The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-06
Choosing an Occupation
a Series of Helpful Papers for Boys on the Thresh.
old Of Life.
WRITTEN Fob THE SUNDAY JOURNAL BY NATHANIEL c. FOWLER, JR.
###a& RALRoAD.@a2# %@&
Life of the Ranroad &Man-The$ Prep raton Needed-The Opportunities Of
#M#& feredBby This Permanent Calling. #fE
THE RAILROAD,

The life Of the Railroad Man-The Prep
fered by This Pei
Copyright, 1905, by Nath'l c.. fowler, Jr,t
~HE railroad business is divided
into two distinct and widely
: separated branches, the operating
department and the business depart
ment. The operating department
is responsible for the running of
trains and for all that directly pertains
to the mechanical action of the road.
The business department. does the
inanciering, fixes. the rates, is in charge
Of the clerical forces, and attends to
the business part Of ~railroading; and,
further, exercises a. general supervision
over the operating department.
"A RAILROAD is#a corporation, operated
under the official direction Of aboard
of directors which is elected annually
by the stockholders. This board of
directors is in control Of every depart
ment, and delegates it's power to it's
active and appointed officials.
For sake of convenience and expedi7
ency, the board Of directors elects, as
it's representatives, what are known as
railroad officials; a president, one or
more, vice presidents, a treasurer, with
his assistants, a generalTsuperintendent,
with any number of assistant superin-
tendents, a chief engineer a master
mechanic, with his assistants, a general
freight agent and assistants, a general
passenger agent with one or more as
s%istants, in some cases a general man
ager and a traffic manager, and the
department heads, with their assistants.
All of these officials may or may not
be: directly elected by, the board of
directors, as it is usual for the. chiefs
to appoint some>of their assistants
+ 4 J.
The president is not always the work
ing head of the railroad. He may not
be a practical railroad man., and may
hold his office on account of his bust
ness capacity, which enables him to
finance any commercial enterprise. But
most railroad presidents are practical
men understanding railroading in gen
eral and often it's management even to
the smallest detail '< 1~.I -"
The vice president, if active, usually
has some distinct duties and is in
charge of certain important matters.
The treasurer, as his name implies, is
the custodian of the railroads. money,
The secretary may or may not occupy
a 2position Of responsibility. 1t is his
official duty to keep the records of the
meetings and to perform such other
functions as may be designated by the
board Of directors" His position is, tc
an extent, clerical. >2rsr- H.
The general superintendent is the ex
ecutive officer of the operating side
OF the road, and is responsible fol
everything outside Of the clerical anc
financial departments; except that he
does not, as a rule, interfere with thu
duties of the general freight, passen
ger and ticket agents. He is almos1
Invariably a mechanical experts sand al
ways a observation-disclosures understand,
the, ~handling ofqlarge8bodies Of men.
Inc chief engineer occupies a posi-
ton equal to that Of the general super
intendenf,E and in some Cases he out
ranks him in salary and in Importance
He has charge of the civil engineering
and Of other Matters A railroad mus
be surveyed and constructed, with, it
bridges, tunnels and track work, be
fore the trains can be run, and til
chief engineer is responsible for .!this
work, and for the constant rebuilding
acknowledgements ofsIthe~ road. .d..>
~ 5:~ .&.--<; i. II + ! @7tF
" Large railroads are divided intoHdivi
sions, each Of which5is under the zdirec
ton Of a district or division superin
tendent, who, IN turn, is responsible
to the general superintendent. oA*2
The general freight agent! has charg,
OF the freight department., a position O.
much responsibility. The offices O:
general passenger and ticket agent ar,
usually combined under one man, a,
the duties Of each are frequently to,
similar tx" warrant separation. Thi
official has charge of the railroad
passenger business, including tn
ticket offices. >
The master mechanic is at the hea,
of the Mechanical work Of the road
and is responsible for the condition o
the locomotives and cars. q
X + = + -'' "
The principal railroad officials ar
well paid, their salaries ranging from
a few thousand dollars to as much a
: 100000 a year. This higher figure
t however, has never been paid to NOR
than a few railroad presidents. Com
paratively few presidents Of railroad
receive less than $4,000 a. year, an
$4,000 is by nc means an unusual fe
ure; in fact, there are quite a.numbe
drawing salaries, in excess of $500
a year. .aatG !. -+
The average salary enjoyed by tb
, railroad. official, whose position is. no
relatively lower than that of the gen
!, eral passenger and ticket agent, is no
far from $4,000 a year, and it is doubt
) full if any competent head of a responsj
bic department ever1receives less tina:
$1,000. Railroad clerks and other en-
ployees receive salaries similar to thos
paid by the regular mercantile houses
They have, up to a certain point, tn
same opportunity for advancement as i
enjoyed by those occupying simila
positions in general business. But i
must be borne in mind that the clerica
! ! railroad employee has little chance 0
becoming a factor in the controllin;
ownership, as this is likely to be he'll
! by capitalists who may not have any
thing to do with the active manage
ment, and who. sconane their action t
the dictation Of the railroads policy
, The clerical railroad employee has lii
Z - y -E& $50 49, ~ - - - @a EEs {, E. -