Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-17
THE RAILROAD HoUsEKEEPER.
Other Things Than Locomotives and
Cars Used by Big System.

From Chambers Journal
When we think Of a railway we gener-
ally think of the locomotives and cars
which make up the trains. the track on
which they move and the depots and
booking offices where we get our trans
portation. So one would imagine that
most of what d railway company needs
to buy is its rolling stock, the rails and
ties for its track. the fuel and water
for its engines. But such are only few
OF the necessities OF great moLern sys-
TEN such those which cross the
United States. Indeed. the money ex-
pended or articles which would not &C.
cur to us is so large that it seems al
most beyond belief
The fact is that such railroad must
provide u multitude of things. especially
where 1t operates cars where travellers
cannot only sleep. but have their meals
as in a hotel. So the company may en-
ploy Il purchasing agent. who might bet
Ter be called the general hoasekeeper."
He buys neCcssaries fer Tie cars and for
the derots. and it is part of his bust
ness to see nov much money he can save
for tie company by selling material
which Is no longer OF any value to it,
To give idea of the Importance of
railroad housekeeping" as ii might be
called. we viii take one of the larger
companies OF the United States whose
trains run over several thousand miles
of track. During one year the general
900" brooms to keep the stations and
Offices of the company clean. Twenty
thousand boxes Of soap. 1900 scrubbing
brushes and similar number of hand
mops also figured in the expenditures
The houSekeepers of the Individual sta
tons and offices represent q formida Bile
army. Upward of 10000 of these are en-
ployed AT many of the small stations
the agent is his own housekeeper, ticket
seller, telegrapter and general freight
agent. but at tie large stations scruDberS
and cleaners are employed by the year
The employees and officials Of a big rail-
way must have pens. ink. paper and even
pins The quantity of pins bought by the
general housekeeper and distributed TO the
employees weighed over 1000 pounds.
Forty thousand pens were also used. and
fifty barrels of ink There were enough
lead pencils used TO reach from Chica 80
| TO New York and half way back again
! II they We're placed end to end The
care of the linen of single trunk line
is an important task. No hotel or series
OF hotels offers Il comparison.
The napkins and table linen for the din
! ing service of this railway mount up &c
thousands OF dollars. and tie towels and
bed linen for the sleeping cars represent
nearly as many more. The annual laun
dry of the sleeping and dining car service
/ amounts 10 an expenditure of 5000
although ii is nearly all done by steam
machinery. To keep up the supply OF
! linen upward OF lO0U0 separate pieces OF
linen are purchased annually On this
/ line more money is spent on the table
/ and bed linen than on such apparently
i important articles car brackets fol
/ hats and coats or cushion seats for pas
| -engers. Yet so careful is the system tina,
! every napkin towel tablecloth, sheet OF
! pillow case must be accounted for, and
/ not one can be lost without some ade-
| quate explanation.
So numerous are the dining car and
cafe cars on this railway that to supply
them with all the necessary provisions
and articles of diet to suit the most fas-
| tidtoUS the general houSekeeper purchases
| wholesale quantities all along the line
| This railroad system will want upward OF
| $500 barrels OF flour a year for the din
J ing car service. 5000 pounds of poultry
1OCOO quarters of beef and tons Of fruit
! pastry coffee and vegetables.