The Washington times., 1894-07-08
HELP IS ALWAYS AT HAND
Every Large Railroad Nov Has Its
Relief Corps.
DOCTORS FOR THE INJURED
These Railway Surgeons Have an Organ Of
Their 0wn-Eow Passengers with the Aid
OF unscrupulous Doctors Try to Work the
Companies but Fail.

Doubtless everyone knows something ofthe
business OF the eye doctor, the horse doctor,
and divers others to whom the medical title
Is applied. but, with the exception OF the un-
fortunate individuals who have come into con-
tact with the gentleman. few people know
anything about the routine duties of the rail-
way doctor. 1t would be false reasoning to
suppose that because an eye doctor treats the
orbs OF vision and the horse doctor prescribes
for borses that the business o: railway sur
geon is TO repair railways. 1t might be said
that in general the disciple of Galen and Hip
poerates knows rs much about railroads as
the ordinary railway man knows about the
art of Eseulapius.
Actuated by principles of philanthropy and
business Ga cynical outsider would in ali prob
ABILITY reverse the order, nearly all the large
railways in this country have Instituted what
is known as '.relief corps Prominent MEM
bers OF this CORPS have formed an association
known US the National Association of halfway
Surgeons. So large has the corrs become
lately that at tho con1e1tio7 held recently in
| Galveston il was decided u issue laper TO
/ he known as the Railway Surgeon. At pres
chA lii'tc ttIf itictc ltiiai i.JU HtulDefS IN the
| organizatiCn, most OF nom are western men.
| The new paper will treat OF the three great
| branches of the railway surgeons business,
VIZ, the sanitary condition of the cars acci-
dents 10 employees. and accidents to passen-
gers. Eastern railroads rat are continually
getting new and improve. ears are not much
| troubled about the first branch.
| The greater part of the railway surgeons
time Is taken up IN attending to accidents in
/ the yards. The men who sustain these inju-
| rles are III q majority of cases the switchmen.
| A New York gentleman who has been cou-
Deeted with several railroads said: ..You can
always tell a switchman by one OF two things
"a bruised thumb and n grievance. II he
hasn't just come out of an accident he is Just
getting ready to strike.'
Whereas there are numerous cases of pas
sengers being seriously hurt. the vast majority
OF the Claims made upon the railroads Tor in
juries are fraudulent. Half of these claims
would never be heard of if there did not exist
class of lawyers who just watch the papers
for news of Il railroad accident and bounce
upon the in jured with aiacrity. Allied with
them is different class OF railway sur
geons" that cost the companies great deal,
but who are paid indirecsly IL they find
man who has slight confusion they prove
TO him and to the jury sometimes that he is
suffering from severe concussion of the
spine.
spinal in iuries. II n train Of passengers hap
pens to be slightly iostled nearly every one
aboard with the aid of these doctors may de-
velop case of spinal disease. II man in
sists he has shooting pains in the back no
one can say him nay. and in absence Of truth
that he has not "a jury will naturally give
him damages. The railway surgeons re-
ferred 10 have no association that is known,
but they know their business from Alpha to
Omega. They in ( uct their pupils as to all
the symptoms OF uisease they are supposed to
have. and in learned terms amaze the ordi-
nary country jury.
On roads like the Pennsylvania and the
Central railroad of New J ,rsey there are
regular surgeons at stated points. and as soon
rs an accident occurs they are Immediately
sent for They have the power of calling
such extra assistance as they deem necessary.
Reads on which u surgeon is a paid official
claim that through him much money has been
saved. Outsiders would grow dizzy with
wonder if they knew OF the number of suits
and claims that arise from railroad accidents
The officials, however. remain imperturbable.
They know that most of the claims are spu-
r.ous and on investigation will fade away
like mist before the rising sun. To investi-
gate such claims and to settle in cases of real
damage are the duties of the claim agent.
The railway surgeon and the claim agent are
to the man who has fraudulent claim a
that is disaSreeable.
An Illinois sIrgao tells OF one interesting
claim. 4 man who was travelling in company
with number of friends was thrown aero .,
the aisle of ear by slight accident that
lostled every one. but in reality hurt no one.
He went home all right. but after several
days delircrntion he made up his mind that
his heal was paining him. From then on he
would drcp in TO see the people WI . had seen
him thrown, and in the midst o. serious
conversation would make some idiotic re-
marx about the price of beans in Pennsylya.
nia- Alter awhile he induced his friends TO
believe he Was crazy. The company heard of
his strange proceedings and began little in
vcstigation. They found that his crazy fits
were conlirei 10 certain circles. Among
business peCple his actions We're those of u
perfectly sane man. He never overpaid his
workingmen. nor did he buy anything at
double what it was worth. People with whom
ha WIS doing business were informed. fram
what source may be guessed, that Mr.. A. was
insane Air. 4. finally came to the conclusion
that if he wanted TO retain his business the
best thin, he could do was 10 spread abroad
reports of his rapid and complete recovery,
ami he did
The surgeons are frequently the spectators
of almost incredible GOODNESS. One tells
-to-y OF Texas engineer named Ben Blunt
The surgeon gives the account in the words
of Blunt:
We'll. you see. was in the cab and every
thin;, looked all right ahead, when suddenly
the engine turned by a misplaced switch and
the ilrst thing l knew / was all tangled up
between the engine and freight train. The
next thing knew heard some one say He 3
dead But l wasn't. As soon as they had
pulled the engine off me had them telegraph
back to the station, so Is to stop the oncom-
ing express, sent message to my wife. als
saw that the fireman was properly bandaged
up. Was / hurt? Oh. no. 1 had one leg
and one arm and several ribs broken, but
nothing that you could call serious"