The San Francisco call., 1897-01-31

! sixtv-three hours each week to change
the color of these lights.
Itisn't every man who could endure the
awful mouotony OF six hours stretch as
a prisoner day in and day OUT every al
ternate SIX hours, from one end OF the
long, long year to the other. And yet the
lnonotony of the job is not so great as
one may imagine, though there is, OF
! course, good deal of sameness about it.
| But to the man inside the box there is no
time for day dreaming and no time for a
comfortable yawn, even if there were room
enough in the box to enjoy it. For this is
one OF the most dangerous crossings in
the City. Not only do two lines OF cable
cars cross each other here. but each line
has double track, with cars moving at
all quarters of the compass at the same
time, and, most important consideration
OF ali, Immediately to the east and south
of this crossing the grades are remarkably
steep, so that cars coming northward and
westward do not bring the motormen in
sight Of the crossing until they have
reached the summit and are nearer the
| danger point than even the conscience OF
aslreet railroad corporation is willing to
permit them to be Without intimation OF
approaching or passing obstacles
Now. in order to fill the position of sig
nal man at this point perfectly, the occu-
| pant of the little box ought really to be
! gifted with no less than four eyes, and
each eye should be so ad djusted as TO
able the signal man to encompass with
his sight north, east, south and west, all
at the same time. This would prevent
good deal OF the head-turning and neck
! twisting that is now nee ssary. But, upon
second thought, it would add greatly 10
the monotony of the situation and rob the
occupant OF the signal box OF his only per-
missible diversion.
The little signal box is quite com Portable
inside, all things considered, only there
! isn't sufficient room in it for an open
CRATE and an easy chair, and the Ventila-
! tion is not what it ought to be. It's all
ventilation or no ventilation. When it's
| all ventilation-a good many days out of
the year-it means a draught and a cold.
! When it's no ventiIation-well, it's just
| what those words imply.
! After dark it is warm enough from the
waist up, for the lam ps give plenty of heat
and to spare, and a blanket or two over
the feet enables one to preserve normal
| lGH pbTdluI6 WucL IlO 1OSo IOIl III VI tu6
wind blows down from the north. Still
there's that everlasting twisting and
craning of the neck and the incessant en-
deavor to look four ways at one time that
seems very painful to the uninitiated
But don't mind it SO much as YOU
might think" says Timothy Cox, who is
one OF the men who occupies this box.
I've got rather used to 1t now and l find
| that by sitting in the corner of the box
with my back about half way betw cen
east and south l can cover the ground
pretty we'll without twisting. When l
! first went into the box it used to bother
me good deal, and at one time l was
afraid of cultivating a nervous habit of
neck craning even when off duty. But
I've got bravely over that Though the
! job doesn't pay so much it's good deal
better than a good many other jobs, and
sinecure when compared with no lob at
ALL"
Mr.. Cox receives the munificent sum of
5000 a year, payable in monthly install
ments for his services as signal man. He
is employed by the Ferries and Cliff House
branch of the Market-street Railway.
while the man who shares the i8-hour
day with him is Sheldon A. Finney. And
his emoluments are no less nor greater
than those of his partner, though they
reach his hands through the Golfers of the
California-street Railway. Both men look
good deal alike. dress good deal alike
and might easily be mistaken one for the
other even on fine day. Their time of
service is divided into watches of six
hours duration, that being about the
length of time that good strong man is
enabled to stand the sameness OF the situ-
ton as regular occupation.
OF course, Christmas and holidays in
generator in particular, either-have no
place in the calendars that tell off the
lives of these two signal men, for street.
cars, like mornin newspapers, are public
utilities, in the maintenance of which the
personal pleasures and conveniences of
the few are sacrificed to the needs and the
comforts of the many.