The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-03-23
BETWEEN TWO FIRES
A TRAINMAN'S CAuSTIC COMMENT ON
RAILROAD RULES.

L
dent Means a Discharge Also.
II is an interesting position that one
ffnds when studying the relations that
connect the railroad employee with the
road itself with regard to the rules
and regulations. 1t has ring Of
"heads win, and tails you lose" In
favor Of the road when 1t comes to de-
Gliding where the responsibility lies
when an accident occurs. An old rail-
road employee, a member of a train
crew, was conversing with the writer
recently, and In going over 1t the situa-
ton might be better and more readily
understood II he were to be rather
closely quoted from his standpoint and
in his language.
"On our line," he said, 1--WE have
many a good mile that composes the
whole road, but l will confine my
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
! far safer than lying In bed, but it
would be so slow and tedious to the
passenger that the time made in the
old days of stage lines would appear
'flier's' time of these days.
"To 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 hundred and one
things to be remembered, would be the
worst kind of folly if making time was
a consideration.
stake 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 trainhand has the choice of Ell
Their making his time. for, IL he is fire.
D 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 tempered with and
the management be blessed with ban
daged eyes, but let a mishap occur,
and In order to protect themselves
they jog out the thousand or two
rules, and If you are found guilty you
receive an early dismissal So the
trainhand takes his desperate chances
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 and
eventually being dismissed when the
! first salary day arrives.
"In one book of rules upon a large
road appear nearly 500 regulations for
the employee 10 familiarize himself
WITH or, as one of the general rules
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-
|
be excused for the violation of any of
them, even though not included in
those applicable to his department Ig-
norance Is no excuse for neglect Of
duty
Then follows a most remarkable
clause or rule which reads. Every en-
ployee while on duty connected with
the trains on any division of the road
is under the authority and must con-
form to the orders Of the superintend-
ent of that division Now, If the en-
! ployee has a certain order from the SUI
! perintendent that conflicts with those
! of the book. the road has him double
headed.
'To obey the superintendent and dis
| obey the rule means discharge, as it
distinctly states that mo one will be ex-
cused for the violation of any of them,
while on the other hand he must CON-
/, form to the orders of the superintend-
| ent,' so he Is apt to become discharged
either way, but the road stands un-
blamed in either case. Besides these
500 regulations there are numbers of
rules. about 20 forms of train orders,
hand and lamp signals, II manner of
using signals according to the train
rules, besides nearly 100 special rules
on time card.
"Then comes the changing occasion
ally of rule or from day to day the
time of some new rule. With this the
employee must learn by heart the
scheduled time of some % regular
trains. not to mention as many spe
Gals. Is it wonder not more acct
dents occur when one employee may be
on duty Is or 20 continuous hours and
happens to forget just one of these
things to be remembered T-Portland
(Ie.) Argus.