Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-05-19
TREATISE OF UNION PACIFIC
AIMS TO PROMOTE GOOD
MANNERS.
HOW TO GUIDE THE TlMlD TRAV-
ELER AND sooTHE THE
IRRtTE BILE.

that IOliShed nODleman Llan dH.
other class Of workers-lndeed, con
sidering the inane questions they are
often asked, their patience is remark
obie-but consider their being the
particular objects OF a treatise CO
good manners. The employees in ques'
ton are those of the Union Pacific
Railroad company ana the treatise
was published recently by the educa
tional bureau of information of that
railway. It's title is The Value OF
Courtesy. The chief of bureau, Mr.
d. &. Buell., when asked how the
pamphlet come to be put forth, said:
The origin of this pamphlet was
in the desire of the railroad officials
to have all the employees courteous tt
the patrons of the company under any
and all conditions. AS to the effect
of such an essay distributed to all
our employees, you must realize it is
hound 20 do some good; it will not
make them all courteous, nor change
the human nature of some of them,
but it is bound to help
The admirable Chesterfield is quot
ed several times in the pamphlet, but
perhaps NEST effectively in these
words.
by manners, / do not mean COM
mon ciyility; everybody must have
that, who would not be kicked out Of
good company; but | mean engaging,
in inuating, shining manners; dis
tinguished politeness, an almost ire
sistibie address, superficial grace
fitness in all you say and do"
Nervousness on the Rail.
the essay cites physiological fact,
Of which the common run of people
are probably unaware, when it says:
The patrons of a road are ~pecu-
Garly nervous when making a jour
ney, the cause for this undoubtedly
being due to the sensations incident
to the disturbance of their daily hab-
its and routine. 1t may be accepted
0s q general proposition that large
percentage Of the passengers on a
erain are in a more or less abnormal
condition, ranging from uneasiness
to positive hysteria or nervous pros
tration. Conductors running west of
Cheyenne can call to mind many
cases where such conditions have be-
come manifest by a passengers at
tempting to jump from a train or COM
nit suicide. In many cases passen-
gers have succeeded in doing them
selves bodily harm. This abnormal
condition is accentuated by the high
altitude, and indicates the conditions
that exist in milder form with near
ly all of the passengers unusud to
railroad travel. This semi-dementia
commences when the patron arrives
at the ticket window and remains un-
Til the journey is ended and normal
conditions are restored by rest and
quiet"
Again it says:
1.-The things which seem to irri-
tate the patrons of railroad are at
times incomprehensible to the agents.
conductors Or employees, with whom
such patrons come in contact. Such
patrons may ask questions which
seem irrelevant; they may make un-
reasonable demands or demands that
cannot be complied with. Dismissal
to be obtained through influence is
frequently threatened in the attempt
to obtain discrimination or preferen-
tlal attention. No attention should be
paid to such singularities-not
personal is Intended
Pleasant Answers.
Mr. BuellS homily gives counsel
what is probably the conductors ana
the ticket agents chief bugbear:
Questions must be answered care
fully and correctly and with a cheer
fulnesS that does not repel nor dis
courage the questioner. They may
seem irrational or even silly; it must
remembered. however, that the rail
road, with its complex and changing
rules and schedules, is to a greater
or less extent mystery to some
eighty millions of people; even the
SAP~ANS are put " tLSlf WIS emu 10
avoid mistakes or misunderstood
ings."
Government ownership is not highly
regarded by the author of the pam
phlet. for he says:
While on government owned and
s operated roads in foreign countries
there is perhaps more servility. there
is less civility"
Again he remarks:
1t is not necessary in this country,
as in Europe, to purchase attention
or information from employees. Let us
keep it so. May the day be long dis
tant when the American railroad ma,
will be dubbed servant and humil
lated with tips until he loses his self
aspect"
The pamphlet ends with this sen
e5le injunction:
For his own personal good and ths
strengthening of his character, every
employee should give the soft answer
that turneth away wrath and cult