The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-04-15
BRAKEMAN TELLS ABOUT NEW
CODE ON TRAINS.
OLD THINGS ARE DROPPED
Change of VernacuIar and Chester
fieIdian PoIiteness Now the
Order.
From Fridays Daily Gazette.

From Fridays Daily Gazette.
t.Just think of having to stagger I'M
of the rear end of the train No more
rear brakeman and as far as daring
to use the good, old word of shack
but" Over-powering disgust or in
d%ignation, possibly both, prevented
the speaker from finishing the sen
tence.
The man who thus delivered himself
was a ''breaky," just back from a trip
to the east and he was attempting to
explain to some of his fellow "gaffers"
a new order that has been adopted by
one of the roads running out CT Chi
cago, the Northwestern"
Having regained his composure he
resumed his description of the
of his disgust and wrath.
Eyes, everything is new down
there. New time tables, new running
rules, new code of %politeness and a
lot of new names for old things. In
order to be able to live up to all the
new rackets or keep his job a fellow
has to begin all over again and I'M
learn about everything he ever knew
concerning railroading. Sinking don't
go. You've got to toe the mark or
away you go and land in a heap some
where by the side of the right of way.
The fellows on the vanished cars
have to be as polite and do as much
bowling and scraping as a dancing
master. You bet; it's all etiquette
and heaps of it, too. Why to see the
fellows act you'd think you were at a
pink tea or some other swell affair.
The only difference is that they don't
have to wear swallowtail coats, and
there's no sure gamble that they won't
have to do that if the thing keeps up.
20, the cons get it the same as the
'shacks.' They have rel to change
their way of yelling to the guys that it
is time to hop on if they want to take
that train. No more 'all a%bor-r-rd,'
for that don't go. Now they must call
out, All aboard! All aboard and
do it in a sort of imploring, begging
way.
''They don't have no more freight
trains on that road. Those man kill
ers are now called second class
trains and when they have to stop
across a crossing they r no longer
cut in two,' but are separated Side.
tracks are done away with now
Trains now are no longer switched,
but are tshunted' and stand on 'auxil.
iaries.' Instead of whistling, the engi.
neer, l mean an sengineman,' gives an
audible signal Passenger trains
have been abandoned to make way
for trains of superior class and there
r no more 'roundhouses;' engine
houses now take their places.
'Then, there's no more firing of
of fellows that can't pay. The rules
say that Passengers must eve be
elected from the cars for any cause
except at a regular, open station
Trainmen must not eject women o.
children of tender age; and any per
son unattended in such a condition
of mind and body as to be incapable
of caring for himself must be placed
in the custody of the nearest station
agent Yes. there's plenty more o
the stuf-the book of rules numbers
1876 pages and there are no advertise
ments in it, either.
''They told me down there that i
was expected that the U. P. woul,
adopt the same rules, while some wen
so far as to say all of the exclusivel.
western roads would adopt them. !
they do-well, all I've got to say i
that there's trouble ahead for NOR
than n poor devil"