The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-04-25
BETWEEN TWO FIRES
\ TRAENHANis cAUsTic COMMENT ON
RAILROAD RelEs.
To obey Them All. He says. Means TO
tese Time and win a Discharge.
To Break Theza aad Have an Aeci-
dent xeans a Discharge Also.

To obey Them All. He says, Means TO
t.ase Time and WIN a Discharge
TO Break TheEa aad Have an Aecl-
dent Means a Discharge Alse.
It ssn interesting position that one
finds srhe1 stddying the relations thai
connect the railroad employee with the
road Itself with regard TO the rules
and regulations. II has ring Of
"heasis win. and tails you lose" IN
favor Of the road when il comes to de-
eidlng where the responsibility lies
when an accident occurs An old rail-
road employee. a member Of a train
crew. was conversing with the wri-er
recently. and in going over II the sifua-
ton mSght be better and more readily
understood II he were TO be rather
closely quoted from his standpoint and
IN his language
-On our line.v be said. eve have
many q good mile that composes the
whole road. but viii confne my
knowledge and experience Of r-orklng
snder rslles ana regulations aa stand
Ing between the general managers
Office and the actual operation Of
trains. To follow every tuIe and regu-
iation to the letter would make travel
far safer than lying IN bed. but ii
would lie so slow and tedious 10 the
passenger that the time made In the
old days Of stage lines would appear
a 'fier's' time of these days.
'rTo make from even 80 miles per
hour Up 10 the 50 reached these days
aaa 10 live up 10 everything pertain
Ing to slow ups. grade crossings. say
ing of coal. oil and material. slow stops
and starts. reduced speed over switches
and turnouts and a hundred and one
things 10 be remembered, would be the
worst Kind Of folly II making time was
4 consideration
Take my run. 1Jo miles. which is on
the card to be made in 1 hours and -
minutes. not such a swift gait. to be
sure. although IN wister. With snow.
Ice and bad weather. II is some little
kind Of q job to get around on time.
To live mp 10 every ironclad rule. those
In The book on the card and various
specials issued every day. you could
not pun that run through IN ten hours,
and you might count yourself lucky II
you went through upon that time.
- trninhand has the choice Of ell
ther making his time, for. If he IS fre-
qnently late. he is either set back. sus-
pended. fined or dismissed. or living up
to every rule, and II not found doing
so in case Of accident. being dismissed
OF course where no accidents occur
the rules can be taufpered with and
the management be blessed with ban
daged eyes. but let a mishap occur.
and In order 10 protect themselves
they jog out the thousand OF two
rules. and II you are found guilty you
receive an early dismissal SO the
traihhand takes his desperate chances
by PLAYING at luck, by using discretion
IN obeying his rule. as he keeps ms pO-
sition longer than be would through
strictly carrying out eye.y one and
eveutuaily being dismissed when the
first salary day arrives.
''In one book Of rules upon large
road appear nearly 500 regulations for
the employee - familiarize himself
with. or, as one of the general rules
says: The head Of each department
must Je conversant with the rules.
supply copies of them to his subOrdi.
mates. see that they are understood. en-
force obedience 10 them. No one viii
be excused for the violation OF any of
them. even though not Included in
those applicable 10 lis department. Ig
norancr Is no excuse for neglect OF
duty
''Taen follows 4 most remarkable
clause or rH.e 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 10 the orders Of the superintend
ent Of that division Now. If the EN-
ployee has n certain order from the su-
perintendent that conflicts with those
Of the book. the road has him double
headed
ITO obey the superintendent and dis
obey the rule means Discharge. as il
distinctly states that no one VIII be ex-
cuSeI for the violation of any Of them.
While on the other hand he must con
form to the orders of the superin1end-
ent.' so he is apt to become discharged
either way but the road stands IN
blamed in either case. Besides these
500 regulations there are numbers of
rules. about 20 forms of train orders.
I hand and lamp signals. Il manner OF
using signals according to the train
rules. besides nearly 100 special rules
on time card.
Then comes the changing occasion
ally Of a rule or from day 10 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-
cials. Is It a wonder not more aeci-
dents occur when one employee may be
On Guiy IS or 20 continuous hours and
happens to forget just one Of these
th,ass to be remembered Y''-P Portland
AIel Argus.