Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-25

who reflects bit can fail TO see the falsity
OF the notion that the day OF rapid devel-
opment OF big enterprises has past. 1t is
true, for instance, that mere miles of long
distance steam railroads have teen built
than are yet TO be constructed, bit the de-
veopment of urban and interurbsn electric
railroads is still comparatively in its in
fancy. The same is true OF m.ny other
forms of development. They all require cap
ital; but when OF the right sort a young
man need have no difficulty in attaching
! himself advantageously TO those who can
command it. One OF our most serious trou-
! bles. at the present time, is the scarcity
! OF proper men TO place n posts Of trust and
responsibility as foreDen, superintendent
and the like We simply can't find them
/ fast enough. There arc plenty among the
workingmen. probably, with sufficient abil-
ity to assume such posts but most Of them
insist upon joining in short-sighted move
ments that shut them out of promotion and
often deprive them of the work they al
ready have to do. l will give you an exam
pie of this:
Until a comparatively recent date we
employed hundreds of coal beavers to re-
plenish the tenders of our engines. They
had to work in the dark as well as in the
light, for people wish 10 travel by night as
freight bound from the west to the east
cannot be stopped when the sun goes down
So. although our coal beavers were unem-
ployed a good portion Of each day while
waiting for engines, and did not work more
than from four TO six hours in each twenty
four. they were obliged to be on watch all
the time. Our system was TO divide the day
into twelve e-hour shifts, thus keeping two
full forces Of men at each point where our
engines took coal. We paid the men S45
month After a while someone came along
and persuaded them that they were not haY-
ing a fair show; that no matter how short
the actual time of work each day, no man
ought 10 be on watch more than eight hours
at time. Accordingly they demanded three
shifts a day with no reduction Of pay. This
meant adding one-half TO the cost OF coal
ing our engines. Down 10 that time 1t had
cost us l2l2 cents ton to replenish our
locomotive tenders under the new s.--->-
ment II would cost US nearly 70 cents.
We'll, We had to keep the trains running
and We accepted the terms of the men;
but we were not pleased, for this was an
increase o; running expenses whi-h brought
no increase OF business II We were 10
increase expenses so per cent along the line
with increasing the volume OF business
We would have either to stop our trains or
increase our freight and passenger rates
enormously. Naturally, We sought remedy
for the new situation. II was by no means
dificult TO find We have many men of
mechanical eXpertness among our employees
and in a short time We we're coaling our
engines by machinery, employing only two
men at each coaling place, one by day and
one by night, at a cost of $50 a month, in
stead OF eight or ten men at a cost OF from
$3.50 to $500 a month. Now each man simply
tends a machine, which is operated by a
small engine, run al a nominal expense.
Now, when an engine has to be coalei Il
runs alongside trestle, the fireman pulls
lever, and the coal is chutei into the
tender. There is not only a great saving
Of expense, but also OF time, ana this latter
is one Of the most desirable features OF the
present system. Per ton, the cost Of coal
ing our engines now averages between and
cents That is all right fer us though not
very pleasant for the men, since nearly 400
Of them who had steady work-hard. per-
haps, while It lasted. but with plenty Of
rests between whiles, have had 10 seek
other employment; but it should be re-
membered that il is their own fault II they
are idle Eventually ye might have come
10 the present method OF coaling In any
event, but We hadn't contemplated It when
the demand for eight-houT shifts mas
made"
Personally, James J. Hill practices the