The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-05
Rock Island Employees Put
Through Regular Instruction.
Operating Department Men Cat
echiSed BY Their Leaders.
Items of Interest About Kansas Rail-
road Matters-Personals and
Miscellaneous.

oIAA1S OCpd1 lIIlSAl VI Tie ~ SlSIIl L4IOCl
and discuss railroading. They ask and
receive answers to questions pertaining
to the rules.
Ordinarily these schools are presided
over by the division superintendent but
this is not necessary, as any officer in
the department close enough to the
head can conduct the catechism. This
seems to be a good thing. not only for
the employees, but for the public as
we'll
This is by no means new idea to the
Rock Island officials. In fact General
superintendent Hit does not remem-
Der when it was not in vogue. 1t has
been the custom for so long time that
old and new men alike are accustomed
to the ASSEMBLY" as much as the av-
erage school boy is to the tinl1ling of
the bell which calls him reluctantly
from marbles or shiny to his books.
1t applies to the entire system. DiVis-
ion superintendent are expected to
meet their men as frequently as the du-
ties of their offices will admit and take
them down the line" in the duties they
are expected to perform. AS there are
a great many divisions and much ter
ritory in each, it follows that Col. Halls
school is outdone both in number and
frequency.
The school amounts to something
more than a mere assembly at some
convenient place for mutual improve
ment and amusement The frequent
changes which take place in the Operat-
ing department of a great railroad SyS-
tenn result in the employment of new
men who are either just breaking into
the business or are from other lines,
and consequently they have to learn
the differences between the rules of the
old and the rules of the new employer.
Hence 1T happens that division Superin-
tendents line up their people and find
out how much they know of operating
a road.
The method employed in discovering
who knows all about his business and
who is lax in study and therefore pos
sibly in performance, is an interesting
one.
The men may not know when they
are called on to reply to shreWd, point
ed questions concerning recent changes
in regulations, applicable, it may be,
to their own division alone. Local ques-
lions necessarily affect many of the
regulations, and the men in each di-
vision must be well advised of this in
order that the whole machinery may
run smoothly.
The men have a slight advantage
over most men who are to be inspected.
From the nature of their employment
it is not possible to swoop down upon
them without warning and ask them
embarrassing questions. They can at
tend the school when their absence
from duty will not affect the operation
of the road.
Usually the chief of the division will
know where in his territory he
will be one day in advance of his ar
rival. He then wires the agents in this
his control at a certain hour on that
day, and goes forth to meet them.
Thus they have generally a days no
tice. AS they do not know where the
trial will lead they must perforce read
up on the whole book of rules so that
they may not be caught mapping Then
they wash up and put on store clothes
and HE them to school. This is whereV-
er the chief sees fit to establish it, and
he has many queer places. If he is very
energetic and full of thought he is LA
BILE to quiz the agent about how to light
lantern while going over his books.
1t doesn't matter where the school is
held, as long as the pupil is found.
Well, when the school takes up as
the boys say, the chief may or may not
pass the cigars, but he does pass down
the line with all the dignity and rigid
ness of inspection of Peter De VroOm,
colonel and inspector general in Uncle
Sans army. He Scrutinizes appearan-
ceS and appointments with a keen re-
gard to the fitness of things, and maybe
fires unexpected questions at the men.
Here is a braWny brakeman with an
ambition to become something more
than steersman to a freight car. The
chief may ask him what he would do
if, as a pilot, of a freight train, he
should lose all his manifests.
Here one may see a dapper passenger
conductor, with well curled mustaehe
He would like to do something less me-
NAL than collect tickets and punch
passengers when troublesome. The
chief may desire to know what he
would do if a large amount of cash
fares should find their way into his
hands on a. run. Now, these questions
while appropriate to the business in
hand and the duties of the men cate
chised, may be classed as doubly en-
barraSing, form POP, series of X3,' 1896
Hence the men who have been warned
of the coming of the schOolmaster gen
orally aim to be loaded for him with
questions of construction of certain
rules of doubtful application. Thus
they learn some things and dodge the
others.
1t frequently happens that young and
ambitious men enter the service of rail-
ways in the hope that they may advance
to positions of responsibility. To such as
plOyes are largely of this clasS-these
schools are equal to any postgraduate
course in the world. The school embraces
all of the men in the operating depart
ment, the one department which runs the
as the executive. the traffic passenger
and freight, the auditing. mechanical and
| Importance in the manipulation of the
| companys business. The men in the
all trains, dispatch the trains, handle the
| telegraph wires, look after the station
| business, runs the yards. care for prop
| erty and do everything necessary to the
| continuance of the business smoothly.
When the school is called the conduct
| ors of both divisions, the brakemen. the
! yardmen, the switch bosses, the station
| agents the operators-in fact all men en-
ployed to see the moving or making up of
trains or the proper handling of business
who can be spared from duty for the
time are expected 10 attend They ali
have copies of the book of rules. and for
| the safety of their positions, to say Moth
/ ing of the lives of employees and passen-
gers, they must know them. and know
| them well. One purpose of the school is
| to determine just how well they realize
| the Importance of this knowledge.
| Like everything else on a railroad. the
schools are systematic in their Operation
The promotion of men in this department
| through a regular series of positions. from
| helper to fireman and thence to engineer:
| from switch1nan to brakeman. to freight
| conductor to passenger conductor; from
| helper about the operating room or the
| train dispatcher's office, learning the code
| to operator, station agent and dispatcher:
| from yardman to yard boss. and thence
| to the other nnSitinns of HIGHER resnonSi-