New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-12

nsonl. try to be grpmen; drygoods clerks and
49, and bricklayers You see. the wages amt
80 h,yh but IT'S a good steady job and bright
won has always a chance Of promotion ana peihs
.nno,nted chief or assistant chief gripman' OF ="
inspector It's true they don't have any Vaea''oii
excepting Sunday a day on now anu 'ne", u
,h.v ask for II. but a good many times In the
y.ar when the other workmen, plasterers pump
&c roasons and the Ike have work at ALL the
eripman is making his 81 40 day right along i"en'
n's a healthy life; there's lots OF exposure IN
winter but the men know how to NIX tor H. a"u
there amt no cooler. nicer place IN summer 'ha
ont on the front OF one of them caoie-cs'S' 'ou SCI
all the breeze that's going.
THE drygoods clerks don't often amount "
much a. grpmen. They get rattled' any ma"
that's been used to an indoor Job is no sooa io'
ANYTHING else: as for these barber reno"s, 'ne',
touch is too delicate to start and stop ''Hueu
car on an up-and-down grade.
A superintendent Of one Of the caoie-car rou'.'
described the method OF training gripman as ioi-
,ows. THE applicant first meets an official whose
business II is to Judge OF his outward Capabilities
for the position His past record Is lookeu i"'o "1
his general health and habits are noted III ne see"s
a likely candidate he Is put on trial Hehe'a"S o'
the first two or three trips he makes downtown anu
hack hs does nothing but observe the way In when
the experienced gripman manages the mo'o'' INC
applicant stands by his side on the front PLATFORM
and after h. seems to have caught on TO the re-
ourements the gripman allows him to try MS
hand occasionally in places where there are "Ae,y
TO be few stops and an easy grade we se"eiH"'
count on the candidates taking two weeks 10 'ear"'
Many of them find out in few days that they are
not ou,ck enough for the position or else that they
ca, ~, nervous over It. The man learning re-
ceives no pay until he gets proficient enough 10 run
what we call a 'tripper.' extra car. or 10 take
the Mace OF some gripman who is OF for day.
He Is paid only according TO the time ne "of~S'
but we generally manage in case ne promises !"
b. a good man, that he makes enough from
week TO week live on. After rev months "a'
he s put on full work. and then his career depends
upon himself The company has always pursued
the plan OF recruiting its higher positions from the
mon In its employ instead OF going outside TOT
held A grpman may get to be starter OF al
inspector or a chief gripman. that H. one oe'~"eo
TO look after all the others. The chief sripmah
stands at some important point on the route such
as Twenty thlrd-st. and notes what time 'ne
travelling gripmen make. how they conduct them
selves In embarrassing positions. ETC. ne OFTEN
boards the various cars and goes with the grip
man 70 see how things being managed along
the route Our office workers were many OF them
conductors
"One would think" went on the official, that the
asiest runs would be reserved for the beginners;
but the men Of value to the company nave come
TO look upon the easy runs as particularly their
reward for good conduct. Those cards In the
1870, there on the wall contain the name and
address OF all the companys employees. whenever
sbere is good opening to MI the various aspirants
send in applications. and always the plum goes
nanv's employ Here Is a letter. one OF several
from men who anxious to get Broadway run
A proadway run Is considered easier than the
others and this man says that he Is entitled to
the appointment because he has been with the
and starts and intermission. the traffic keeping
nm regularly through the day. and the grade
heng varied the IL not considered desirable. Of
course n Ia harder to stop loaded car on a down
erade than on a level: then, too. some runs do not
Require so early morning hours as others All these
things are noted by the gripmen. and II man
who came into the company's employ a single
TO one of these coveted runs the other feels ag-
grieved and makes his grievance known
''"No I do not think II requires much ability to
be a good conductor as to be a grpman The
conductors wages are not so high; either. The
grpman has much responsibility which the con-
do is to collect fares and look out for the WE'LL
being OF the passengers. to prevail on them, II
possible not to crowd the rear platform and so
trafiic and making much delay. The conductor must
be something Of an accountant In small way TO
keep a memorandum OF his fares and the amount
.'i'he gripman holds interests In his hands.
and In charged to be most careful not to njure
vehicles and people. Every time a cable Is broken
n happens that calculated to be serviceable
gripmen back out from taking the job on account
OF the regulations. Strict abstemiousness In liquor
be intoxicated in working hours Is instantly dis
charged They forbidden TO 60 into saloons.
II is too great risk for to run, and precautions
are known to be on duty for the time but expected
to resume work in an hour or two. the saloons
most convenient to them are not made resort.
whiskey drinking 10 gripmsn's objectionable