Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-19
WILL SOON SING
ITS SWAN SONG
POPULAR METHOD OF TRAVEL BY
RAILROAD SECTION MEN TO
BE REPLACED.
GASOLINE MOTOR COMING
Power Conveyance to Supplant the Fa-
miiar Old Hand Car That Has
Ever Been Feature Of Rail-
way Track Work.

Perhaps it has not occurred to the
great mass of the public, for Of course
the majority of the people are too
busy, but it is nevertheless fact that
the days of the historic hand car on
the railroad are fast reaching an end.
The time is not far distant, and 1t IS
getting closer each day, when this
familiar vehicle of the trackmen's TO-
comotion will be no more. The sight
of crew of men of divers nationali-
ties and ages, with iron bars, spike
mauls, key Of spikes, ETC., as we'll
as dinner pals Of varying sizes and
kinds, heaped upon a small car oper-
ated with power used to develop the
muscles of the arms, back and legs, IS
soon to be replaced by a more mod
ern car. Thus far the new car has not
arrived here for the section men, but
bridge departments and telegraph line
men use them on the local roads. Off
Gals of the division may be seen Gid
ing over the lines to the merry chug-
chug of the gasoline motor, and clip.
ping it off at a thirty mile an hour
clip while making tours of inspection
Soon to Leave.
Within short time, yes a very
short time, there will be no more hand
cars, and the section men will no long
er grow stoop shouldered from pump.
ing heavy machines for dear life while
on their way to work, but will sit COM
fortably on nicely painted and well
arranged motor car. The railroads
have at last begun to make one move
fop the benefit Of this class of their
employees in the buying of motor cars.
All the leading roads in the country
have tried the cars and are beginning
to use them extensively. An Omaha
road, however, goes all it's competitors
one better and announces that the
land car is really man killer, and
that it intends to do away with the old
relic as soon as possible. This road
has made big purchase Of the sec
ton mems motor cars, and from now
on very few Of it's employees will be
forced to work like mules in pumping
the handle while on their way to work.
The motor cars are run by gasoline,
and it is said that almost every type
that has been invented has proved a
success.
The coming of the motor car really
means the beginning of a new era IN
railroading. The railroads have devOt-
ed much attention to the perfectin2
of machinery in order that they might
dispense with superf1uous power and
be able to operate their lines with less
help. AS to safety devices and better
for their employees, how
ever. they have paid little attention.
Therefore, it is no wonder that the ef-
fort to GUST the old hand car creates
much establishment and argument. 1t
has been on this earth so long. has
been seen and observed by everybody,
and has created joys for the young
STEERS. Without it, the section men will
be no longer recognized. Few people
really knew what section man look
ed like unless they saw him pumping
vigorously while his car glided along
the track
Too Good to Believe.
Now, however, it will be different
picture. Imagine a nicely built sec
ton car with comfortable seats, foot
rests and shelves for dinner pals. AS
it glfdes along at a much faster
speed than was possible in the former
days, it's occupants, the good old re-
pairers of the track, sit calmly on the
seats, smoking their pipes and viewing
the scenery. 1t will be great joy to
ride the section mems car then.
In order to get to the place where
the tracks need repairing, the section
man usually has to do an hours hard
work, work that demands great physi-
cal exertion. Then the remainder of
the day he was engaged in the hard
work of handling the heavy iron bar
and swinging the heavy hammer. Aft
er his days work is done he can not
walk to his home and take well de-
served rest, but is forced to pump
vigorously at the handles of the hand
car. His Job indeed is hard one and
gradually the American laborer has
left it, turning it over to the willing
foreigner in whose hands it will I'M
doubtedly remain until all the roads
have adopted the motor section car
exclusively.
The American laborer made the
hand car famous. He was always a
good natured fellow, and if there hap
pened to be any youngsters about who
insisted on having ride, and If the
boss was absent, he would take up his
noon hour giving the kids a joy ride.
His clay pipe is as famous as that
of the hod carrier, and his suit Of
overalls, jacket and SLOUGH hat has
almost taken on the dignity of a uni
form. He was always seen at un-
usual hours. While the greater part
Of the populace were taking the even
ing rest, along the track would rattle
the hand car with its familiar load
Of humans and dinner pals, disturb
ing the evening quiet, but bringing to
the mind thoughts Of childhood mis-
chief, for many a man remembers OF
the days when he ran away from
home for a few hours to take rides on
this ancient vehicle.
With it's disappearance the railroad
will look much changed. The hand
car was the old standby. It has been
in the service since time immemorial.
And since the first one was invented,
its type was never changed. 1t was
always of the same shape, was always
painted red, and always had those self
same handles and mechanism. The
inventor overlooked it until recently.