Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-25
THAlNMEN's niGlD ROLES.
OboJing orders 10 the Letter Would
Make Travel Safe but Tedious.

rules and regulations, II has ring Of
"heads 1 win, Wnd tails you lose" In
favor Of rhe road when III cOmea To
deciding whore the responsibility lleH
when an accident occurs, An old
railroad employee, n member OF u train
crew, was conyerslng with the writer
recently and In going over II the stu
alton might be better and more read
lily understood II he were TO be rather
closely quoted from his standpoint
and In his language.
ION our llne," he said, tive have
many a good mile that composes the
whole road, but | will conAne my
knowledge Of experience OF working
under rules and regulations as stand
ing between the general managers
office and the actual operation OF
tralns To follow every rule and regu-
lOtlon no the letter would make travel
fur safer than lying In bed, but 10
would he so slow and tedious TO tho
passenger that the time made In the
old days Of stage lines would appeaE
u 'iller's' time Of these days.
ITO make from even 30 miles per
hour up 10 the so reached these days.
and to live up to everything pertain-
ing TO slow ups, grade crossings, sav-
ing OF coal oil and material, slows
stops and starts, reduced speed over
switches and tounnouts and n humid
red and one Things no be remembered
would be the worst kind Of folly IL
making time was consideration.
Take my run, $50 miles, which IL
on the card to be made in hours and
52 minutes, not such n swift gait, Ia
be sure, although In winter, with
snow, lee and bad weather, II Is SOMA
little kind Of job TO get around ON
time. To live up TO every ironclad
rule, those in the book, on the card.
and various specials issued every day,
you could not pull that run through
In ten hours. and you might counh
yourself lucky il you went Through
upon that lime.
"a tra'nman has the choice Oh
either making hls time, for, L he is
frequently late, he Is either set back,
suspended, fined or dismissed, or hv-
Ing up TO every rule and, II not found
missed OF course where no 0ccidenttB
occur the rules can be tempered with
Omd the management be blessed with
hnndngcd eyes, but let Il inlshnp occur,
and In order TO protect themselves
they lot out The thousand W two ruIea
and II you are found guilty you ras
Celye your dismissal. So the train
hand takes his desperate chances by
playing ait luck, by using discretion
In ohcylng his rule, MS he Keeps his
position longer than he would through
strictly carrying owt every one ind
eventually being dismissed when tho
first salary day arrives.
Gin one book Of rules upon large
road appear nearly 800 regulations for
the employee TO fnmilDm2e himself
WITH. or, as one Of the general rules
says: 'rhc head of each departments
must bc conycrsant with the rules,
supply copies Of them TO his subordi-
mates, see that they are understood.
enforce obedience 10 them, No one
will be- excused for The violation OF.
any Of them, even though not lncIud-
ed In those applicable to his depart.
mcnt, Ignorance is no excuse for
peplcct Of duty.'
''rhen follows n most remarkable
clause or rule which rends. EVERY
employee while ON duty connected
with the trains ON any division o; tho
ropd Is undcr the authority and must
conform IN fine orders of The s,rucrin-
tcndcnt Of that division Now, II tho
emuloyee has certain order from tho
superlntendcnt that conflicts with
those of the hook. the road has him
double headed.
'.'ro obey the superintendent and
disobcy the rule means discharge, aE
II distinctly states that no one will ba
excused for the violation of any of
them while on the other hand he
must conform TO the orders OF the
superintendent so he Is apt to ber
come discharged either way, but the
road stands unbalanced in either case.
Besides these 800 regulations there
are numbers OF rules, about 20 lorna
Of train orders, four hand and lamp
signals, II manners of using signals
according to the train rules, besides
nearly 100 special rules ON time card.
"'rhcn comes the changing occnsbon'
ally Of rule, or from day TO day the
time Of some new rule with this the