The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-17
PoRTERS AND THEIR WAYS.
BousEKEEPERs OF THE SLEEPING
CARS.

at the District schOols-A system
for Detecting DeTlnauencies and
Revarding FaithfuIness-The joys
OF the Private Car Service.
From the New York Evening Post.
The travelling public is we'll acquainted
with the co,ored porter as he appears in
his B-eII-trained capacity on the Pullman
or Wagner palace-car; but if it had the in
cllnation or time to gain entrance to his
confidence, it would discover many things
Of interest in what seems prosaic enough
fife. and would not infrequently find an
Individuality of uncommon mould. His
.sharacter has been developed by a special
process. He is a distinctive type among
ais own people. They recognize it, appre-
ate its import, and many of them as
tire to be some day a Pullman or a Wag-
er porter. They know he must be a man
intelligence, efficiency, and trustworthi-
!ss. If a porter be lacking in any of
aese qualities he cannot remain in the
-ervice; it is a sure mark that he possess
81 all Of them if he is retained. 1t is diff
acult 10 get into the service. although
ali who can bring references for the pre-
iANuS live years may lily [AAtNl sP6Adlilb
I'VE yef rs in 1t the colored porter has rare
been known to leave it voluntarily I'M
less sickness compel him to. He is con-
snted because he is successful and aside
rom that, because he is well paid we'll
za3, we'll housed, and well treated. In sup
port of this last assertion may be men
toned the fact that the records show no
toIhnta y departures from the service aft
-r ave years other than for reasons of i'll
aea5th.
The Pullman porter is essentially a pro-
duct of the last half of the nineteenth
CENTURY. The sleeping-car created his
class less than forty years ago, since when
il has increased numerically from sim
ee individual TO nearly 1000. The modern
rala9e on wheels for. the contents of
which the porter is held responsible, costs
from $4,000 to $4,000. To become its
h1us@1eeper is the ambitious dream of
r1auy an American negro.
An lappl cant's references, even when
bearing tie names of the best-known peo-
pls. are not accepted as final They are
Investigated, either in person or by letter.
This precauuon is made necessary from
The fact that often an employer 10 he
Pleasantly rid OF a servant says only the
nice things he can about him, Withholding
that Information which is of most value
to The {offlcals of the company. If the re-
hdatons are found to be satisfac-
tow The applicant is put on trial. An Or
der is given him for a uniform. This Costs
$3.50, And he must pay for it himself. 1t
IS subifct to inspection once a month, and
MAY b6 condemned by the inspector.
While wailing for his new regalia, the
novice applies himself TO the study of the
book Of Nuls and regUla ions, and between
times, Whenever possible, works in The
yard with TIE old porters who are getting
their eafs ready for the road. When he
dons his ineW uniform he is ready for the
road Under the instruction of the porter
ana he conductor he does all The work.
After he lhas mastered this, the company
takes himl in hand to see how much Of the
book Of RIFLES and r gu'ations he has men,
orized. WHAT appears vague to him is ex-
planned uhlil ne thoroughly comprehends.
Then he iS given another chance 10 read
and remember, and yet another if by this
time he bas made intelligent progress.
Carefully, lsection by section is gone over
until all have been mastered. Four times
a year district school is held in the
various 'distr cts" into which The road
is divided, and here both conductors and
por ers-who have separate classes-are
examined ilh the book of rules and regula-
tons. In preparation for these eXamina-
lions they brush up their memory in rules
they might otherwise forget, and usually
they pass the school examination credita-
bly,. The winter school" has just termi-
mated in the Wagner yards in Melrose af-
ter weeks session.
If within six months after the porter has
been established in his position the tempta-
tons in the service develop his bad traits,
lenency may he shown with the first Of
Tense, but one repetition means a sum-
mary discharge. Every encouragement is
heId out to him to be good man. AS
mark of faithful service he has a stripe
put on his coat Sleeve after he has been in
the employ of the company for five years,
and one every five years thereafter. There
are some employees waring as many as six
stripes denoting) over thirty years of serv-
Ice, and five and four stripes are not UNI
common. The reason they are not more
common is simply because but few por-
ters fifteen or twenty years ago were en-
ployed or needed, and the enlarged sys-
TEN which brought so many into the serv-
Ice is not yet old enough to give the COW
eted badge of long years of faithful work.
Every year after the first five, all porters
are presented with uniform free as an
other incentive to remain and be faithful.
What is known as the Brown system of
discipline has been adopted by the sleep
ing car companies. They carry a debit
and credit accountl the infraction of vcari-
Gus rules being punished in proportion to
their Importance by marks of demerit
Inc porter who receives the least number
Of demerits at the end of the month has
proportionally fine record. A glance
over the books plainly sets forth the sins
OF commonest occurrence-in fact, the nc-
counts of some are made up entirely Of
sins of commission and omission The
superintendent shakes his head dolefully
4 at the prospects of these chronic culprits,
when month after month there is not only
n httle trace Of Improvement, but a repeti-
non of past errors upon which they had
oeen instructed. The erring porter at the
next ensuing school, is catechised on the
questions in which he apparently needs
enlightenment, and if, after two or three
successive Schools he still displays no
Improvement in memory, he Is discharged
An Inspector, whom he does not know, is
On the car may be, or an official of the
road, or the conductor is bound, when he
observes a breach of rules to send in a
report Passengers, top. frequently report
mcivilities. In the first place, the Off
elal who employs the tporters takes the