The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-07-25
TRAINING GRIPMEN.
BREAKING IN coUNTRYmeN FOR CITY
RAILWAY SERVICE.

Attention and Plenty Of Nerve
Where do the gripmen come fromf'' |
strong armed. blue uniformed en-
ployee Of the Washington and George
town railway was asked last night as be
left his car at the end Of the route for a
cup Of coffee and sandwich in the all
night restaurant.
Why. from the country, most Of
them. These Fellows who are raised on
cigarettes and beer In the city don't
seem to have the muscle necessary to
throw ON the brake and stop the train
on a down grade. Then again a country
man is mighty careful about going
through the streets He's afraid that ev-
cry man he sees step Off the pavement is
going to be run over. and he is absolute
ly certain that every team that comes
out from cross street is going to collide
with him. Ii takes him about two
years to get over this fear. and then. as
he becomes little careless, be has few
accidents that smash up tenders and take
the paint off the coaches. and then he
gets fired, and the road is ready to break
in another countrymea."
How do they break them in?"
well, they are mighty careful with
them. A new man ON the grip is about
the worst scared object in the world
Talk about your condemned man being
scared when he's walking out TO be
hanged-why. his sensations amt in it
with the man who's running a grip car
for the first time. To be sure, an expert
enced gripman is ON the car right be-
side him, ready to throw on the brakes
and sound the lookout bell But be-
tween the grip. and -the wheel brake.
and the track brake, and the go ahead
and stop signals, and the look out
bells. and the people jumping on and of
the grip car, your new gripman just gets
seasick. They say they don't mind it,.
but they're talking through their bon
nets, that's all. Then. another thing.
the way they throw on the brake yanks
their arms out Of joint and makes 'em
good and sore, tell you.
There's something funny about
braking up grip car. came from the
country to my job, but wasn't always
plowboy. When Twas young fellow.
used to work in country printing Of
fee, and used to have 20 run a Washing
ton hand press. Ever run a Washington
hand press-you'r re in the newspaper
business? What Never run oney Well,
then. can't tell you anything about it,
except that if you don't know the trick
you can't throw 'er over and get an i'm
preston no more than rabbit You
Z may have muscle like blacksmith
but if you don't know the knack yor
q can't pull the lever over, but if you arr
4 on 10 the trick. and don { weigh more I
b 90 pounds, you can throw her arouns
I. Just like lightning and make 600 i'm
d pressions an hour-that is, If you've go
Z a good devil to do your linking.
}. "Well, as l was saying. that's jus
like braking up grip car. Some bil
fellows weighing 200 pounds, with mus
Giles on them like Fitzsimmons. go on
on one Of these grips with two coache
behind EN-, and the way they brake e
b. up makes all the passengers think the
y have gone to sea. Then little fellow
! who don't look heavy enough TO handl
team of mules attached 70 a sulk
pillow, gets a job ON the road, and
= grabs that old grip like a drum majo
throwing a baton, and he'll get tn
knack OF the thing right quick, and whe
ne brakes 'er up the passengers thin
that the first waltz at the Charity ba
is Just starting
But while he may he throwing o
the brakes all right he's kind Of off hi
| pins when it comes TO hearing the tw
\ bells for 90 ahead. You see, a new ma
can't do everything at once. Take
about a week TO get the shiver off, an
during that time regular gripman run
with the new man. keeping a sharp lool
out. Then the new man, after his weel
goes to the superintendent and has
pass an examination. They ask him a
about the signals, and where other ca
cross, and where the dead men are
> dead mans block you strike il yC
Ia don't let 60 the cable where you ha'
s. TO. and if you ever strike dead mai
f. your jobs gone. no Ifs and ands abol
- it-and all about the street and so Of
IN Well, if the new man passes the exam
u nation, he puts up $40, and they gil
H. him a certificate. and he can go and p
nj that up for uniform and an overcoa
Vt and there You arches a gripman, reas
ly for 90 degrees below zero and 100 d
IS grees above zero and his little old 81
N day.
aa The company's breaking in six ne
al gripmen ON the Fourteenth street Iii
ne right now. Two of the old men di
re and a couple quit. Each line alwa
e. keeps about dozen extra gripmen
IT hand ready for an emergency, SO they
~ breaking in these new ones. One Of c
NV new boys had an accident at Ninth Al
the avenue the other afternoon. r
n, into an Anacostia bobtail car. BY Il
or ger, / thought he was going to kno
II the thing clear to the Good Hope hi
y, but he didn't Scared? Well, the p.
~ sengers ON the bobtail wasn't half
he scared as he was. He could hardly :
of off the grip to pick up the pieces of
sly fender. He thought he was as good
IN. fired. but the company never said not
- ing. Guess they thought they was luc
to get off with as little damage. A
besides an accident right at the 81
, makes a gripman extra careful for
the rest Of the time "-Washings