The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-24

IEpiu the CuACdkO hbIOIus
'Hello, Doc, hows pulling bell cords
these daysl"
"Pretty chilly job, but it's better'n
chopin open heads to find out how to
pull teeth"
The conversation took place en- a West
Madison street grip car yesterday after
noon. The questiOner wore on overcoat
buttoned up about his ears, huge fur
small hand sachel, such as usually accom-
panies physicians and surgeons on their
visits to patients. The person who an
swered was the conductor, and, al
though he put in good part Of the time
kicking his heels together to keep his feet
warm, he had the general appearance of
a man who was well satisfied with his lot
in life.
Have you given it up for good2" asked
the first speaker.
yep. l get three meals day
here and am willing TO leave profess
sional life to those vino like it better than
l do
Funny business for a man who spent
year learning the secrets of dentistry,
isn't it," remarked the first speaker, as
he seated himself after the conductor had
passed. IF any one had told me two
years ago." he continued, "that that man
would be street car conductor now,
should have been inclined to laugh in his
face. But time works wonders, and the
dispositions of men are as tickle as our own
Chicago weather. Two years ago / was
lecturiDg in one of our colleges, and the
conductor was a student there learning
dentistry. His father lives in Cham
paign and is quite well-to-do, and tho
young man could have almost anything he
wished. He appeared 10 take kindly to
his studies until it came to the dissecting
room. He could never get accustomed
to that, and every time he entered it was
forced to leave in few moments on ac-
account of sickness. One afternoon he
did not answer at roll call, and the next
day a letter ives received at the, college
saying he had determined to give up his
studies. NEITHER saw nor heard any
thing more of him until about eight
months ago. when l was astonished on
going home one evening TO recognize in
the man who called for my fare the man
who had had such a narrow escape from
becoming a first-class dentist"
eyes, did have some ambition IN the
ivory-pulling line one time" explained the
conductor afterward, but one term at coll
lege was enough for me. Street-car work
is not as pleasant as being president of a.
bank, but much prefer 1t to pulling
teeth. Many of the boys knew at col
lege ride with me now and they all,cau
former days. Oh, well, there's more than
one in the street car service who started
out in other business. Some, like myself,
gave up their former occupation because
they didn't like it, others because they
found themselves failures, and still others
because they had no ide2 that there was
no work in running a street car. Leaving
out lawyers, guess almost every calling
is represented in the street car business
in the city We haven't caught any law
yers yet, but two or three Of our men
have taken up the practice Of law, so you
see, we have a sort Of hold even on that.
Just take trip around the circuit of
barns and you can gather many a disap-
pointed ambition"
1--WE had funny fellow over here,
once" said an Indiana street driver sHe
owned one of the best-paying wood and
coal yards on Lake street. and was ap-
parently contented until the last street
car strike. Then he took his wagon and
began carrying passengers to and from
the city at 10 cents head. The business
pleased him, and after the strike was
settled he used to dream he was collect
ing nickels and dimes, and the desire to
handle money grew with him until he
finally gave up his coal business and Sc
cured n position as conductor. [
guess ne carries more passengers than
any other conductor on the line. He
would hold the car while a woman walked
q block if he saw her signal for the car to
stop. He ran car for over two years,
and never had any trouble until one
morning he missed. Under the rules he
had TO take chances as an extra for
fifteen days. The very next day he drove
by the barns on a load of coal, and as he
passed shouted that he was done with the
street car business. But he wasn't, for
he came back in three months and put in
an application for a position. l do not
know whether he got il or not.
''There is a conductor on this line now
who begun to study for the ministry, and
who says he will yet occupy pulpit.
do not know why he gave up his studies,
but understand that he had widowed
mother to take care of, and was forced
To go TO work He Is one of the mildest-
hammered men you ever met, and no mat
ter how much passenger abuses him he
never talks back or gets mad One eve
ming he carried past his usual stopping
place young man who was very drunk.
In the middle of the block he remembered
it and stopped the car. The man was
very abusive, and called the conductor
many very hard names while he was get
ting off. The conductor begged his par
don and handed him two little slips of pa
pea. "A mild answer turneth away wrath
and on the other some other quotation
from the Bible. The next morning the
young man waited on the corner for
nearly an hour until this conductor came
along. He boarded the car, and for the
next two blocks occupied the time maxi
ing apologies. / have never seen him
drunk since. The conductor is a great
church-goer, and / believe leads young
peoples meeting at some place around
Western avenue"
Blue Island avenue boasts an ex-prigo
fighter and an ex-trapeze performer, both
OF whom were injured while following
their original calling. North 5Clark
street has suburban hotel keeper, a
river pilot, two engineers, sewing ma
chine agent and an ex-vender of lightning
rods. Several years ago barber coll
lected nickels on the South Side, and
during spare moments ran little barber
shop, in which he did thriving business
with conductors and drivers.
The books of the West Chicago Street
Railway Company, in which is kept a
record of all the men in its employ, are an
interesting study. In the column allotted
to former occupations appear bricklayers,
carpenters, plasterers, hod carriers,
blacksmiths, laboPers, grocerymen, clerks
by the hundreds, school teachers, ma
chinists, horseshoers, telegraph operators,
printers, and, in fact, almost every CALI
ing in which men are engaged.
The opening of the Lake street elevated
road was the signal for an onslaught on
the office Of Col. Alberger by men out OF
employment. Conspicuous among these