New-York tribune., 1902-08-31
GETTING ON a RAILROAD,
VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS FOR ALL
VACANT PLACES ES-THE ALTON'S
EMPLOYMENT BUREAU.

A young man, who looked if he might vote
some day. with hair parted in tne middle and a
tenderly twined mustache dropping from either
corner of his mouth. entered the offices of of
the big trunk lines the other day, inquring for the
information bureau. After ne had reached the
cubbyhole in the station, where there were all
kinds of railroad literature. with in uniform
in charge. the young man said:
"I want to get a position secretary to the
general passenger agent
We'll, don't here, the prompt and
somewhat brusque reply GO up and see the gen.
eraI passenger agent It's upstairs the third
floor"
The applicant went upstairs, and after waiting
to see the general passenger agent good hour. he
summoned into the presence of an assistant
The youth stammered out that he wanted posi-
ton He said that he lived in a country town. but
had gone through high school and had been
graduated from small college. He said he had
heard that there were great opportunities for adj
yancement in the railroad business. and that he
thought that he peculiarly qualified for the
position of secretary-a position which he heard
was vacant Thereupon he pulled out letter of
recommendation from the village clergyman
II can't give you position but might find a
lob for vou' said the assistant passenger agent
"a man don't step in here. even with the recon-
mendatons of an archbishop. and bag secretary
ship If you leave your name may have a clerk
ship for you in the of the next three weeks
at s25 a month. That's the best can do.
The youth left his name, went home, gave up his
idea of being a second Cornelius Vanderbilt. and is
now quietly teaching school. although three weeks
after he went home from New-York a letter came
with the offer of clerkship.
half hour after the young student left the bu-
reau of information rough looking man came up
and said
eet a lob braking? I've been 1ongshOreman till
I'm dead tired of the game SeeT
The man was referred to the freight train mas
ter and despite all his roughness. he was found
20 rnrx
and is now a head brakeman on the NeW-forK
6-a,+ra1 between Albany and Buffalo If he does
as well as at present, mis- super1ors say ne VIII De
conductor on one of the limited trains before
many more years
These actual examples are given to show how
diversified are the kinds of applications which
every day besiege big railroad by the hundreds
and thousands. 1t is the rule Of the railroads
having terminals in this city to place the power
and responsibility of hiring employees in the hands
of the different departments. Thus. the head OF
the operating department chooses his section su-
perfntendents the section superintendents hire the
tranmasters and the trainnasters hire their brake IKE
chief engineer hires the directly responsible to
Foden n 4ho sresyo draugtsmen bridge builders
carpenters, etc. are all under him And so 1t Is
4 new departure. however. has been taken by
the Chicago and Alton haoad 1 for IN b fne DTose Of
centralzing all the work OF recruiting employees IN
especially obtain employees from towns along the
road. and the head Of the bureau meets citizens
living in these towns. gets in touch with young
men who desire to enter the railroad business,
looks up their antecedents, ascertains whether or
not they have good or bad habits and makes a
record of this preliminary examination. Note is
also taken OF the special kind of work the appli-
cant desires.
Accordingly, when a Is wanted in the op-
Grating department, notice is served on the en-
ployment bureau, and man whose record and
qualifications have been carefully looked up IN the
time viii be recommended for the place. II
he does not pass muster before the particular off,
cia who is to fill the vacancy, the next on the
list is recommended and so on. IL is thus hoped
to secure men of especial competency AS many
possible will be sifted down. and the sitting
process will be made thorough possible.
The experiment tried by the Alton railroad for
il is regarded experiment is watched with
interest by the big trunk lines of the East and II
it proves successful IL will in all likelihood be
adopted by these railroads. AS official OF one
big road said:
"In these days of railroad rivalry. il is not long
before find out whether a competitor has good
thing. and If he has not at all backward
about following his example going him
better"