New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-07
TEE RAILWAY EMPLoYE
Is he a Free Man When OF Duty
Free 10 Indulge IN Flowing Bowl!


To the Editor o. Ta- Tribune
S.-. " VOTE issue 81 even date .he-e is
a racctious anecdOte suggested ~ the
order issued b. tho MANAGERS OF tho Del
aware. I.ackawanua & Western Railroad
-,1uir,ns their employees 20 ABSTAIN from
!utoAlcants. on duty o. OF.
There is very l;tio drinking among raj
YEA, mon nowadays compared z" ma
Thor. -..s Cfty vears ago 5at there j.
,,g enough ~ tho evil rampant % make
20 sg-p~aiue tAat more railroad com
nantes have not made public tho rule
a5cnted by .he Iacka wanna and cmphs-
sized us importance. The time was "nen
railroad employees considered u an unjus-
tlaaUle interference with their perso"~i
.u,~ty 70. employers 20 promulgate ru1ei
ag.in-t drinking: but many fata' ac-
.Id.ri has brought about q sentiment
among t.c public that drinking mrn have
no -tgr. 20 Dr. employed ic thc conduct
o. trains Na the growth ~ tuis ~enti-
.aent developed VIC heard ~ saic mat J;
ga, fai- 70 prohibit tranmeu from drink
INK when on duty. but that outside OF
WORKING hours they were az liberty TO
drink OF refrain as inclination prompted.
Melancholy experience soon proved that
tie effect Of drinking While or duty wa
almost ~ disastrous as drinking h!.c a.
y.ora. and iae feeling has grown that
mon ,r o~d.- 90 10 FL:o IN handling
--.lr. must abstain from liquor ar all
tlmce
myself berune . fireman sud then
engine driver Years ago and was brought
into contact with the drinking habits ~
.rairmen. on one % the H-Ft trips I
ruade a. 9 fireman ~ was neccss2r" for
tie engine TO return 20 headquarters
Ush.. The driver took advantage Of this
90 stop - q station r~rrcshmcuL room
,D'sros that promoted drinking iu ,hosc
dave. aud De STAYED there long enough
10 get roaring fou." 7s the saying vas
Whom lc came 20 the locomotive he
threw 70 into gear arc opened tho throt-
lie. starting the engine ~ IKE q
bird Al the Same time he slipped and
fell upon the slippery deck and could not
rise. III r few minutes he fell into g.
drunken sleep and ran the engine home,
hardly knowing how 10 handl. t. NJ tx
poriance migi.t enable Mo 10 tell % many
similar incidents.
A peculiar ard dangerous thing about
drinking trsinmen is the way .hey viii
screen one another from detection. Thirty
ycsgs ago / Wa IN charge OF the engine
men on Western railroad. ard we had
several bad accidents due 20 drink. one
time a train was DELAYED n the va-d ana
went out 70 investigate the cause and
vas told thar the engineer had not
turned up. Presently he was seen sp-
preaching the conductor. the mead brake
man leading Rim. lie was SO drunk that
no could not walk alone. They were will
Ing to trust that man 10 run the engine.
That was. az 7 say. thirty years ago. and
since thcn better sentiment has developed
all over.
Scots railway mon used 20 be very free
Ia indulging IN the dram, but there Is a
radical change there now. Two years
ago I met All old fellow IN a Scotch town
and invited him 10 take a drink "Tako
d drink" he exclaimed. Man. IL would
DO as much as my lob is worth" And he
was or duty
SO the world moves. Anything that can
keep that move going among American
railroad men will contribute 10 safety OF
travel ANGUS SINCLAIR.
Editor Railway Locomotive Enelneerine
New York. aug. g. 49,.