Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-05
sporrERs on 4 BTe RAILROAD.



2 II NV men to Division Officials.
Probably the most perfect spotter
system achieved by any private oorpo- |
ration is that Of ons of the big East
ern railroads, which Is to some extent
modelled on the secret service system |
~ some OF the European governments,
though BY no means so complex. So
far-reaching and go direct; however,
an its lines Of communication, says
s. III. Adams, In Ainslee's Magazine,
''that the president of the organization
is himself kept constantly informed OF
the trend OF affairs, and the changes of
sentiment among the employees OF every
division and subdivision OF the whole
sfsilway system, and that without the
knowledge of any other persons but his
own special oarps and secretaries. No
body but himself knows the entire
personnel Of the wonderful service that
he has perfected. His agents are drawn
from every branch of the roads opera
ton staff. They are engineers, freight
brakemen, passenger trainmen, con-
duutors, aignalmen, yaIdmen, station
| agents, track walkers, and even divi-
sion officials. Should that road have
| etrike--an strikes are far less likely
to occur than they were before the
present system was put into operation
the president will have detailed warn
ings of 1t from all the storm centers
long, before the first mutterings lind
cautious utterance ia the newspapers.
While II also acts as a defense
against thefts by employees, this system
is intended primarily to prepare, so to
peak, diary Of the disposition,
character, working efficiency and senti
ments toward the road OF the men who
constitute the vast human machinery
Of the corporation, The feeling which
eliminates In a general strike is not
the result of oae act alone, but slow
growth made up of many grievances.
shifting mental attitude OF his en-
ployes is the aim OF this railroad presi-
dent. IL certain division superin
tendent has made himself unpopular
with his -subordinates, information to
that effect comes by underground
wire to the central Office, and the
matter Is taken under advisement. Ii
the newest fireman on the road at
tempts to stir up discomfort by infiam-
matory talk, his views soon reach the
official ear Every leading spirit in
| the employees Organization is. known
to the president, who also knows
whether, in case of trouble, the man
is to be reckoned upon as a oonserva-
tive or radical. Sometimes this works
out the mans career in manner
quite iucomprehensib to him. For
instance Night Waterman Brown is
shifted, without cause that he can
n fathom, from one division to another.
EHow should he know that rumors oil
ftfouble 10 that division have reached
t6eSpresidential ear, and that he him
self, 7heing down in the PRESIDENT
little book as speaker of weight and
u counselor of conservative methods,
has been shifted over TO act as uncon
soions agent In checking a dangerous
tendency sr-
, some of the admiring CO. workers Of
the head of this system declars that il
two minutes reference to his collected
+ funds OF infoim nation he can unroll thu
: family history of the woman who
washes the windows Of Car No. Ajax,
and tell whether, In her estimation, hi
himself Is an oppressor of the down
troddsn, or a perfect gentleman.
Where SO many invisible lines
radinte from the same office 1T is inevi
table that some OF them should cross
Curious complications result from con
!. tact between spoilers as unknown u
!. each other as they are to those whom
!. they watch. Several years ago. at a
n time of general labor troubles, Ger
tain railroad got tino less than five re
+ ports from It's confidential men inform
ing them that an employe twho wa
! several degrees higher in the secre
service of the road than any of them,
Il had they but known it) had teen max
{, ing incendiary speeches. This xai
It true. Matters had so shaped them
selves that the man accused had to ap
pear as a radical il order to gain ad
4 mittance to inner councils where tn
important questions would be tinall
& decided. To the chsgrin of tn
authorities, they we're Obliged to trans
. fer him. Had they not done 30 th
u suspicious of the men who make tn
4 reports would have been aroused
& That spoilers should know each othe
], as such is held to be highly undesiru
]. BILE. There lie always the chance tina
:, they might work in conjunction, in
Z. | stead Of acting as checks on each other.