Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-04-08
TRAINING GRIPMEN.
BREAKING IN ccUNTRYMEN FOR CITY
RAILWAY SERVICE.

hRtIwAr O-aStSCs
torn. Farmers Mako tho Best GripInen
on Account OF Their Strength and Cau-
tion-A Situation That Requires Close
Attention and Plenty OF Nerve.
"Where do the gripmen come from?'
1 strong armed. blue uniformed en-
town railway was asked last night as he
left bis car at the end of the route for a
cup OF coffee ard sandwich in the all
night restaurant.
"Why, from tho country, most of
them. These fellows who are raised on
cigarettes and beer in the city don t
Feem to have the muscle necessary to
throw on the brake and stop the train
on a down grade. Then again 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
on. from cross street is going to collide
with him. 1t takes him about two
years to get over this fear, and then, as
he becomes little careless, he has a 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 countryman.
"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 grip Car
for the first time. To be sure, an expert
enced griprian 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, yoar new gripman just gets
seasick. They say they don't mind it,
bit they'ro 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 q grip car. came from the
country to my job, but wasn't always
a plowboy. When Twas a young fellow,
/ used to work il country printing Of
flee, and used to have to run Washing
ton hand press. Ever run a Washington
hand press-yoa're in the newspaper
business? What Never run one? 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 10 more than rabbit. You
may have muscle like blacksmith,
but if you don't know tie knack you
can't PULL the lever over, but if you are
ON to the trick, and don't weigh nore'n
90 pounds. you can throw her around
just like lightning and make 600 i'm
pressions all hcur-that is, if you've got
q good devil to Go your mixing
"Well, as I was saying. that's just
like braking up grip car. Some big
fellows weighing eco pounds, with mus
cles on them like FitZsinmons, 60 oat
on ono of these grips with two coaches
behind 'em, and the way they brake 'er
up makes all tho passengers think they
have gone to sea. Then G little fellow,
who don't lock heavy enough to handle
q team OF mules attschei to 4 sulky
plow, gels Il job Oh the rocd, ard he
grabs that old grip Ike Il Gruni major
THROWN? baton, and hell get the
knack CT the thing right qgick, aHG when
he brakes 'cr cp tie rasscnZcr5 think
that tho first waliZ at the Charity ball
is just starting.
"Bnt while he may he throwing on
the brakes all right he's kind Of of his
Plus when it comes to hearing the two
bells Tor go ahead. You sec, new man
can't do everything as Orco. Takes
about week 10 get the shiver off, ard
during that time u regular Sr;rlnGn rrila
with the new man. keeping sharp lock
out. Then tho new man, af:or his week,
goes to tho superintendent aid has TO
pass ar examination. They ask him all
about the signals, and where ether cars
cross, and where the dead men are
dead mans q block yon strike if you
don't let go the cable where you have
tc, aud if you ever strike dead man
your jobs gone, no IFS and ards about
it-and all about the strect and 60 on.
Well, if the new man passes the exami-
nation, he puts up $40, and they give
him a certificate, and he can go and put
that up for a uniform and an overcoat,
and there you arches gripman, ready
for 30 degrees below zero and 100 de-
grees above zero and his little old So a
day.
"The company's breaking in six new
gripmen ON the Fourteenth street line
right now. Two CT the old men died
and a couple quit. Each line always
keeps about q dozen extra gripmen on
hand ready for an emergency, SO they're
breaking in these new ones. One Of tho
new boys had an accident at Ninth and
the avenue the other afternoon. Ran
into an Anacostia bobtail Car. By GIN
ger, thought no was going to knock
the thing clear to the Good Hope hill,
but he didn't Scared? Well. the pas
sengers on the bobtail wasn't half as
scared as he was. He could hardly get
off the grip to pick up the pieces Of the
fender. He thought he was as good as
fired, but the company never said moth
ing. Guess they thought they was lucky
to get off with as little damage. And
besides an accident right at the start
makes gripman extra careful for all
the rest of the time. Washington
Post
All Hope Gone.
Mr.. Flabley-J. told me that he new
L,,o .r-ka . 90 1o Le~ 81,
the time Of his marriage.