The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-11-16
PICKING THE MOTOR.MEN
SEVERE TESTS APPLICANTS FOR POSITIONS
MUST TAKE
COMPLETE FAMILIARITY WITH MECHANISM ESSENTIAL.
So rEccRDS FIVE We AIRS INVESTIGATED
IS -How THE SURGEONS WEED THE UNFIT
80 It'll SCHOOL.

1
perience with cars and their parts.
He is given blank containing fifty
nine questions on the duties of motor
man, and is then shut up in a room by
himself. And this room has proven the
death chamber for many mans hopes
] and ambitions.
If the result of this examination Is
apparently satisfactory, the candida te
is sent with the blank to the division
superintendent, who thoroughly ques-
uons the man upon all points in the
paper and upon all others that he de-
slres to investigate. If the division
superintendent then certifies the appli-
cant to superintendent Cantril as eligi-
BILE for service, another milestone on
the long road of learning has been
| reached.
The aspiring knight of the controller
and brake is furnished with a badge
and paraphernalia and reports to the
division superintendent, this time to be
placed on the roll. After couple of
weeks service in this division, running
on all lines, the new employee is sent to-
all others in turn, running at first with
an experienced man on each line not
less than five hours. Thus he becomes
familiar with the conditions on every
line in the city and can be used in any
emergency.
For the first thirty days of his actual
service the motorman runs only on
cars equipped with hand brakes, at the
end of which time he learns the intri-
cacies Of air, under the instruction Of
an experienced man. This he follows
when off duty until recommended for a
third trip. If he makes good he gets
an air brake car.
Always under the watchful eye of his
superiors the new man is also closely
observed by the motorman first in
structing him for the period of from
six months to year after entering
the service. This teacher has orders
to see if his former pupil thoroughly
understands and follows his instruc-
tons and to assist him whenever neces-
sary.
From two to three weeks is occupied
by the new man in preliminary in
struction from the time of his applica-
ton for a position until he begins to
run car, and after that he finds some
thing new every day as long as he
stays in the service. Of the large per
cent. Of candidates who fail to reach
the front o. K. many fail because of in
ability to judge distances. Others are
prone to lose their heads on being
confronted with Instructions or when
their brakes fail to work; they can't
meet emergencies.
Many experienced motormen apply
daily by letter or in person for service
in Denver; men from all parts Of the
country, for the local company has a
good reputation away from home
among street car employees. 1t is said
that any motorman or conductor with
good clearance papers from the Denver
City Tramway can get position any
where in the United States, so we'll
recognized are the merits of the school
which it conducts and the efficiency
Of the employees trained therein. The
local management, by the way, prefers
to educate a good healthy farmer boy
right from the start, rather than to
accept of motormen Of years. expert.
ence who have been less carefully
trained by some other company.
There are now about 800 motormen
in the employ Of the Denver Tramway
Company, which has averaged to break
in about 100 new men a year for the
last two or three years. This large
number is accounted for by the fact
that the service has been rapidly in
creasing, instead of being made neces-
sary by the retiring of old employees.
Few men leave the company, much
smaller percentage of loss being re-
corded than in other local industries
employing similar large forces.
1t is the policy of the company to
retain it's experienced men in order to
maintain the highest standard Of eff
ficiency, and it is only the most eff
fcient who are able to stand the severe
test in the local school for motormen.