The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-22
BANK AND ARSENAL.
An Interesting Method for Pay
ing Off LabOrers.
Station Agents Authorized to
Cash Checks.

A break in the mechanical regular>
ity of the daily services of $4,000 men
has been filled up by an order, issued
from the management of the Southern
Pacific railway, to the effect that after
July 1, 1903. checks are to be mailed to
officers and employees once a month
from the treasurer's office at san Fran
cisco. Only those who have anxiously
waited and watched for the monthly
arrival of the pay car can appreciate
what this really means.
On most roads the pay-car is an ordi-
nary passenger coach of standard color,
says an exchange. About two-thirds
of the car is partitioned across to
serve the paymaster and his assistants
as living apartments. As the train ap~
proaches a section gang at work along
the division, two whistles are blown
by the engineer to notify the assistants
to get out the next pay roll wanted.
When the stop is finally made the sec
ton boss enters the car first and takes
his place by the side of the oaymas-
ter's little wire partition window. Be
hind the second window, TO the right
of the paymaster, the assistant callS
out the name of each member OIL Inc
gang in order that the boss may call
the right man and also give him prop
er Identification
1t often occurs that men entering the
pay car cannot write their own name.
in giving the required receipt. In such
cases the section boss signs Tony car
demo and hands Tony the pen Tor him
to make his mark. After this is done
with both hands. in fashion
that suggests carpenter boring
with a gimlet the section boss
signs his name to properly identify
the mans mark. This solemn per-
Torrance over, the smiling laborer
takes his envelope and moves on.
When the last one has passed the win
dow, Tim Murphy the boss, gets his
own pay, and the car moves on to the
next gang or station down the line.
In order TO distribute the wages or
men strung out over 10000 miles of
road, the Southern Pacific employs
some six pay cars. These cars are fit
ted up to answer the purposes of a
moving bank and incidentally an arse
nal. The Winchester rifles incased
along the wallis are intended to dis
courage ambitious but venturesome
train robbers. Officers admit that it is
considered a great achievement in the
West to hold up the pay car. \ reg
ular schedule of running is attempted
by the paymaster service. This IS
sometimes interfered with by speciaA
trains, washouts, etc, and in the case
the car is laid out" it is not uncom-
mon in the smaller communities to
hear even the butcher, the baker, ana
candlestick maker ask, rs she COM
ing?'
One of the benefits of the method of
paying off to be adopted by the South
ern Pacific is that employees will re-
ceive checks, drawn by the companys
auditor on its treasurer, at a regular
date each month. In order to insure
no inconvenience, the handsomely en-
graVed blank states that when the
check is properly endorsed it may be
cashed by any station agent who MAJ
have funds and be RENTED to the To-
cal treasurer to cash. Another oppor-
tunity of readily converting the paper
into cash is indicated by the engraved
suggestion that it is payable at the OPP
ton Of the holder at a number of
banks named along the lines of the
system.
When the new system is started a
saving in operating expenses to the
company is expected at once. Instead
of an engine. crew, fuel, the danger Of
handling large sums of cash, and the
preparing of $4,000 pay envelopes with
the required amount of change, it will
only be necessary to employ three or
four clerks to make out pay checks.
1t will be interesting to note this re-
suit in the Southern Pacific expense
account, but in the meantime those
who are fortunate enough to antici-
pate the sensation of walking through
the pay car" each month will know
that something has been taken out OF
the life of each Southern Pacific man.