The morning call., 1890-09-22
FREIGHT HANDLERS.
Details of Their Work in Yard
and Station.
The MsthodIcal System Employed in Checking
and Recording Freight-How Handled
on Train and Platform.

The man who stands beside railroad
track or in one of our large freight-yards and
watches one of the heavy-laden freight
trains pull in or out, has only slight con-
ception of the manner in which freight is
handled.
To him, unless be has the good fortune to
be railroad man, the whole lot is bundled
into the car, and when it reaches its destna-
ton, is dumped promiscuously upon a plat
form, and there left until called for by the
owner
In years gone by, this method OF dsposing
of freight was in vogue, but even in freight
handling the spirit of progress and improve
ment has asserted itself, and of late years
the work has been reduced to a system so
complete in detail, that a man thoroughly
acquainted with freight traffic on one road
can do business in the freight-sheds of
another with a degree Of accuracy truly
surprising. Practically every road in the
United States employs the same system of
checking in and ont and handling the
numerous articles that travel by rail.
PULLS INTO TIE DEPOT.
A long freight-train is putting laZily into
one of our depots, and by depot is n0tmeant
a way station, but terminal point. Arrived
at its destination, the train with jerk and
lar, brought 10 " sld1iuSllll. lie conductor
steps from the caboose usually the engine)
and turns his way-bills over to the agent
who in turn delivers them to the receiving
| clerk. He marks them o X and passes
them along to the revision clerk, who in turn
| passes them to the freight receiving clerk,
after seeing that the extensions, classical
tions. rates and footings are correct. The
freight clerk then enters them in a book
kept for that purpose. The entry made the
bills pass on TO the expense clerk, who
makes an expense bill, which is kept in the
Office until the owner calls for his consign-
ment.
The original bill has gone to the foreman
OF the freight warehouse, and by that official
is handed to his check clerk: The check
clerk makes an entry in his book and passes
it along to the "over and short man." who
notes the condition OF the goods when re-
ceived upon the reverse side of the bill
The bill is then returned to the freight re-
ceiying clerk, who enters all these violations
in his book, ana is then sent back to the
warehouse foreman.
BUT A SHORT TIME.
For this process, which to the uninitiatedf
looks rather complicated, it requires but al
short time, and the freight is ready for tho
handlers, who work in gangs of from five to
ten, each gang being under the direction Of
a foreman. If the car contains merchandise
for local dealer, or freight Of any kind for
man about town, it is backed into the
freight-house and an apron swung from the
car-door and the work of unloading begins.
The foreman enters the car, followed by his
truckmen. Boxes, barrels and packages of
all kinds are loaded upon the trucks, each
article being checked off as it leaves the car
and wheeled to the warehouse, where they
are piled up in alphabetical order. Mr.. Ms
goods being placed in one pile and Mr.. LIS
| in another.
This continues until the car is unloaded.
when it is run out on switch and another
| takes its place.
| ON THE TEAM TRACK.
If the freight is for wholesale dealer and
| comes in by the carload the cars are run
| onto the team track, where the freight is
| taken away in wagons or trucks without be-
! ing stored in the warehouse.
| The cashier has not been idle the while and
| plays an important part in this system. He
| has been making bills showing the weight
| and charges Of the different articles and
| before the goods are delivered he sees that
| the owner gets his check in payment of the
| charges
Outgoing freight takes another course.
| The freight for shipment is brought to the
warehouse, weighed. classified and billed.
| 1t then falls into the hands of the truckman.
| and from him is taken by the stevedores and
| packed in the cars. For outgoing freight it
! is customary to make cars of local or way
freight.
In shipping through freight the car is Sc
curely sealed and not opened until it reaches
the end of the route or is transferred to an
other line,