The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-08

10 lllC pei oOlA liz in ~ -
street car conductor seems filled With
happy moments. He seems to do
nothing but collect nickel5 n pull a
rope that registers each fare. But,
according to a conversation overheard
between a conductor on the Merriam
Park line and a passenger, who stood
smoking on the rear platform, the 9TH
er day, the lot of the man in charge Of
q car is cast anywhere but in pleasant
places.
But you have an easier job than
the motOrman who has to strain HIM
self turning the brake wheel on slip
perry days" the passenger was saying.
oh, that's played out" returned the
conductor, there was a time when the
man on the rear platform had the nap
job-if there is any snap about either
of them-but since the installation of
the air-brake this is not the case.
About all the motorman has to do is
work three levers. They control the
power, the air and the rear gates. OF
course he has to watch for passen-
gers and listen for the bell which
warns him that someone wishes to
tax the car or allght from it. But
those things, one may almost say, con-
Stitute all of his duties; now most of
the cars in St. Paul and Minneapolis
have the air brakes n it will be but
q very short time till all the double
truck cars in the Twill Cities are fitted
in this way. When that time comes
the motorman's job will be no heavier
than hat of a bookkeeper who has
heavy ledgerS to handle"
But don't you think the monotony
Of standing in the cab and straining
ones eyes for possible obstacles and
watching for fares at the corners is a
VSry firing piece of work"
The Conductors Lament.
ooh, that's true enough" said the
conductor as he tore off a transfer,
but OOk at all the straining Of yes
that falls to my lot watching for the
fares in the car. 1t is a constant
strain of mind from the instant a con-
ductor gets on his car till his hours
are in. 1t is his constant fear that
he viii miss a fare. Imagine a car in
which there are sixty people from
whom l have collected all the fares,
and then four or five get on while L
am up at the front. 1t is impossible
for me to see them as they climb on.
Il it's up to me to go TO the rear Of
that car and pick them out of
all the throng. How is it done?
Why by reading a persons face. 1t
is impossible for a man to hide the
fact that he is trying to get out of
paying, once you get to know the
symptoms. Dc we see much of hat?
W eli L SIlOulQ Sdy we uO. 1lS OIlly Tie
fear that their neighbOrS have noticed
that they did not pay which makes
many a person give up the nickel. Then
there's another feature of the life Of
q Conductor-just wait a momen till
! see what that woman wants." and
he went into the car to answer a per-
emptoTy summons from a woman sit
ting near the front of the car.
Il don't wan you to think" he said
as he came back with a little more
worry on his face than before, that
l want to register a kick about the
in which 1 am used-if 1
cidn't think I was used just right I'd
quit in a minute-but you seem to
think that the conductor has the best
time. I wish you could take my place
for one busy day and see whether or
not a conductors life was an eVerlast-
ing hurTah.
Little Things He Must Do.
Look at all the little things he
must keep track of at the same time!
He must not forget to call out every
street as the car approaches a cross
ing. He must watch the rear end,
no matter what part of the car he's
in, to be able to tell the motorman to
go ahead. He generally has about
Two or three charges, children, parcels
TO be left off, etc, on each trip. He
u remember to give this old lady a
transfer at this point, and a hundred
other things that drive the new men
crazy for about a month. Get used to
II! Lord bless you, yes! Get so we
never think of it at all. What's the
use?"
The car had reached the Selby ave-
nue. hill and as the "bunt" connected
with the car the conductor said:
There's the only man in the service
VINO Is earning his money really pleas
antly-Without disagreeable contact
with the public or the weather."
What class of passengers do you
have the most trouble with?"
We'll, 1 don't just exactly know
what you mean. They can be classi-
fled in different ways. Do you refer
to ages, nationalities or what?"
We'll, no; I'd say as to sexes. Are
the men or the women most trouble?'
Women Most Trouble.
The women without a doubt. Sew
enty-fve per cent of the trouble is
caused by female passengers"
IN what Way?"
In a hundred and fifty ways. One
of their ~faVOrite tricks-of course this
is confined to that class known as the
better class'-is that a woman with
cramp her hands in gloves four times
too small, and they are numb when
she tries to press the button behind
her without turning around. She
thinks she made the electric connec-
ton, but she didn't, and the conse-
quence is that the car goes merrily on
It's way. And then, for spite, she'll be
ten times longer than necessary in
getting off when we do stop. You
couldn't convince her by any means
that she did not ring the bell. I've
got over trying to.
Now, here's another thing. Did you
ever see two women start from a house
that stands near the track to catch the
car? I rarely ever saw it fail that
one of them did not get to the crossing
before the other has left the house.
The first one halls the car, looks
around, screams, Hurry up, Mamie!'
But Mamie knows that Winnie will
hold the car till she gets there, and
she comes along slowly, maybe button
ing her gloves. Maybe we're late and
l holler, Hurry up there!' and 1 get
a look tina would poison you. If
l should start up the car and leave
them-wow! Wouldn't the wires to
the office be warm for a while!
Then, there's the women who are
bidding each other goodbye as one
boards the car. She puts her foot on
the step, and suddenly remembering
that she forgot to kiss the other, she
sets her grips or parcels on the plat
form and hugs her companion for
about a minute, I remind her with a
mild all aboard but it doesn't phase
her, and to show me thai she knows
her rights and is bound to have 'eu.
n remembers a message for the baby.
All this time 1 have the fidgets, and as
she at last climbs up the steps she
says. In an awful hurry, aren't YOU? ~
But L maintain a discreet silence. She