Evening journal., 1898-09-03
THE RAlIIRoAp PATRoL.

Every foot OF the Atlantic seaboard
Is patrol,ed twice a might i'm the Fall
and Winter by the life saving service
men, and 1t is well-nigh impossible for
a wreck TO occur without II being
promptly reported and assistance
quickly sgnt. This branch Of q most
humane work, so cleyerly and COM
scientiously fcstered and E)rotecbed by
the hate Sunset" Cox, is probably fam
iliar to most psrgJns, but the Wayfarer
wonders how many OF them know that
n similar patrol service is maintained
on an. railroads OF amy Importance
Take the p. W. and b. railroad, DIR
instance. 1T runs Through Whining
ton and There is scarcely person I'm
the city who has not patronized 1t
mere ou- less. Three TIMES a day 1t is
patrolled from one end to the other by
men who scan every rail. plate, nut,
bolt spike and tic. THESE paItro.men
are known as tracl1-walkers, each
carrying al large wrench and small
ssedge and spike hammer ci,mbincd.
He has a prescribed section OF the
track TO watch over. 1t is usually be-
tween two stations just before he
starts out he reports his departure 70
the station agent at that end rf his
section, and when he reaches THE either
end nc makes similar report thera
Notation OF these reports are made and
this sysJ,m Of reporting prevents a
traclx-walker who is disposed to be
dishonest from shirl1lng his duty. The
track walker always walks so as TO
meet TRAINS. On the northbound track
he walks southward, and ON the south
bound track he walks northward. This
system keeps the trains in his face all
the time and he must be AM exceed
ingly car,ess MAN IL he is run down.
AS he walks along the track he looks
for 4coee nuts, broken rails and plates
bent or loosened spikes, and obstruc-
tlons OF all kinds. III amy trouble
which he discovers is so TRIVIAL THAT he
can rtpair II himself HE Loess so; hut
it not, he provides DOR the nvarnine
and safety OF trains and summons the
section men to HIS relief, On tins
MARCH southward hIe inspects the
northlbound track, and on the way
forthward tha slouthIbound track. HJ
walks along cageless,y, and seemingly
inattentive, but his eye is so trained
THAT 1t intultively detects all impcr.
fections. Night and day this is KEEP
UP, the YEAR round. Each man makes
two trips over hls section, the mnr
who has the might turn being equipped
with a lantern I'M addition TO the rthgH
appliances above referred to. His in
spcction is necessarily OF more cr-
sorry character. but II is seldom the
amy serious trouble escapes his ken
eye.
With the fast and heavy trains g
To-day laundering ovsr the rails th
amount OF damage wrought i'm hr.a
space OF time is not a matter of wen
der The traclx-walzer stands in tn
same relation to the roadbed that th
car inspector does to the rolling stoel
THE REGISTERS QUANDARY.
When the Wayfarer visited the offiC
Of Register ini Chancery Colen Fengl
son yesterday he found Mr.. Fsrgusc
i'm quandary over a piece OF ma
matter which he had just received frc;
the 1stter carrier. IL was addresses
"Cogen Ferguson, Esq, Blackbird, Del.
and came to him through the Whining
ton postoffice. What he cannot undai
stand is how n ever reached the lcct
Office when plainly addressed TO Blacl
bird.
GETTING OFF A CAR.
Women are most cars,ess in te
matter OF getting of street cans" II