The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-18
P0RTERS AND THEIR WAYS
HO USEK EEP ERS OFTHE SLEEPING-
CAR.

the Negro Race Examinations ut the
District schooIs-A system for Detec-
ton of Deiinquencies and Rewardins
Faithfulness-The Joys of the Private
Car Service.
The travelling public is we'll acquain-
ted with the colored porter as he appears
in his well-trained capacity on the Pull
man or Wagner palace-car bdt if it had
the inclination or time to gain entrance
to his confidence, it would discover
many things of interest in what seems
prosaic enough life, and would not in
frequently find an individuality OF UNI
common mould His character has been
developed by a special process. He Is
distinctive type among his own peoU
pie. They recognize and appreciate It's
import, and many of them aspire to be
some day Pullman or Wagner port
er. They know he must be man OF
intelligence, efficiency, and trustWorthi-
ness. If porter be lacking in any OF
these qualities he cannot remain in the
service; it is a sure mark that he pos
sesses all of them if he is retained. 1t
Is difficultSto get into the service, al
though all who can bring references for
the previous five years may try. After
spending five years in it the colored
porter has rarely been known to leave
it voluntarily unless sickness compel
him to. He is contented because he is
successful, and aside from that, because
he is well paid, well fed, well housed,
and well treated. In support of this
last assertion may be mentioned the
fact that the records show no voluntary
departures from the service after five
years other than for reasons of i'll
health
The Pullman porter is essentially a
product of the last half of the nineteenth
century. The sleeping-car created his
class less than forty years ago, since
when it has increased numerically from
a single individual to nearly 1000. The
modern palace on wheels, for the con-
tents of which the porter is held res
ponsible, costs from $4,000 to $4,000.
To become it's housekeeper is the ambi-
tious dream of many of an American
negro.
An applicants references, even when
bearing the names of the best-known
people, are not accepted as final. They
are investigated, either in person or by
letter. This precaution is made neces-
sary from the fact that often an en-
ployer to be pleasantly rid of a servant
says only the nice things he can about
-. L. .fax At,.,
which is of most value to the officials
of the company. If the recommend
tons are found to be satisfactory, the
applicant is put on trial. An order is
given him for a uniform. This costs
$3.50, and he must pay for it himself.
1t is subject to inspection once month,
and may be condemned by the inspector.
While waiting for his new regalia the
novice applies himself to the study of
the book of rules and regulations, and
between times, whenever possible, works
in the yard with the old porters who
are getting their cars ready for the
road When he dons his new uniform
he is ready for the road Under the in
of the porter and the conduc-
tor he does all the work. After he has
mastered this, the company takes him
in hand to see how much of the book of
rules and regulations he has lmemorZ-
ed. What appears vague to him is ex-
planned until he thoroughly compre-
hends Then he is given another chance
to read and remember and yet another
If by this time he has made intelligent
Carefully, section by section
is gone over until all have been master
n icst1a iTtc phn
is held in various districts into which
the road is divided, and here both con-
ductors and porters-who have separate |
examined in the book of |
rules and regulations. Tn preparation
for these examinations they brush up |
their memory in rules they might other
wise forget, and usually they pass the I
school examination creditably. The /
winter "school'' has just terminated in
the Wagner yards in Melrose after a
weeks session.
If within six months after the porter
has been established in his position the
tempta tions in the service develop his
bad traits, leniency may be shown with
the first offence, but one repetition
means a summary discharge. Every
is held out to him to be
good man. AS mark Of faithful SER
vice he has a stripe put on his coat
sleeve after he has been in the employ
If the company for five years, and one
,yery five years thereafter. There are
some employees wearing as many as
Xix stripes, denoting over thirty years
If service, and five and four stripes are
lot uncommon. The reason they are not
aim nlv ha- /
,ause but few porters fifteen
,r twenty years ago were employed or
needed and the enlarged system which
so many into the service is not
yet old enough to give the coveted
,adge of long years of faithful work
Every year after the first five, all por-
ers are presented with a uniform free
Is another incentive to remain and be
aithful.
What is known as the Brown system
# discipline has been adopted by the
leeping-car companies. They carry
|ebit and credit account, the infraction .
f various rules being punished in pro-
,ortion to their Importance by marks
f demerit The porter who receives the ;
east number of dement's at the end of ,
he month has proportionately fine i
ecord. A glance over the books plainly {
cts forth the sins of commonest occur |
ence-in fact the accounts Of some are