Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-28
ASH AT THE BRAKE.
Street Car Drivers Who Succumb to Hsr
Work and Monotony.

Street Car Drivers Who succumb to Hard
Work and Monotony.
''Some psople don't think that this is bard
work." said q middle aged car driver to a
young poll ,eman who had Just swung him
self upon the front platform of a car upon
which l was enjoying smoke. 1he police
man laughed dsr.sively, for he had bin
thar hims az
Its everlasting hard on your feet on a
car platform, and it's pretty near as bad on
patrol duty" said he. There's a little more
variety about il for the officer for he tramps
awhile and then he can stand still aw bile, 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"
Yes" climed In the driver, as he put the
brake on hard and stopped his vehicle 10 per
NIT an agei negress with a basket TO come
aboard. ITS blamed hard on the feet and
on the chest, and the back too. Many time
my chest as been as sore as my feet. The
brake strai - n fellows arms and shoulders
and the reirs are pulling on him all the time,
specially II slippery weather. And Lord,
how tired enc does get OF it!n
Tired Well | should smile, said the ex-
driver in Uniform. Why, there's lots of
fellows in the business that goes right dead
of to sleep while they're driving remem-
Der a driver on the same line that used to
work for who got In the way Of going 10
sleep regular ON his last trip. He got sus-
pended for il several times, aud at last one
day he run into a wagon and smashed the
splashbosrd in Twas a terrible Jolt, and
when be woke up and saw what he'd done he
just quit work right Off He would have been
fired anyhow, | guess Now he's night
Waterman and says he can't get tired enough
10 sleep"
Its the Ilonotony that makes a man tired,
as much rs he hard work, said the driver
as the polio, man alighted at the corner OF q
street, and he car whirled around another
corner out Of the electric glare and into the
bemi-glare Il a side street Yes, it's true
enough about men going 70 sleep while
they're driving. We work about ten hours
on end now and when we're through / tell
you a man don't feel fit for much But as for
sleeping, WHY there used 10 be an old chap
that WORKED on east side down town line
that runs all night. He had a night car, and
he went to tleep just soon ms he came 10
| work He'd put on the brake and stop or
start his Cal according to the bell and do al
most every thing necessary while he was a
snoring like fog horn. Passengers used to
be quite sea red at the noise he'd make, and
his conductor got SO tired Of going on the
front platform to wake him up that he told u
'spotter' about it. Don't the spoilers ever
get onto me sleepingi 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 sleep when
anything was ahead. or course his horse
| would slack up, and when he felt the reins
loose l suppose he put on his brake out Of in
sttnct. remember one night was of duty
and board I'd his car. ] rode about twenty
blocks with 1im snoring away, and he stopped
four or five times to take on or drop passen-
gers, but be never woke up. Then all Of
once fire engine came galloping down the
avenue like mad l was just going to grab
the reins my self and hold the horses straigh,
when the old chap woke up and put on hi.
brake. The engine dashed passed, bell clang.
ing and men a-hollering, and when it had
passed he sat down again-they allowed em
TO use a seat on the night cars-and went of
TO sleep without ever noticing me- / shook
him by the shoulder and he opened his ewes
and says he, Why, Bill, where did you come
fromf He never knew I'd boarded the car
although I'd stood by him for twenty blocks ,
| New Yorl Herald.