New-York tribune., 1920-10-17
N|Othln85 FlSQ Matters
by CONQAD QIOTEp
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bony head with plastered black hair
and eyes nearly as light as water.
A hundred yards away, in the lit
tie regulation yellow and brown Of
flee Of the assistant yardmaster, he
found strikingly different atmos-
phere. Two or three young fellows
in shirtsleeves were hustling copy
into canvas covered books that
looked like a bookkeeper's journal.
A sturdy, quiet man Of forty, with
his back turned toward the door, was
flirting car tickets into the slanted
pigeonhoes above his table desk with
an ease and certainty that never
missed.
The remarkable thing about this
man, Dick noticed in moment, was
his coolness. Although there was a
busy aiEabout the place, he went un-
hurriedly about his work, as if he
was enjoying every detail of it. At
Dicks question he turned and re-
garded him with candid eyes.
eyes, SIR after moment he de-
clared heartily. 1--WE need a clerk,
a booker for the outbound" His
eyes wrinkled with friendly interest.
What schooling have you had?"
Dick thought quickly. He had
better play the game right.
"Not very much" he confessed,
choking as he thought of his college
sheepskin. II can read and write
pretty decent and figure q Bit"
At the assistant yardmaster's re-
quest he gave him painfully studied
samples Of writing and reading.
Good enough" said the yard
master.
Il forgot to tell you,' STAN
mered Dick Il saw the chief yard
master a few minutes ago about a
job, and he said he had no work
for bum. I don't want to get you
into trouble"
"He won't bother u.s. smiled the
assistant cheerfully. Don't you
mind what he said Sometimes d
man forgets for a minute that you
can't always tell lad by the style
shirt he has on"
" Y EVENING Dick was booking
1 } green, white, red, blue and yel
low car tickets as if he had done
1t all his life-the green for empties,
the white for loaded cars, the red for
stock and "perishable" and the blue
and yellow from other roads.
Scott, the assistant yardmaster
seemed to pay 10 further attention
to him, but after the days work he
took him to a nearby railroader's s
boarding house and volunteered to
stand good for him. That was only
one of the little things Dick saw this
man do from time to time for one
or another of the hundred men un-
der him. Dick tried to understand
how man with his signal business
and executive ability in the railroad
game was being held at the job of
assistant yardmaster. He began tc
make inquiries.
"Him" exclaimed chunky East
Penn freight conductor with a red
face and shiny green-blue celluloid
collar. "He has more brains and
nerve than any man his age on the
: road. No matter how bad he's tied
up here, did you ever see him get
ratified or without time to answer 6
question or kid a man? Did you
: ever see him get himself in a hole
or leave the yard in hard shape for
the night people, the way they near
ly always leave it for him."
"Then why isn't he chief yard
master, or trainmaster, or super
intendent or something's" demanded
Dick.
"Why?" repeated the conductor
"Why? Why, because he's been try
ing to get Olson and the night PEG
= rle to quit dropping high explosives
Gown any old track, up against any
Old car, prop or piping or any ole
ching, against company rules anl
against the law. Does Whitman
make Olson listen? He does not
: Before that Scott tried to make hi.
Il own men here in the yard quit cut
e ting off high explosives. so they Z
= have to back them up, like the rule.
d say. Did Whitman back him up'
e He did not.
f "And before that, about thre,
h years ago. when Scott came her,
from the W. & n, he handed Whit
d man and the other yardmaster:
n some quicktire suggestions on how
e to hustle up this old muscle bound
S always tied-up yard Did Whitman
|. say Amen and hand the plans or