The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-30

General OIflceS a., Il. * ,. +. IN
manual system and the only thing to
prevent a successful operation is a dis
abled signal tower or disabled tele-l
graph system and this would affect the
electrical system similar to the manual
system.
The employees of this department
must be familiar with the weather
conditions and the conditions of the
signal system from one end of the line
to the other.
The tie and timber department,
which is under the direction of c. F.
W. Felt, is responsible for the pur-
chase of ties and lumber, which is re-
quired for use by this company.
The engineering department Of the
system and that representing the East
ern Grand division employs forty-nine
persons, This department keeps the
record of every bit of track. the tun-
nels, the mines and many other things
along this line. Not only the records
of the tracks and mines are known but
concerning the depths of the mines,
the grade of the tracks. the degree of
the curve and much other information
which is unfafn liar to the average per-
son in civil life.
The Telegraph Department.
The telegraph department, under L.
M. Jones as superintendent, employs
number are telegraph operators and a
number of them can be found on duty
at all hours of the Gay. The work in
this department has never been stop
ped since it was first established. 1t is
necessary that several operators be on
duty at night to receive reports and
correspondence for the various officers
and to transmit replies or other COM
m unications for points along the line.
1t is necessary that this work be con-
s~~fa% hot -
disposed of and ready for delivery at
the beginning of Office hours the next
day. The volume of business through
this Office is so great, that it would be
practically impossible to transact all
the business during the day, because a
large number of telegraph wires would
be necessary and in addition to that
there is correspondence and reports
received which could not be handled
conveniently during the day time. The
telegraph department is on the second
floor, but Mr.. Jones maintains his Of
flee on the third floor.
The third floor is used by the office
of John W, Movers, the car account
ant, which employs 100 persons. This
department receives daily reports from
stations along the line which contains
the number and initial of every car on
hand, every car that has been received
and every car that has been forwarded.
With the aid of this report, it is pos
sible to compile the performance of
every car, the number of tons hauled,
the number of miles hauled and any
other information concerning any car
of the system. 1t is also possible to
learn the number of cars of other sys-
TENS which are in use along the lines
of the system and the number of Santa
F'e cars which are in use on other lines. |
The fourth floor contains the Office
of Pat Walsh, the general baggage
agent, Ed CARTRIDGE, the tax commits |
sioner and Harry Hobson, the signal
lamp Inspector of the system. Nine |
baggage agents department. Patl
Walsh, the veteran baggage agent, is |
in charge and one of the best known |
officers of the system.
Five persons are employed in the |
office of Mr.. CARTRIDGE of the tax de-
partment. The persons in this depart |
ment look after the interests of the |
to see that the property is not |
assessed at greater valuation, to see |
that the taxes in each county are prop
erly computed and to recommend the
payment of the same. The taxes of tn e |
81 ,000,0 600 per year. The company |
pays one-sixth of the taxes of Shawnee |
To consider the affairs concern |
ing the property of the company in |
Shawnee county alone and to consider |
that the officers must give every other |
county through which the railroad |
company maintains lines in the twelve |
states, one wonders that five persons |
are able to accomplish SO much work |
The Office of the Land department |
four persons 1t is up to this |
department to secure land for addi- |
tional right of way for building tracks,
land for erecting buildings and for any
other reason for which additional land |
is required. These persons must be
Onpetent Judges of the value of such /
lands, have accurate knowledge of the |
titles and abstrac cts of land and in fact 1
have all the knowledge of a real estate /
agent, abstracter or any other person
in business pertaining to this
subject.
The Office of H. S. Montgomery, gem
eral watch and clock inspector, is also
located on this floor. This department.
employs 1873 persons. A large portion
of this number are employed at points
along the line as division inspectors.
Inspectors must be employed at all di- /
vision points or functions along the |
line. The accuracy of the watch of
the trainmen is an absolute necessity.
BY this it is possible to operate trains
with a reduced danger of collisions
and enables the train crews to get over
the division with their train with more /
accuracy than would be possible were
less attention given to the time pieces. /
The watches of the men in train SER
vice must be tested thoroughly oncel
odcn year. must undergo a IhOrOugn
once each month and a less
important inspection once each month
In addition to that each man in train
service must compare his watch with
standard clock before beginning each
trip and must register its condition on
blanks maintained for that purpose.
All these reports are kept onlfiIe in this
department.
The Secret Service.
The secret service department, under
the direction of H. H. German, is re-
sponsible for the arrest and prosecu-