St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-08-07
coLoREo RocuEs.
Parlor Car O0cials Tell Their Side
Of the Story.

Of the Story.
Palace car porters are being resisted
not only on Pullman's, but ON Wag.
ner's and other railway coaches used
by luxurious travellers. And they are
being resisted in their imperative de-
mands not only by the travellers, who
are long sufferers. but by the owners
Of the cars, who have discovered that
the public isn't as complaisant as it
was. Lately the New York & New
Haven porters were Incorporated at
Albany: the Pullman porters also re-
quested their employers to increase
their wages.
According to . complaint sent in to
the Pullmans it II in work rather than
in wages that the palace car porter
feels a deficiency. He makes objection
to the recent rule Of the Pullmans re-
quiring that the conductors, not the
porters, shall collect the pay for food
and drink and smoke In buffet cars.
This. the porters sag, deprives them
Of extra remuneration, commonly
called tips" which most Of the passen-
gers were generous enough to give to
porters for waiting on them. In lieu
thereof, the Pullman porters petition
that they shall receive an increase OF
wages.
As usual, there IN another and quite
as interesting side to the story This
other side holds the porter up I'd Iiew
as humorists have pictured him -d6od-
ezn Dick Turpin-the evolutiohaiy
eastern successor to the road agent Of
the west, extracting revenue not only
from passengers, but systematically
skinning their employers, and thus
managing to do well on the normal
wage Of SIS q month. That, of course,
is the corporation side of the story.
This is the way the porter worked
it," said the eastern superintendent OF
a palace car company the other day.
"The company would supply him with.
say, 500 worth Of wines. liquors. cigars
and foods when he left New York for
q run to Boston. At the end Of the
run he would turn in the money re
ceived. There would be only $35 or SO
in return for 800 worth of stock sup
piled to him, although it was known
that the train had been one whereon
the buffet patronage was large.
what was the explanation? We
found that when we had supplied three
high grades Of cigars for passengerA
bought from the leading house in New
York. the porter substituted cheap ci-
gars. You would call for a 15-cent
cigar and the porter would bring you
4 ive-cent cigar or worse. which ha
had brought aboard with him. and he
would pocket the Is cents. It was the
same with wines and whiskies. Instead
of handing out the stock furnished by
the company he would hand out q
cheaper grade from his contraband
supply. and pocket the money. If 25
small drink TASKS Of whisky were put
in his buffet al but . few would be
returned untouched-he had refilled
the first empty TASKS from . bottle in
his pocket and had kept the money he
received.
THAT IL why the companies operat-
ing palace cars make the rule that con-
ductors should collect the money for
meal. wine and tobacco checks. We
wanted our patrons to get just ~ good
stun - we provided for them. There
il no profit for us in running buffet
cars. It is done simply for the con-
venience Of the passengers But II
third-class stun il furnished at first
class prices the passengers know it, and
It hurts our reputation with travellers
By having the conductor take up the
money for buffet cheeky the passen-
gers are assured that what they or
dered il the genuine thing. It de-
prives the porters Of no tips to have
the conductor do this. Passengers
know that conductors are not allowed
to receive tips. and. il any tips ara
passed. they 60 to the porter who pre-
pared the meal or brought the wine.
This il perfectly understood BY all con-
cerned."
"And. anyway. the porter makes .
good thing out Of it. does he?"
Indeed he does. Ar to his hours.
they are arranged this way: One train,
for instance. leaves here this evening
for Toronto. Il arrives IN Toronto to-
morrow forenoon. and the porters have
until late in the afternoon to rest.
Then they return to New York. arriv-
ing here the following forenoon, after
which they have . rest Of day and
halt. They work the same hours -
tho rest pf ths crsw."~N. !. Press