The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-08
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS.
Instructive Statistics Gathered by . st.
Paul Writer,

Instructive Statistics Gathered by . st
Paul Writer.
]. H. Goodyear, Of tue Chicago Great
Westerns mechanical department, St
Paul, has compiled some statistics at.
fecting locomotive engineers, which
will be read with great interest by all
railroad men and many others. They
are embodied in an article entitled
1.-THE Locomotive Engineer" written
by Mr.. Goodyear and published in q
late issue of the Railway Age. The ar
ticle follows:
In recent article by the writer on
the subject of the operating depart
ment of American railways reference
was made to the condition under which
locomotive engineers work and the
question raised regarding the advisa-
bility of discharging without good and
sufficient cause men with several years
service and fairly good record, re-
placing them by men discharged from
other roads for similar or more serious
cause. While personally convinced Of
the truth Of my statement, 1t occurred
to me that readers Of the article in
question might reasonably think the
statement overdrawn, consequently a
few facts regarding locomotive en-
gineers, as told by themselves, would
bear out by statement and at the same
time be of general interest.
With this object in view l have taken
the personal records or applications of
two hundred men seeking employment
as locomotive engineers and therefrom
collected the data necessary to present
the following information: OF the two
hundred "a per cent. gave their nation
ality as American, per cent. English,
4 per cent. Irish, per cent. Scotch, 4
per cent. German, per cent. Nor
wegian.
The average age worked out thirty
six years five months, average height 5
feet 9 inches, average weight 173
posnds. Eighty per cent. stated they
were married; average number Of chill
dren 8; average railway service II
years 6 months; average number of
for which the 200 men had
worked 2; average length of time en-
ployed by first railway years and 4
Forty-seven per cent. had worked for
one railway only, with an average SER.
vice Of 10 years months.
Twsnty-six per cent. worked for two
railways, with an average service Of
years 10 months for the first and
years 8 months for the second railway.
Fifteen per cent. worked for three
railways, with an average service of
years 2 months for the first, years 10
months for the second and years 8
months for the third railway.
Eight per cent. worked for four rail-
ways, with an average Of years for
he first, 8 years for the second, 81
ears for the third and years the
ourth railway.
-Four per cent. worked for five rail-
Ways, with an average of years for
he first, 2 years 8 months the second.
years months the third, 2 years 9
months the fourth and 3 years 3
Months the fifth.
These figures demonstrate the fol-
owing:
Firstly the percentage Of Ameri-
ans, that the men tramping the coun-
" are not foreigners.
Second-The average age, that they
re not men who have outlived their
sefulness as locomotive engineers.
Third-The average height and
eight, that they are physically fit.
Fourth-Percentage Of those mar
ed, that they are not tramp engineers
ON choice.
Fifth-The general average showing
myth Of service with the first railway,
SO the great percentageof men having
orked for but one road with such a
nod average service as ten years and
ght months, that there is something
Ideally wrong with the present sys-
m Of handling enginemen.