The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-22

lopes pile up until at or 2:30 a howl
of relief, stretching of tired arms,
and the stamping of cramped feet pro-
claim the end.
Quick work this. Four men have
counted out 10000 pay amounts in five
hours. That means nearly ten each
minute, and the amounts vary from
50 or SO to 500 and $25, and call for all
kinds of change.
But the paymaster is not through
work yet He has much yet to do
and not superfiuous minute to do it
in.
Hastily munching a sandwich, he
counts over the money left and thus
verifies the correctness of the amounts
put up. If there's an error, his trou-
bles have just begun; but it is re-
markable fact that in five years, during
which the sum of more than $4,000
900 has been paid out in wages, only
once has a recount been required.
Finding the account correct, he pro-
ceeds to make any reduction which
may be ecessary-purchases made by
workmen, trustee writs and assign
ments to no-money-down concerns
have to be taken care of-and with
much groaning of spirit he calls an
assistant to take out the required en-
velopes and help him to mark the de-
auctions on them, and again make the
proper change.
1t is o'clock by the time this is
Strengthened out, and preparations
must at once be made for the final
distribution of the pay. There are six
teen pay stations at various points in
this great plant. and the pay envel-
opes must be properly deposited in
heavy tin boxes for transportation to
these stations. A clerk is in charge
of each box, and 1t is now his duty
to count the number of envelopes 1t
contains, and give a receipt to the
paymaster.
At quarter of when Nharp and
clear rings the paymaster's voice,
hats, a heavy tramping is heard in
the corridor a score of stalwart
Jumpers" troop in, and as the pay
master calls out Factory A" Fac
tory B" and so on. the box for each
station is picked UP and carried Off
by Jumper followed by the proper
pay clerk and an assistant. AS the
last box leaves the office the paymaster
drops into a chair. He can have
twenty minutes breathing spell, now
the first of ten solid hours of intense
care.
The pay stations are simply boxes,
built at convenient points, large enough
for the clerk, and containing a broad
shelf for his money trays. A wire
grating surrounds him, with an opening
through which he can pass out the en-
VeloDes.
Unlocking his box, he arranges the
contents on the shelf and his as
sistant stations himself just OUTSIDE
the opening. Already the men have be-
gun to line up, and as the harsn
screech of the o'clock whistle breaks
in above the rattle of machinery ana
clatter of feet the first man of the line
hands his check to the assistant. VINO
calls the number, takes the envelope
the corresponding number, and passes
ii to the man, and the next cheek
is instantly handled the same way;
All is systematic and orderly anu
when a dozen or two men have passeu
and the line has struck its gait the
work progresses so rapidly that Ile
men do not halt in their progress. IL
becomes steady stream Of men Waih-
ing past the station at a fair gdlL
and steady stream of money passlIs
into their hands. without error ana
mischance.
The largest number Of hands pald az
any one station falls a little short VI
500, and within twenty minutes from
the time the first check is taken w
the last man is paid, and the cleIhs
are starting back to the office. NJ
they count over the checks they hd.s
received, add to them the envelopes
they have not, for any cause, PAID on,
get the paymaster's initials 10
last count. and at $3.50 all are OUT W.
the office. after a day of systemauSS
expedition which would be rec9iu
breaker II IL was not of regular weeN'
occurrence.