The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-01-22

HAAS<No -
ages.
a small group of men were discussing
Pat Calhoun's candidacy last night. One
member of the party was connected With
the claim department of a railroad, and
another was a newspaper man. Some
body said that the railroads try to run
everything.
"The railroads are not as black as they
are painted" another man said.
This startled the railroad man. "We
have to stand more than you imagine" !"
he remarked.
"Nobody without an experience can
realize the number and character of the
claims for damages which are made on
every railroad. The claim department
is one OF the most important aud extern
sive features of road. It needs large
corps of expert appraisers, doctors, law
yers and detectives.
"With all the care, skill and expert
ence employed there is no doubt that
thousands of dollars ere paid out annu-
ally on fraudulent claims. It is not, of
course, difficult matter to appraise the
value of merchandise lost in transit, but
there is hardly any rule for fixing up
personal injury damages. The public in
general look upon the railroad as its nat.
ural prey. 1t is surprising that men who
wouldn't wrong others in the ordinary
course of life think it smart trick to
beat railroad. I wonder they do not
realize it is simply big business concern
with many partners which they are
attacking. In the farming sections espe.
cially railroads have a hard time, The
farmers regard them in no other relations
thanthat of enemies. Therefore an ap.
peal to the courts, particularly in these
sections, results in the discontinue of
the road nineteen times out Of twenty.
"We always aim to settle personal
injury cases without going to Law. A
number'of decisions have fixed the value
of 8 mans life to his heirs at ST, 900, but
for the loss of limb all sorts ofsums have
been awarded. Within year news.
boy received jury award of 10000 for
the loss of his leg in jumping off street
car. In q great many instances small
accidents occur through carelessness and
utter disregard of ordinary precautions.
Some roads no longer allow their train
men damages for the loss Of fngers--a
frequent accident to railroads. Of course
injuries received in coupling cars they
have to pay for. The money that has
been spent to settle damages of that kind
would 50 long ways toward paying for
good automatic freight car coupler.
The adoption of the vestibule system has
undoubtedly saved railroads money for
injuries to passengers. I once saw
young man blown off platform and
killed. He had no business to disobey
instructions to keep inside the car, but
the road had to pay damages just the
same"
"What is the procedure when a claim
for injuries is! presented ?"
It's no simple process We get the
testimony Of the trainmen aud of all the
others who saw the accident. We have
the claimant examined by our surgeons,
and, if necessary, put our detectives at
work. Often the latter are necessary.
In the case of one man we traced his ca
reer through four States and found abun.
daDt grounds to justify our suspicious
that he was a beat. Finally, however,
the claim goes to the legal department
for settlement. This is sometimes after
it is fled. Railroads have to protect
themselves. The counsel agrees on q
settlement if he can. If not, the courts
decide the amount OF damages Not
often, exceptin case of death, are large
sums paid out in negotiated settle
ment."
"Do many queer claims come before
your"
"Lots of them. I have man here re-.
Gently who wanted $1,000 because engi.
neers whistled in passing his house. It
was half mile from the track, but he
claimed the whistling of three or four
trains destroyed his sleep. He said he
had grown to listen for the noise. BE
hasn't brought suit yet. We have sev.
eral cases a month of men who, while
asleep at the open window of car, have
lost their hats. The road is presented
With the bill. If man manages in any
way to get himself scratched while
aboard q train down comes the bill for
damages. A determined mau can usu-
ally make out case, too, for the reason
that in the country districts the road
stands q poor show in the courts. It's
wonderful the influence free pass will
WELD on most of these damage claimants
81 remember an attempt to squeeze a
road which had horrible features. A
man made use of his own baby in the
attempt. He was a widower, and was
carrying his child to an interior town.
The infant was dying. Every woman on
the car saw that. A slight accident
occurred, a few windows were smashed
and the passengers got shaking up, but
nobody was hurt. The man with the
baby put in claim that the child had
been killed. We clearly proved that
the baby had died FIVE minutes before
the accident. We had to follow two of
the passengers 1000 miles to secure our
proof and give the man the benefit of
the doubt. Yet that fellow brought suit.
The case never came to trial, however.
H. = Gnof W.