Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-18
ARE NOT AsOF Y0RE
Conditions Under which Street
Car Men Work are
Improved.
WINTER HAS FEW TERRORs
Old Timer Tells of SUfferings on
bob Tailed Cars Years
Ago.


The advent once : more of cold
weather gives the motormen and con
ductors of the Tri-City Railway com
pany reason for congratulating them
selves upon the Improvement that has
been made in the conveniences for
their use and comfort.
Nearly every car now belonging To
the company has been equipped with
a storm front so that wind, sleet or
snow has little terror for either the
motorman or the conductor. Unlike
the front windows which were used
when the scheme of protecting the
motoTman first came into vogue the
modern protection is complete en-
closure of the front end which admits
of neither cold or snow.
Although the conductor may have
the advantage Of the motorman in
being able to pass a great part of his
time inside the ear, he is not bettered
much in the long run, for the con-
ductor, when he is on the platform
is compelled to stand in the cold more
or less. there being an unprotected
side to his platform, while the front
end is entirely enclosed, giving a
warmth which is agreeable to say the
least.
Old men in the service of the street
railways are great deal more APP
preciative Of these new innovations
than the new men because of their eX-
perience with the oId-fashioned horse
and trolley cars with no protection
from the elements whatever. The
new men have never been employed
on anything but the new models of
cars, and so of course do not realize
the real comforts which are enjoyed
in comparison to the little ''open air
boxes of some years ago, where Meth
err protection or means of getting it
was to be had, and the car men were
subject to freezing every day while
the cold weather lasted. Great coats
were Of little avail. especially in day
of sleet, as they soon froze stiff and
made matters even worse than on a
day of the lowest temperature. Swing
ing arms and stamping feet were al
ways heard from the bow of the
street car. and the exercise from
tightening the brake was indeed well
come.
An old mOtorman. who had been
for the greater part of his life, was
approached and asked regarding the
difference between the old and the
new cars.
Notes a Difference.
Difference? Of course there's a diff
ference" said he. The cars of to-
day are hundred per cent better
than the ears of yesterday, and those
of tomorrow Will be just as much bet
ter than the ones we have today.
When l first started in the business,
i was a driver on horse car, and i
want to say that a winter on the front
end of horse car is equal to a bath
in the Arctic ocean with a dash of the
north pole thrown in.
The hours We're SO long that we
didn't know when day began or left off.
\ motorman, or driver, in those days,
had four times as much to do as he
has now. In addition to handling the
brake. which was most of the time
out of order. he had to drive the pair
of horses that were always in need of
a square meal, and large part of
his time was taken up in collecting
fares. There was no storm front on
the cars, and a good Northwestern
blew around the corners after a fash
ion that would make your head swim.
Everything is different now
though he went on. These big cars
which are being pressed into service
as fast as they can be built are nearly
perfection, and no one need suffer
from heat or cold if The car is pro-
perry handled. RE platforms give
nearly three times the room that the
old ones did, and are closed and heat
ed so well that at times it is neces-
sary to open a window for a little
Cool air.