Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-01-06
,ns PASSENGER reMn CONDUCTOR.
The Most Ezacting Position In the Ranks
Of Railroad Employees.


The passenger train conductor has
in many respects the most difficult
position in the railroad ranks. lie
should be a first class freight conductor
and q polished gentleman to boot. But
in his long apprenticeship OH freight
train he las very likely been learning
how not TO fulfill the additional re-
auirements of passenger conductor
shin. In that service he could be un.
couth and even boorish and still fill
his position tolerably well; now he
feels the need of life time Of tuition
in dealing with the diverse phases Of
human nature met with on passen-
ger train. He must now manage his
train in a sort of automatic way, Tor
he has his mind filled with the care OF
his passengers and the collection OF
tickets. He must be good at figures,
keeping accounts, and handling
money, though the freight train ser
vice has given him no experience in
this line. Year by year the clerical
work connected with the taking up Of
tickets and collecting of cash fares has
been increased until now on many
roads an expert bank clerk would be
none too proficient for the duties inn
posed. The conductor who grum-
blingly ayerred that 1T would take q
Philadelphia lawyer with three heads"
to Gil his shoes was not far out OF the
way.
Every day, and perhaps q number
of times day, he must collect fares
of fifty or hundred persons in less
time than he ought to have for ten.
OF that large number a few will gen.
orally have complaint to make or an
objection 10 offer or an impudent asser-
ton concerning a fault Of the railroad
company which the conductor cannot
remedy and is not responsible for. A
woman will object TO paying half fare
for 1O-year-old girl or to paying full
rates for one of Is. A person whose
income is ten times larger than he de-
serves will argue twenty minutes TO
avoid paying 10 cents more Tin CASH
than he would have been charged for
ticket. Passengers with legitimate
questions TO ask will couch them in
vague and back handed terms, and
those with useless ones will take inop-
perfume times to PROFOUND them.
These are not occasional but every
day experiences. The very best and
most intelligent people in the com
munity Excepting those who travel
much) are among those who oftenest
leave their wits at home when they
take a railroad trip.
All these people must be met in q
conciliatory manner, but without
varying the strict regulations in the
least degree. The officers of the reve-
nue. department are memorable mas
ters, and passengers offended by
alleged uncivil treatment are likely to
make absurd complaints at the super
intendent's Office. A conductor breads
an investigation of this sort, however
unreasonable the passengers COM
plants may be. because it may tend
to show that he lacked tact in handling
the case. But after becoming habitu-
ated to this sort Of dealings there are
still left the occasional disturbances
which no amount Of philosophy can
make pleasant. These are the en-
counters with drunken and disorderly
passengers. The conductor, starting
at the forward end of his train, finds,
perhaps, in the first car one or two
''toughs" who refuse payment Of fare
and are spelling for a fight.
Care must be taken with this sort OF
character not TO punish him or use the
least bit of unnecessary severity, for
he will, when sobered olf, quite likely
be induced by a sharp lawyer to sue
the railroad company for damages by
assault The conductor, however, if
he be one who has lin his freight train
experience dealt with tramps is able
to cope with his customer and confine
him to the baggage car or put him off
the train. But tussle of this kind is,
at best, far from soothing TO the tenn
per, and the very next car may con-
tain The wife of a millionaire, who will
expect the most genteel treatment and
critically object to any behavior on
the part Of the conductor which is not
fully up TO the highest drawing room
standard. Experiences of this kind, it
can be readily imagined, are exceed
ingly trying. The conductor cannot
give himself up completely TO learning
gentility, for he still has need for his
old severity.-B. B. Adams, Jr., in
Scribners Magazine.