The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-04-22
BETWEEN TWO FIRES
A TRAlNMAN's cAUsTIc COMMENT ON
RAILROAD RULES.

"se time ana Win IN Discharge.
To Break Them and Have an Acci-
dent Means a Discharge Also.
1t is an interesting position that one
nnds when studying the relations that
connect the railroad employee with the
road itself with regard to the rules
and regulations. 1t has a ring of
heads | win, and tails you lose" in
FAVOR of the road when it comes to de-
cidlng where the responsibility lies
when an accident occurs. An old rail-
road employee, a member of q train
crew, was conyersing with the writer
recently, and in going over it the situa-
ton might be better and more readily
understood If he were to be rather
closely quoted from his standpoint and
in his language.
"On our line," he said, eve have
many good mile that composes the
whole road. but l will confine nv
knowledge and experience of working
under rules and regulations as stand
ing between the general managers
office and the actual operation of
trains. To follow every rule and regu-
lation to the letter would make travel
AuA oaASA tAfiA III DGu, out 1T
would be so slow and tedious to the
passenger that the time made in the
old days of stage lines would appear
'fiier's' time of these days
ITO make from even 30 miles per
hour up to the 80 reached these days
and to live up to everything pertain
ing to slow ups, grade crossings, saw
ing of coal, oil and material, slow stops
and starts, reduced speed over switches
| and turnouts and a hundred and one
/ things to be remembered, would be the
| worst kind of folly If making time was
consideration.
Take my run. $50 miles. which is on
the card to be made in hours and So
minutes. not such a swift gait, to be
| sure, although in winter, with snow,
Ice and bad weather, it is some 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 count yourself lucky if
you went through upon that time.
"a finland has the choice of Ell
ther making his time. for, if he is fire.
quently late, he is either set back, sus-
pended, fined or dismissed, or living up
to every rule, and If not found doing
SO in case of accident, being dismissed
OF course where no accidents occur
the rules can be tampered with and
the management be blessed with ban
daged eyes, but let mishap occur
and in order to protect themselves
fhou tho fhnI1c0n6
rules, and if you are found guilty yor
receive an early dismissal. So the
trainhand takes his desperate chance!
by playing at luck. by using discretion
In obeying his rule, as he keeps his po
sition longer than he would through
strictly carrying out every one an(
eventually being dismissed when the
first salary day arrives.
. I'm one book of rules upon q larg,
road appear nearly 500 regulations fol
the employee to familiarize himself
with, or. as one of the general rule
: says: The head of each department
must be conversant with the rules
supply copies of them to his subordi
mates, see that they are understood, en-
force obedience to them. No one will
be excused for the violation of any o
, them. even though not included il
: those applicable to his department lg
norance is no excuse for neglect o
duty
Then follows a most remarkably
= = clause or rule which reads. Every EN-
ployee while ON duty connected witt
the trains on any division of the roat
is under the authority and must con
= form to the orders of the superintend
I ent of that division Now, if the EN-
ployee has a certain order from the ST
, perintendent that conflicts with thoS
of the book, the road has him doubl
headed.
3 .'Co obey the superintendent and dis
i obey the rule means discharge, as
2 distinctly states that mo one VIII be eN
| cused for the violation of any of them
4 while on the other hand he must cor
g form to the orders of the superintent
ent.' SO he is apt to become discharge
either way. but the road stands I'll
J blamed in either case. Besides thes
: 500 regulations there are numbers @
!. rules. about 20 forms of train orders
'. 4 hand and lamp signals, Il manner G
using signals according to theo trai
rules. besides nearly 100 special rule
on time card.
i "rhen comes the changing occasion
: ally of a rule or from day to day til
g time of some new rule. With this til
=. employee must learn by heart til
;, scheduled time of some 25 regula
;, trains, not to mention as many sp'
cials. Is it a wonder not more acc
> dents occur when one employee may /
q ON duty IS or 20 continuous hours an
}, happens to forget just one OF tines
things to be rememberedT T-PortIah