Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-07
MORE FROM "RAlLRoAD AGENT"
Editor Times-Republican:

Editor Times Republican
Regarding Mr.. Shove's agitation re-
garding law to compel station agents
to bulletin the trains, would first ask
the gentleman to learn the trade and
then see how he would like Ito be the
agent" and undertake this.
If he will study railroading a little
more, instead of picking our work to
pieces and figuring how he can make
a travellers fiunky out OF us. he will
readily see that train cannot be bul.
letined within ten minutes with any
accuracy or in twenty minutes, as they
are liable to vary from regular rum
ming time either way. Train dispatch.
ers who make this their sole business.
cannot make any reliable estimates
twenty minutes ahead. It may be a hot
box, or baggage to load or slow order,
even some bad track and again no two
engines will make the same time under
same conditions. They sometimes have
a heavy train that delays them. OF
course the agent has nothing else to
do but find out these things, so the
travellers won't be uneasy.
The average travelling man expects
an agent to look after him like 4
mother would her babe. They are no..
er on time, but stay at the hotel
some other place until nearly train t.;n
and then come stamping in for a &c
Dental ticket, which takes three time
as long to make as any other forr'
often making the agent late to rhe
platform to meet the train. Often they
ask the conductor to hold while they
can secure a ticket after the train has
arrived. The agent then has to leave
his express before he can get 1t
checked and rustic this man a ticket. In
the rush, I have been short changed,
besides being delayed in my work and
not even "thank you'' have ! ever re-
ceived for it.
Why not have law compelling trav-
ample time? Oh, no, of course not, that
would be an imposition.
It wouldn't work both ways. To
other fellow must not be good"
How many travelling men will lend
a helping hand to an agent in loading
his heavy sample trunks on the truck
no matter how late he was in getting
them there. We are not compelled
to check baggage unless it is on the
platform, and man is there to check
it fifteen minutes ahead of train time,
but you show me one yet that won't
check it up to the last minute and
tear his clothes to pieces in the effort
to get them loaded.
I have run onto a few that would
help me under these circumstances.
This class you generally will find to
be gentlemen at all times, and an
agent can appreciate their good will.
AS to being grouchy, can you show
me any class of working men who
have the amount of work and the
things to contend with that we do?
No. Work day in and day out, Sun
day included, twelve full hours every
day, and be called out of your bed at
night for wrecks, washouts or de-
layed trains, or some person getting
you to open up at 10 or later at night
to get their freight for them, sit up
for late locals, and then put all freight
in the warehouse after they are gone
I think this would make grouchy man
out of even Mr.. Shove.
Another thing, do not think any
hotel could afford to keep room open
for poker playing II he expected It to
be used by railroad agents, even if
there was whole town full Of them
stopping with him. In the first place
they are of a higher standard, and
again they never have time to learn
the game.
A RAILROAD AGENT.