Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-12-22
Cannot Look Forward to Promotion
Employees Are Disheartened.

Life has become q hollow mockery
to the fat tiremen in the service of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad company,
says an exchange. At recent con-
ference of officials of that corporation
1t was decided that hereafter no man
who weighs more than $50 pounds
shall be eligible to promotion us an en-
gineer on the Royal Blue lines. AS some
mysterious law of nature has provid-
ed that almost all firemen shall he fat,
the situation is peculiarly distressing,
especially as elevation to the plug"
| is the one mortal ambition of every
fireman in the service.
The fat fireman has been crowded
out by improved motor facilities. The
! Baltimore Il Ohio on its fast lines uses
an immense type of locomotive, with
driving wheels 7S inches in diameter.
The boiler extends through the cab
/ to the tender, and the space between
| it and the wall of the cab is II inches.
In that space the engineer is situated.
| Necessarily he must not be wider
than IA inches. That Is why the fu-
| ture of the fat fireman is n barren and
hopeless blank.
H. Il. White, superintendent of mo-
| tive power OF the Eastern Division
| agrees that there can be little comfort
| to man Of even moderate girth in
| such limited territory. But what are
we going to doY' he asked. 1--WE can't
| make the cab any wider, as 1t would
I strike trains on the opposite track.
/ Then, again, the scheme of having
men made on purpose to suit the en-
/ gines Is obviously impracticable. 1t
would seem that the easiest solution
of the problem would be to promote
only thin men to be runners"
Sadly conceding the logic of this
reasoning, the fat firemen of the COM
measure left to them. They are going
TO try to become thin firemen.
Charlie Metzger. who fires" on the
| five-hour Washington flyer, weighs at
least 240 pounds, but he has already
/ adopted heroic methods Of reduction.
II think the boss must be joking"
he said yesterday, with sorrow In his
tone, "but If he amt, then l must
keep on reducing myself, as am
about headed to go running In fact
l am already in training. There Is
room enough for me to get into the
right side of the cab now."
To demonstrate this, Mr.. Metzger
| IL, hi nd q
already explained, the compartment
measures only ii inches at its widest
part Metzger is considerably more
than ii inches at his widest part. 1t
was a perilous experiment, and for Il
dread moment or two he was threat
ened with apopleXy, but with gasp
and heave he accomplished the pas
sage and wedged himself on the mar
row drop seat with n heavy list to
starboard and convulsive smile of tri-
umph. 1t subsequently developed that
the framework of the door had pre-
vlously been well oiled,
Various modes of treatment are being
resortcd to by the redundant stokers.
Their diet will hereafter be confined
to pickles with vinegar sauce lemons
and sauerllraut. To insure the de-
sired result they will not rely upon
the usual emaciating fare to be had
Mt railway restaurants, but VIII estab-
lish "antifat" counters along the
routes, where supplies may be obtained
for consumption in transit.
Physical exercise will, of course, be
conspicuous feature of the training,
1t is reported that two OF the ilremen,
whose combined weight is nearly half
ton, have begun to practice on a
tandem bicycle, having been advised
that they would fail off good deal
The "hot air" treatment wiz also he
u1ed, every locomotive carryins Its owr
supply on tap. Other suggestions are
made by Mr.. McDougall, of which
copious firemen are free to avail them
selves.
Meanwhile the Railroad company of
fers as model of compact engineer
]. w. Furley, who operates the 12iT
eXpr SIS from Washington, tie most i'm
portant train OH the division Mr.
Furley's physical mileage east an6
west Is so little that 1t is said whet
once afflicted with Il pain in the back
he took treatment for collie by mis-
take. The fat man used to have fur
with him hut now IL ia his turn t(