The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-29

pied with the thought of getting nome
herself to think about how the motor
man and the conductor would get TO
their homes. Yet I, after standing
and walking about in crowded car
watching hundreds Of different hgureS
and faces, keeping track of each street
and bearing in mind constantly the
hour and minute OF the day, nave 10
tramp mile before ! can get to my
home after we have carried hundreds
of patrons to theirs.
"The owl cars" continued the con
conffdentiaIly, 'have proved to be OF
great convenience to the general pub
lie, and they have been a great bene-
fit to the street car companyS en-
playes, too Now, instead of being
compelled to walk great distances, con-
ductors and motorrnen, when relieved
of duty on the late cars, may take
the first owl car and ride to their
homes.
"While many of the employees are
able to live near the car barns, there
are many who live at distance, like
myself. About the Ramsey car barns,
where most of the cars remain over
night, many of the conductors and
motormen have their homes. The
same is true of the Midway station, the
East Seventh street station and the
Selbv station About each station has
sprung. up a colony of street car en-
ployes, and business thrives on a small
scale in those vicinities. Grocery
stores, drug stores and other utilities
are to be found in large numbers in
these places.
enough to see that stores Of certain
kind were needed in the vicinity OF
barns, and have started them, giving
up their work for the company. Hav-
ing a wide acquaintance with the en-
ployes Of the company they have had
advantages over all competitors in get
ting trade
Strange Working Hours.
"The street car employees have the
strangest hours for beginning and
We cannot begin at any time we please,
neither can we all start out Of the
barns with our cars at o'clock in
the morning and come in at 6 In the
evening. The cars must run about
twenty hours, not including the owl
cars, which run on a special schedule,
so the men who work from ten TO
twelve hours, must be beginning and
quitting at all hours. Further, the
cars are not timed to start or stop
at the even hours. They start 5:55
a. m. or 7:17 a. m. Or 1891 p. m. or
5:27 p. m., and stop at hours just as
odd
Each man has his regular minute,
not hour for beginning and quitting.
The times of railroad trains approach
these odd hours, but even they usually
leave terminal stations at even fves.
Street cars run seven days week,
and some of the conductors and motor
men do the same. The cars run every
day in the year, and some of the men
do this, too. But they are not COM
PEELED to do it, and they are slaves
and misers when they do.
Can Hold Jobs indefinitely.
"The street car company has
small army in gray that works daily
and has also large reserve force, that
can be called out in emergencies. Be-
sides the men having regular runs there
are large number of extras who are
used to fill vacancies, and to run when
the regular men are off duty. After
serving a period as extra, man is as
signed to run, and if he proves ca
pable and attends to business he can
retain it Indefinitely. There are men
on some of the lines who have had
their runs during the past ten years.
I know all my regular patrons and
know just where each is to get off.
IT believe I have ridden as many
miles as there are around the world
just flying back and forth over this
line. And I've collected enough money
to build Summit avenue palace and
give me an income to live on, if I could
have held onto it.