The Washington herald., 1907-02-24
ONLY BIG MEN TAKEN
MOtOrmen Must Not Weigh
Less Than $50 Pounds.
MUSCLE AND NERVE REQUIRED
Electric Railway Companies Tx
anime the Applicants Morally and
Through Course of Trimming Be
fore Intrusting Cars TO Them.

Washington motormen mast not weigh
less than 150 pounds. This rule was es-
taDIished by the Metropolitan street Rail
way Company. The idea Is to have large
men on the front platform; men whose
strength and physical condition are above
the average As a result, Washington's
motormen are sas fine a lot of men as
control cars i'm any city in the country.
To properly handle q car a man must
possess nerve, as well as muscle. An
other regulation OF the company Is that
each applicant must be at least ) feet Z
inches in height before he is accepted as
one of the employees of the system. Be
fore he is accepted he must pass the
inspection Of medical director, his
health must be good. and his past record
must be above reproach. Before the reg
ulation concerning the weight OF its mo-
tormen was adopted by the Metropolitan
company, many liSht-we.ghts We're en-
pioyed. The best Of these smaller men
are still with the company. but for sew
eral years no motorman has been engaged
who failed to tip the scales at $50 pounds.
Large men are not only more capable OF
handling their ears. the officials say, but
they make better appearance.
Must Have References.
When a man desires to become a motor
man he must apply 70 the superintendent
Of transportation is references-3nd NE
must have references. and the more the
better-are carefully considered. Then
the applicant is turned over TO the medi-
cal inspector lie is examined thoroughly.
a report made on his condition, and il he
meets all the requirements he Is passed
on 10 the instructor Before this is done
his habits are inquired into, and he goes
through a moral, as well as physical eZ-
animation.
Practical demonstrations Of the work
ings OF electricity and a street ear are
given by the instructor A large room
az the Metropolitan car barns, at Four
teenth and East Capitol streets. has been
fitted up for the practical demonstrations.
The new men are formed in classes. Six
at a time they are started through the
course of learning how 20 ran "a car. and
all the rgdiments Of electricity. After
having accomplished this they are put on
cars with older and reliable men 10 learn
the t8ult-- tllt -Le-tFAi-- tits-htos Ali1 Ai4t
running OF a ear under ali the peculiar
difficulties. Eventually. after weeks OF
schooling they are given car.
Demonstrating Room
An electric car minus The ornaments
and the car proper is one of the Driuci-
pal features of the demonstrating room.
The working gear and motors are all
within plain sight Besides. the motors
are connected with the live wires and
the wheels rev0Ive. during the lessons. /
while the car remains stationary. This
has been accomplished by raising the car
from the rails.
First the men are taught how to han
die the brake and the current lever Imi
tation car platforms have been arranged
and the first demonstrations are without
electricity When She motormau has ac-
c0mplished the art of turning on the lever
as is necessary to start a car, aud going
through the act of bringing it 20 a stand (
still by means Of the brake or the re-
verse lever, he IS allowed 60 practice on
the dummy ear. All this takes place
under the supervision OF the instructor. !
an Old and experienced man in the ser
vice. The various uses of electricity. /
and the different parts of the car and
the motor, all of which are apt 90 get out
Of working order at any time. are fully
explained to the motormen-to-bc.
Run Dummy Car.
The dummy car is started and stopped. /
run at fun speed and al a slow pace. /
brought TO a standsdH quickly as in case
of emergency. and. I'm fact. the men are
taught 10 control the car Just as they
would under different conditions on the
line and among the pedestrians crossing I
the different streets. All this is done
by means Of signals from a bell, sup /
posedlv from the conductor Two bells. /
go ahead; one Dell. stop; three bells. back /
up, &c.
After the men are able to run the
dummy CIR to suit the instructor. they
are assigned 10 the care of one of the /
older men on a car that covers the divi- I
sion Oh which the motorman in Darticu-
lar is to work He makes perhaps thir- /
ty or forty trips with the old reliable /
and then he goes to another The new
pupil IS st!il learning. and after he has
run over his division many. many times. I
and with three or four different men. /
and had the car under his own control
under the watchful eye Of the older en- F
ployc, he is finally given a car, aud is a (
fUll-fiedgcd mot0rman Then his trials /
and tribulations with the public. the CON /
ductor, the automobiles, and other veil
hicles begin.
II any one ever imagincs that a com |
plant against a mOtorman or a conductor /
Is not considered by the officials. he is I
sadly mistaken. Every signed complaint /
against employees of the company that is /
sent TO the Office is thoroughly consid- (
cred. And. furthermore. after invcstiga- I
ton, they are fled away under the name /
and number OF the motorman or conduc- (
ttor against whom they are made In
tkis way, the record Of every man on the
road IS within reach Of the superintendent 1
at any time.