The Washington herald., 1921-08-28

To4ay tne Boy9 Sunaay
'uHerald presents its second arti-
Gle DEALING with vacations. Il
win pay ysa wen to read all the
articles ~ they are not eolored.
but give yoa straight facts On
the occupation described. In to-
day. article the conductor is
considered.
The eonduetor-s job In not an
easy one. Il does net only mean
standing mp In the rear end OF
the car and collecting money
Rnd handing cut nm occasional
transfer. Il o. q job OF respon-
.dbflity, ~ the accompanying
article win show.
The conductor must know .
little Of everything. He must
.---be . clerk know how to check
up his runs, check mp his re-
eeipts and take care of HIS car.
His In also an executive posi-
don The conductor II I'm charge
Of the ear. II any accidents
happen he is responsible for
them He must get all names I'm
case OF accidents In the car
all must obey him. II some
thing happens while the car II
In motion the conductor takes
entire charge. He directs the
passeng-rs to . safe place. In
all Il is . situation with hun
dreds OF phases
Tickets. please. step hely there.
plenty Of room in the front OF the
carl"
All day and all night conductors
are on the Job transporting their
fellow humans. At midnight, when
the theater crowds are going home
before dawn, when milkmen are
starting the days work; at day
break, when early laborers leave
home; at the beginning Of the Of
fee day, conductors are collecting
separate ways
Many of them rise at o'clock in
the morning, eat breakfast In a
iunch room. and begin work at Z
o'clock, after having looked to the
signs, ventilators. and lights on
their cars and gotten together
tickets. transfers, counting slips
md manifests which constitute
their traps"
.spotterso Watch Him.
On the counting sheets and man
ifsst. each man must keep his rec
ord of fares received, total up the
days receipts in cash, in transfers
a nd eight different kinds Of tickets
lie is checked up in this. Count
rs" or -spotters," sometimes ride
Na-the cars, counting the passen-
Sers- II the conductors manifest
does not tally with the spoilers
t6tal. the conductor must make up
the difference from his own pocket
The average run" of a conductor
is ten hours But many conductors
have swing runs" when their time
Is broken ~ two shifts OF Eve hours
each Some men work from 6:55 a
m to $50 O. m. and then Swing on
until 4:3o o'clock IN the afternoon,
when they again start on the job.
Used to Have Dances.
Some of the car barns have pool
rooms for the men where they may
comfortably spend their daylight
hours on duty. Two years ago
there used to be conductors dances
and excursions. These have died
have time tor the recreation. Every
CONDUCTOR Is entitled to one day in
very eight. but he does not know
until the evening before what day
it is 70 be. When there is a short
age OF extra men he only gets two
lays on a month.
1T doesn't do for a conductor to
make dates with his girl" one old
fellow said 1T just gets MIN into
: rouble. Perhaps that's why So few
"OKductors are married. They Just
'ou't have time for a courtship."
The Extra Men.
In every barn there are fifty or
xty extras" men who have no
''cfinite hours but fill In when need
@ti. Their hours for the next day
7re put up on n slate, and those
" no had the shortest runs" yester-
say, have the longest today. All
,onductorswant long runs because
hey are paid by the hour. The first
:hree months Of work they receive
" cents an hour. after six months.
f'~.cents, and after one year, 81
roRts.
Ehe average conductor has q ten
hour run and receives $50 a day.
The more experienced men usually
ChooSe all-nighr work as 1t usually
provides twelve hours steady work.
onductors buy their own uni
forms. paying Sass q suit.
A majority OF the conductors like
the work and stay in II. Many have
hsen in the business for thirty
Years ard began when horsedrawn u
csrs were used In Washington.