that the president of
large system has an easy place to fill, and
really gets large salary to do comparatively
nothing. In many cases this is true and
that dignitary is nothing more or less than Il
figurchead, whose duties arc performed by
vice-president or general manager, and who
may not have the slightest knowledge of the
manner in which the business is carried on.
except that at the annual stockholders meet
ing lie will present them an elaborate state
ment of earnings and expenditures, which
has been formulated and prepared for him.
Such presidents are, however, rare, and
nearly all of them earn their salaries. Really,
the president should be the financial head of
tho company, and it is usual for him to dele
cato to general manager the management
and operation Of tho road. The officer is,
therefore, necessarily practical railroad
man, and from him tho officers of all the de-
partments receive their instructions.
THE SUBORDINATE OFFICIALS.
These departments arc the accounting,
sometimes presided over by a comptroller,
who may report either to tho general man
ager or tho president; the traffic department,
which may have for its head traffic man
agcr, assisted by general freight agents and
general passenger agents; the operating, in
charge of general superintendent. Tho
accounting department is tho one in which
all accounts are kept, and tho auditor, who
either assists tho comptroller, OF where there
is no comptroller, is responsible to the gen
cral manager, who receives nn impression
copy of ench way BILL" which shows the
name of the shipper, the point of shipment,
the name of the consgnee the destination,
the marks and tho weight and freight
charges on each consignment carried over
the road This way bill he scrutinizes care
fully, and sees that tho charges arc in &C.
cordance with tho rates announced by the
general freight agent. If they are found
correct, he makes from them numerous rec
ords, crediting agents or connecting rail
roads, and charging others. Tho ticket
agents send him either daily, weekly OF
monthly reports of their sales, which are
checked with tho tickets forwarded to him
10y conductors when taken up on trains
The operating department is ono of tho
most important on railroad, as the success
of the whole depends Oh its efficiency Tho
general superintendent is assisted by n ST.
pcrintentent of roadway, Il superintendent
of machinery and u superintendent of trans
portation. The superintendent of roadway
has charge of all tracks, and usually all
bridges and buildings pertaining to the track
department. although some roads provide u
separate officer who looks after bridges alone.
The superintendent of roadway is assisted by
roadmasters, who have charge of divisions
varying according to the physical features of
tho track These roadmastcrs direct all
work performed OH their divisions by section
foremen and trackmcn. Tho superintendent
Of machinery has charge of oil locomotives,
and is responsible for the performance of
proper service. He also has charge Of c,l-
ginemen, frcmen and lnachinists
The superintendent Of transportation has
charge of the movement of trains over the
line, appoints conductors, braiemen, agents
and train dispatchers, distributes cars wlcro
they are needed, and is generally responsible
for the safe and speedy movement of passen-
gers and freight He is assisted by train
masters, whose duties vary on many lines,
but they are generally Immediately under
the direction of tho superintendent of trans
tofi