The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-09-13
MAKING BRuTEs OF MEN.

A Cooperation Which Says, Who Works
For De Leaves His Heart at Home.
One Of the unwritten rules which the
hundreds of trainmen and employees Of
the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford railroad who work in that COM
pany's big freight yard at the foot Of
Willis avenue and Harlem river under
stand and obey as implicitly as those
which are posted up in black and white is:
eff AN accident happens to your fell
low workman. say nothing-see moth
ing. Let the hospital authorities do all"
There is not in this city more dan
gerous place of employment. The yard
stretches along the Harlem river from
the Second avenue bridge to point on
the Dutch Kills, half way to Port Nor
ris, and is an intricate gridiron of tracks
and switches, with snorting locomotives
darting here and there. At night the
thousands of twinkling lights confuse
even the switchman's practiced eye.
Under these conditions accidents are
to be expected, and prompt assistance
from willing hands should always be
forthcoming. But such is not the case.
Since the first Of the year five men have
met death in it's most horrible form in
this yard, three have been crippled for
life, and scores of others have received
dangerous fractures. bruises and con-
tusions which disabled them for weeks.
In all these cases the unwritten rule
has been needed to the letter.
To the Harlem hospital alone the fol-
low -. L L. -:
II, 1898:
Jan. 12-James O'Brien. brakeman. of 243
Wall street, New Haven, Head crushed; died.
dleton, NY. Skull fractured and body crushed;
died.
April H-William Weldon, switchman, $50
Trinity avenue. Crushed: died.
April 27-Lawrence White, brakeman, Lag
Amsterdam avenue. Arm crippled.
May 9-Harry Cook, brakeman, 1877 East For
ty-eighth street. Skull fractured and body
confused.
May 21-Michael Cummings, brakemen. In
jured severely about body.
June civilian r. Cavanagh, switchman,
of New Haven. Leg crushed.
July 10-Charles Howe, train hand. of Provi-
dence. Bruised and lacerated; disfigured for
life.
July 11-Timothy Mahoney, truckman, 373i
Third avenue. Leg fractured and body bruised.
Aug. 3-Patrick Burns, brakeman, 5O7 East
One Hundred and Forty-ninth street. Crushed;
died.
Aug. 1S-Unknown man run over and killed
by train.
It is the hospital physicians who have
discovered this rule and who complain
of it's inhumanity.
''The employees in the yard seem to
lose all the finer feelings which belong
to man in the fear Of jeopardizing their
positions by aiding their unfortunate
companions" said DR.. Rothwel of tn.
Harlem hospital yesterday. ''They stand
idly by and refuse all assistance while
the wounded man is perhaps in the throes
of death.
'Not long ago call came in from the
yards. I found poor fellow with his
leg crushed. His name was Cavanagh,
if I recollect Alright. I drove down to
the yard, and with the stretcher picked
my way across the tracks at the risk of
my own life to where he lay left the
driver with the ambulance, thinking of
course to find workmen willing to help
me back with the stretcher and its load,
but l was never more deceived They
all stood aloof, watched me work, but
even declined to hold lantern.
"'We have no ORDERS was the re-
spouse I got to all my demands l needed
hot water and asked one rough looking
fellow to get some.
"'Hain't got nothing but ice water
here he answered. We'll, get some
from that engine there insisted. L
must have it. This poor fellow will
bleed to death unless can wash away
the blood and tie the arteries
"'We hain't gotno ORDERS was the re-
ply. They refused to help me with the
stretcher, and I was obliged to go and get
my driver
Cali my questions as to how the acct
dent happened were unanswered. Final
ly one fellow said: If we talk, we get the
g. B. Don't ask us anything
"That was one of my experiences.
have had many SUCH"
At the railroad yard yesterday many
workmen said enough to substantiate
the doctors story.
"We don't see nothin nor do nothin,
and we keep our jobs said one man.
The value of this unwritten rule to the
company is evident. In suits for dam
ages the employee who knows is sub
p@naed. and man who has aided sur
geOn in his first examination would be a
man ''who knows. New York World.
How to Employ Idle Laborers.
The laudable efforts that are now be-
ing made toward the employment of our
idle people deserve the earnest support
and cooperation of all citizens inter-
ested in the peace and prosperity of our
city, state and country. With view
of doing my share toward solving the
problem, so far as our city is concerned,
would most respectfully suggest the
following plan: The city requires many
improvements. When it is decided as
to the kind of improvements and repairs
that are to be made, let the city issue
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