Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
all concerned with the known tendency of
the well L m med MIST q nm


e>well-gummed postage stamp.
The men who actually run the flyers reach
this enviable distinction by the process of
seniority. The Oldest crews have the pick
crews draw lots. The faster train, the
more desirable 1t is from the viewpoint of
the crew. train that gets over a division
In two hours less time than any other
train gives the crew taking it out a de-
cided advantage in the lay over. Then. too.
a flyer, as a matter of course, makes the
fewest possible number of stops compatible
with good railroading, and the fewer the
stops, the less the strain of responsibility
and work demanded of the crew.
The seniority method is humanity certain
of tnsurng the best crews to the fastest
trains 1t takes years for an engineer to
crawl up among the seniors, he having first
to prove his fitness as brakeman, fireman,
engineer on a switch engine later on varf-
Gus kinds of freight trains, then on accom-
modations, and SO on. So with the con-
ductor. starting the meanest of freight
brakemen; and so with the trainmen under
him.
Though the fleetness of the train lessons
q crews responsibility in some respects,
the strain is by no means light, and es
pecially in the case of the engineer. AS a
result, after he has taken out his train, had
his lay-over at the other end of the division,
there hooked on to and taken back the
flyer bound In the opposite direction, he
lays off the next day for the good Of his
nerves. Meanwhile his monster steel pot is
guided along the steel way by another hand.
The men who run the flyers have seen
all the way from thirty to fifty years Of
service with their respective roads. Both
by reason Of their long experience and the
rigid tests they have had to meet time
after time, they are the very best men to
be obtained anywhere for the work in hand.
After they have risen to flyer runs, they
are still subjected at stated intervals to
sight and color tests, among others, and
to keep their high posts they must pass all
tests with flying colors. The story is told
of an engineer who succeeded to certain
roads fastest train, two months later failed
to pass the sight test, and was compelled
to leave the service before he had got what
could be called a good taste of the run he
had been looking forward to for over ten
years.
A steadier lot of men could not be found
than they who make up the crews OF the
flyers. Only men who have made 1t a habit
to take the best care Of themselves can
hope to pass all the required tests as well
at the age of sixty and seventy years as at
thirty and forty. 1t is a noteworthy fact
that the big majority Of the men who take
out flyers are acquainted with intoxfcants
quite number do not smoke, and prac-
tically every mothers son Of them may be
said to lead what Is popularity described as
a quiet home life
The one great fact to be set forth as
u
track cleared for it for several miles ahead
for as much as five and ten minutes be-
fore It is due to pass.
The Importance of this clearance order,
as 1t Is technically known, is readily real
lied by the lay mind. Without such an
order being rigidly enforced 1t would be
we'll nigh impossible for flyers to exist; for
so great is their speed that they could not
fit with any considerable degree of safety
on the more or less narrow margin of meet
Ing and passing trains that is customary
to ordinary trains, passenger and freight.
IL sometimes happens that when a rail-
road man disobeys an order ne will get
only reprimand or lay-ofr. But not SO
II he falls to be out of the way of flyer
the prescribed time. No matter how good
his excuse may be (wreck and breakdown
excepted, of course), 1T is not taken, and
summary dismissal is his lot. railroad
cannot afford to be other than czarlike con-
corning the clearance order, for on It's
strict observance depends a flyers safety
One flyer that has a ten-rninute clearance
is the Empire State Express. Length of
clearance depends almost wholly on the
rate OF speed.
OF course. all the usual precautions of
railroading are observed when a FLYER
flies, but when all is said and done about
block signal systems. locked switches, and
so on, the how of the flyer must be sought
in the clearance order and its tyrannical
enforcement
The accommodations offered TO the tray
eler ON any one of the flyers covering the
distance between New York and Chicago
in less than twenty -four hours are indeed.
luxurious, to use a descriptive word IA
vored of railroad literature
Have you wearied of looking at the 81
santic scenic panorama? Almost ct your
elbow Is a library, which is practically GER
tain to contain your favorite author, and
fafJIx
odical is on file. Are you accustomed to
reading yourself to sleep at night? Then
DO not neglect TO take a book 10 your berth
ior ~ mas been thoughtfuily equipped with
an electric reading lamp.
Perhaps You caught the Twentieth Gen.
tury Limited or the Pennsylvania Special
on the run--did not have time TO get g.
mueh-needed shave? In the car ahead Is
an expert barber. who will shave you for
% cents. shampoo you for twice the sum-
cut your hair for another 50-cent piece and
for still another treat you to a thorough
massage. And by the way, would YOU
like bath on rising In the morning-is
this one of your home luxuries? Then
seek the barber, and tell him what kind OF
bath You desire-hot cold or sea salt. The
price is 10 cents-and tip of course
This barber stands ready to be of sery-
ice TO you In quite number of other ways.
Put your wrinkled suit in his hands when
you retire for the night and In the morn
ing ne VIII bring II to you neatly pressed.
and make you poorer by only a dollar and
quarter. Maybe you'd like only your
trousers pressed7 He'll do that for Is
cents-perform any valet service that Won
may demand, so that in-eyery respect YOU
VIII be able to present yourself. looking
Mt as fiddle, at the office OF the man YOU
are hurrytng at breakneck speed to see.
At the beck and call of your wife Is q
deft-fingered maid. who will sponge and
press her 81 Its and skirts, marcel her hair.
manicure her finger tips-even dress her Il
desired. And luxury. indeed electric Curl
tnS iron heaters are provided In the wo-
mems dressing rooms. and there too are
dainty little dressers before which your
wife may primp in boudoir comfort to her
hearts content
A stenographer is In the observation car:
II you want TO write the letters yourself.
the library has writing desk holding sta
tionery expressly prepared for use on the
flyer You can enjoy friendly game OF
cards in section OF the same car set apart
for this particular form of recreation Or
perhaps you'd rather iuxuriously stretch
yourself on one OF the sofas In the observa-
ton car, while your wife. seated In large
comfortable chair close by, contentediy sips
cup of afternoon tea. served In exquisite
china manufactured exclusively for use on
the flyer.