The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-08-18
THRILLS OF THB HOfORKAN.
RUNNIy0 A BROADWAY Can A
JOB fHAT TRIES THE NERVES.


/ lUr rtrttt wi Ctudu'tof ~ 49, ~
motormAn has a cinoh. but the motorman
doesn't believe II.
you've not got to chin the passengers
and save the women who get on backward
and swing along the footbosrd Of an open
oar like a blooming monkey growls the
conductor.
well, you Just try running q car down
Broadway IN rush hour, and you'll think
conductors are on Easy street rrtorts the
motorman.
SAY, b new motorpan's first trip down
Broadway with his car heats the ID. T.'s for
taking II out Of q fellow. When green hand
l. through with his days work he's A. limp
as q wet rag. and he wishes he'd hired out
TO work on a farm
But he doesn't 90 out alon. with his
car. until he is used TO handling u. does he''
asked a Srs reporter Who was holding
down one end Of the car station bench aud
listening 10 tho conversation.
Hardy. He'd leave a trail Of wreokage
behind him that would put the company
out OF business. No. n new man puts In
three or four days at school. running q
dummy motor n being taught something
about electricity and the practical working
Of the car. Then they start him out with
an old man in charge. It's an easy lob
for the old nan. but he has To keep his
weather eve open and looks out Tor trouble.
Its funny 10y many different kinds
OF a fool the now man can make OF him
He knows he could play hob n he tried
hard and the possibility makes him
nervous. When he sees some one crossing
the track right In front OF him, u strikes
him deaf, dumb and blind. and he loses
his head altogether. II would be the
simplest .ort u thing 20 stop the car. bu,
he feels as II nothing on earth could stop
II and there's no use making an effort. 80
he just stands like a wooden image and
lets her 60. The old man has TO jump
In and settle things.
fairly launched on a food Of reminisccnce-
Il remember the frst day ! ran a car.
l was tipping along down on Broadway.
and a fat old party started across the street
quite a little way In front OF me. He
clipped on the track and sat down kerchus
right between the rails. i had plenty
Of time To stop the car. but when ! saw
that chap fall just froze stif. with my
hand frozen Ia the handle bar. killed
that man. and picked up the fragments.
and attended the funeral. and went To
my own trial and was sent up for man
slaughter. all in o~ne-twentieth Of q second.
Tn. fellow was bald, shiny bald, and
his Ia, had fallen on. The pink bald spot
was perfectly fascinating couldn't lake
where we'd hit him. right In the middle
Of that shiny pink bald -pOt. ! felt -ick
all over. and began to see two or three
bald men on the track. Then the fellow
with me grabbed the brake and began
using language 20 me He stopped The
car. We weren't within ten feet Of the
bald man. and he got up and trotted on
as -unconcerned a. anything. hut | FELT "a
II Id been through a long spell of sickness
] thought I'd resign. the next day. but !
didn't
but that sort of thing doesn't last. does
itp- asked the reporter.
Great Scott, no. A man would die Of
IL. II Il kept w. You soon g., Used To
things. It's nervous work though, even
for an old hand He doesn't get scared;
but when bedtime comes, he's tuckered
out. all right enough. Then there's some
men who never do really get used to the
work. haven't got the nerve Tor II, and
either 60 to pieces ar resign.
There's a big difference in the length
Of time needed TO put The dif-ren; men
few DAYS cool. level headed. nervy men.
who are used To thinking quick and acting
quick. A green hand h supposed to have
a competent man with him for fifteen days.
before he h allowed to take the car out
alone, but some men don't need any help
after the first few days. Then again,
other men aren't anywhere near ready
at the end Of fifteen days, I've known
them to be ak weeks breaking IN q new
motorman, but generally II a fellow turns
out To he rs slow a. that they drop him.
don TAKE nun on AT az
Is the Work very p"n WHEN you ke'
ur'd To ", -
on, not so rotten, !, Nou'n " go.
fun " you could JUST nave Iohs, ,FaI
stretches and let her ZIP. USED 10 urlN"
a hor-e car and that wa. pretty poor spor.'
but LOT the r'r' mphth OF ~ 'na.
a cable car ! was too nervous TO e.. any
enjoynent out ot tne ,nins csh !"
member the tirs, time really sot = plessan,
OF another kind, This was one ocioher
morning. IL Was cool n clear ahu tns
sun Was just getung down 70 work, one ol
those mornings when YOU DOM owe you.
father and mother a grudse. lhere ~ereh,
very many people on the stree,e YET, ana
] could bet the old machine out when SUD
IL out OF the shed.
We turned uptown, and ! Just Vet up
on the bit and shook the reins q DIT say,
abe jumped pretty neariy out from uhoeI
me, but ! had her IN hand ana we went
hummins along like an express train. !
just played with that cable. ~ was 80
blamed strong and yet II had 20 knuckle
TO me, and i felt as II l owned Manhattan
and The Bronx and a part OF Queens: !
wanted to wave my cap and yell. had an
Idea that car was n live thtne and taikeh
to Il and jollied II a. W I'd gone dotty
Gee, that was a bully trip. Sometimes
I feel that way now for a minute. when l
-. IT,