Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-05
CAR CONDUCTORS.
A Much Abused Class of Rail
road Men.
Patience a Requirement Of
Their Work.
Some Incidents of a Short Journey
on Cable Car.
Some of the Annoyances Which the End
Man on a Street Car Has to Put
Up With Each Trip.

WOuiu nave DtcH ODllSto W pooeOSS hlolc
patience than he had, celebrated as he
was for that quality, to have preserved
a calm and equable temper under the
various annoyances incident to modern
times and conditions of society.
If Job were living today and wished to
keep up his reputation it would be well
for him to shun certain occupations. For
instance, he would fare badly as ticket
agent in railroad Office or retailer of
stamps at city postoffice. Above all
things he should avoid taking employ
ment as conductor of street-car in
large city. If any men have chance
to see the exasperating side of male and
female character they are the con-
ductors.
Human nature is said to be a fascinat-
ing study, but viewed from the conduct
or's standpoint it presents phases cal
culated to drive men to insanity or hope
less misanthropy. To verify this state
ment Just take ride any day on one of
the Los Angeles cable cars and notice
the various incidents of the trip, then
mentally step into the conductors place.
Properly, your study of this subject
should commence with the consideration
of several facts. These men are subject
to set of rules as inhexible as those
governing the military; their cars must
make schedule time or the whole system
is disarranged; the lines being run for
profit, the comfort and convenience of
the passenger is considered at the ex-
pense, sometimes, seemingly at least, of
justice to the conductors themselves.
This last is not pleasant thing to be-
lleye; perhaps it is not even admitted
by the officers of the road, but it is
fact, and little consideration will con-
vince the reader that it is fact.
The public demands street.
car system, complete, swift and
trustworthy, but is not willing
to yield comfort or personal feelings to
obtain 1T. The company, consequently,
is obliged to yield to those upon whom
1T depends for support and profit and the
human machinery suffers in conse-
quence.
Suppose that the reader, being dis
posed to pursue the line of study sug
gested, has hailed car and taken his
seat along with several others; the con-
ductor marks up the number on the way
bill and starts in to collect the fares.
This man presents Canadian dime.
Il can't take that, sir,'' respectfully and
firmly. "Why Nnot?' Indignantly from
the passenger. Then, though the pas
senger ought to be aware of the fact that
Canadian coin is not legal tender in this
country, and that if the conductor re-
ceives it he will be obliged to lose it or
to play the dishonest trick of passing"
it on another passenger, he proceeds to
argue the matter with the conductor,
who is obliged, by law of the company,
to accept insult and profanity from the
passenger and keep his temper. In the
meantime lady sitting behind the con-
ductor, arrives in front of the place
where she wishes to alight, and, without
having manifested any previous inten-
ton of doing so, she frantically springs
to her feet and rings the bell, giving it
two pulls to emphasize her desire to
stop. This being the signal to go ahead
the car continues gaily on its way
and the lady is finally deposited
angry and protesting, a block
beyond her destination, and the chances
company that the conductor was mat
tentive, for people think it is their sol
emn duty to complain on every possible
exalted self-impOrtance, probably.
The fares collected, the conductor re-
turns to his place on the rear platform,
where there are perhaps two men smok-
ing pipes strong enough to run the cable
without outside help, half-drunken man
whose condition renders his fall from the
car very likely, while such fall would
procure the conductors discharge and
the company damage suit. Perhaps,
also, there is man who, pretending
sympathy for the conductor and his
hard task, gratifies an aimless and idle
curiosity by an innumerable procession
of questions which the conductor can
not attend to without neglecting his du-
ties nor can utterly ignore without an
gering his tormentor and risking COM
plant of incivility to the company
There is scarcely trip during the day
or night in which the conductor does
not encounter one of this class of
people.
More passengers are getting on all the
time, and others getting off. Amons
the latter is the passenger who wants
the car to stop on a curve and goes away
mad because he has to take five extrs
steps in consequence of the gripman's
failure to violate the rules in so stop
ping. Among the former, nine OF ter
attempt to take the car at the wrong
street-crossing, ignorant or forgetful O
the fact that the rules of common sense
as well as of the company, demand that
train shall not be stopped directly
across street, obstructing travel and
exposed to the possible danger from
runaways or uncomfortable heavy cars
or vehicles on the cross street
There is also quite frequently a lady who
tenders five pennies, or sometimes ever
four, in payment of her fare, declaring
that to be all the money in her posses
sion, and relying on the conductor
natural gallantry, to prevent her beini
put off the car. She is careless of th'
fact that she is stealing that much from
the conductor-perhaps thinks the com
pany loses it and that makes it all right
of course.
AS the end of the line is reached tn
passengers get off more frequently, ant
the conductor and gripman are KEEP
busy attending to their wants. If a pas
senger gets off at the corner of the street
and another passenger lives in the mex
house to the corner, he will wait unit
the car starts up and arrives in front Q
his house before stopping it. If the pas
senger happens to be lady, this is al
- III l. l.