Morning journal and courier., 1889-10-17
ASLEEP Ar THE BRAKE.
street Car Drivers Who Succumb
Hard Work and M0nOtonY.

street Car Drivers Who Succumb to
Hard Work and MOnOtony.
- From the New York Herald.I
'some people don't think that this is hard
work" said middle aged car driver to
young policeman who had just swung him-
self upon the front platform of car upon
which was enjoying smoke. The police
man laughed derisively, for he had "bin
thar" himself.
''It's everlasting hard on your feet on a
car platform, and it's pretty near as bad on
patrol duty" said he. "There's little more
variety about it for the officer, for he tramps
awhile and then he can stand still awhile, and
sometimes, if the roundsman amt around,
sit down. or at least lean against something.
But on car one is standing up right along,
and tell you it's terrible hard on the feet"
eyes," chimed in the driver, as he put the
brake on hard and stopped his vehicle to per-
NIT an aged negress with basket to come
aboard. "It's blamed hard on the feet and
on the chest. and the back too. Many time
my chest has been as sore as my feet. The
brake strains fellows arms and shoulders,
and the reins are pulling on him all the time,
specially IN slippery weather. And Lord,
how tired one does get of it!"
"Tiredl Well I should smile, 'said the ex-
driver in uniform. "Why, there's lots of
fellows in the business that goes right dead
off to sleep while they're driving. remem-
ber a driver on the same line that used to
work for who got in the way of going to
sleep regular on his last trip. He got sus-
pended for it several times, and at last one
day he run into wagon and smashed the
splashboard in. Twas terrible jolt, and
when he woke up and saw what he'd done he
just quit work right off. He would have been
| g., II Iaf, .s,I.k
watchman and says he can't get tired enough
to Sleep"
"It's the monotony that makes man tir-
ed. as much as the hard work, said the dri-
yer as the policeman alighted at the corner of
street, and the car whirled around another
corner out of the electric glare and into the
semi glare of side street. eyes, it's true
they're driving. We work about ten hours
on end now, and when we're through I tell
you a man don't feel ft for much. But as for
sleeping, why there used to be an old chap
that worked on an east side down town line
that runs all night. He had night car, and
he went to sleep just as soon as he came to
work. He'd put on the brake and stop or
start his car according to the bell, and do al
most everything necessary while he was
a-snoring like fog horn. Passengers used to
be quite scared at the noise he'd make, and
his conductor got 80 tired of going on the
front platform 60 wake him up that he told
| a 'spotter' about it. Don't the spoilers ever
get on to the men sleepinga Why, no, not at
night, cause there amt no spoilers about
then worth talking of. That old chap was
| just as good asleep as awake. He never ran
into anything. Seemed to know in his eleep
when anything was ahead. OF course his
horse would slack up, and when he felt the
reins loose suppose he put on his brake out
of instinct. I remember one night was off
duty and I boarded his car. I rode about
twenty blocks with him snoring away, and he
stopped four or five times to take on or drop
passengers, but he never woke up. Then all
at once the FIRE engine came galloping down
the avenue like mad. I was just going to
grab the reins myself and hold the horses
straight when the old chap woke up and put
on his brake. The engine dashed past,
bell changing and men a-hollering, and when
it had passed he sat down again-they allow.
ed 'em to use a seat on the night cars-and
went OFF to sleep without ever noticing me.
| shook him by the shoulder and he opened
his eyes and says he. 'Why, Bill, where did
you come from9 He never knew I'd boarded
the car, although I'd stood by him for TWEEN.
| ty blocks"