The times., 1900-03-11
HOW MoToRMEN KEEP WARM.
New York Trolley Drivers Wear an
Armor of Wool.

fFrom the New York Commercial AdvertiserD
! On the general principle that there are
enough things TO worry about without the
1 addition OF undeserving cares. 10 is perhaps
/ in order to assure the kiud-hearted that
most of their sympathy for street ear
motormon. exposed TO cold and storm. is
/ misapplied As a rule standing out for
| several consecutive hours through an as
/ sorted lot OF New York's winter weather
| is conducive TO a strong inclination to get
under shelter somewhere but in judging
OF the suferings Of certain working classes
| allowances should be made for distinct
| circumstautial factOrs-yiz. hardness Of
[ the men and their acclimatization Go TO
the motormen themselves and hardly
man will be found who says that he suf-
fers from the cold.
We don't get cold. said one man of
course. we would if we didn't wrap up:
but with these thick clothes were all
right. We get the full benefit Of the
weather on the front platform. and on the
very cold and windy days it strikes pretty
/ hard. but there's a lot in getting used to
it,"
In starting in as a mOtorman a new en-
ploye has 10 supply himself with regula-
tion heavy blue oyercoat weighing about
fourteen pounds and costing $1f; a heavy
pair Of blue trousers. and a cap which
may be pulled down over the ears. the en-
tire outfit costing a little short Of 500.
Those must be paid for by the man before
he IS placed on a car. When it was sug-
gested TO an old hand that this regulation
might come hard on some candidates he
said with dignity that motOrmen were not
such a poor class as all that Coverings
for hands and feet are not prescribed but
all those who know their business" as
-. Ill
with heaviest procurable boots and gen
orally goloshes to go over these on wet and
cold days, and heavy mit.s given an extra
lining OF wool at home. New men some
times buy gloves. but these do not prove
as warm as the mi,ts. where the fingers are
together
The motorman does not dress on cold
days-like the tenderfOOt spending New
Years in the country-with two waist
coats, a sweater and iunumerable mufHers-
He generally dresses at all times uniform
ly, varying his protection by turning up
his collar and pulling down his cap. In
derneath his weighty outer covering ne
wears only the usual number OF garments
and these of ordinary heayiness. Win 'he
exception OF an extra heavy suit or UNDER
wear Thus the runner Of tne surface cars
wears an average thickness OF ahouL elshL
inches OF clothing Behind this there Is an
iufipyi bility OF nerves anu q FiA'l vi 'ti
cuIatfou that the housed civilian might
have for his constitutional ideal. And
this is the one real reason why the motor
men do not suffer at their work.
From the men themselves II is found /
that the final selection of mOtOrmen is a
matter of survival Of the iittest. Most
applicants for the work are men who have /
always been accustomed to outside work. /
They know their job. The first day out I
q % 1gaa vii he
complete eight-inch costume. and they .
merrily dance about a bit on one foot 4
and then on the other when the wind gets .
keen. Less hardy men unused to outdoor /
work, trying this, often, because they /
need employment have TO learn their job, /
and most often learn that it IS not FOR I
them They generally start in under-clad /
and are forced to dance to keep warm in .
a way that resembles work, but they are /
soon knocked Out-Withiu a few days |
while their harder competitor simply con- I
tinues his occasional iigging as the wind [
turns his nose from red TO purple and from /
purple to white.