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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (May 15, 1909)
Auto 1556 u JOT MINTING AT THE OFFICE OF The Wagcworkcr We are prepared to handle all kinds of Printing Cards to Newspapers. Have you tried us? No! Very likely we can do you good. Wageworkcr 144 North 14th Bell 333 A Matter of Expense HE EXPENSE IS ALWAYS A CONSIDERATION WITH THE WAGE EARNER, but if you im agine the use of Gas for Fuel is more expansive than coal, you'vs T y another think coming. The Cost of Gas Fuel Gas is cheaper than coal and it is al ways at hand, no matter how cold or hot the day; no matter, how stormy the weather, we deliver the fuel into the kitchen. And you can save just one-half the fuel bills by using gas. We are able to prove this assertion. You will save health, time and temper, too. A Modern Gas Range is a time-saving tool that the housewife is en titled to. We have them in the best and most reliable makes. Come in and see them. Open evenings for your convenience. Let us dem onstrate to you the economy of using fuel gas. Lincoln Gas & Elec tric Light Company OPEN EVENINGS JPORTl ikHOWEn STRONG I CLOSER TO PATRONS ON THE DEFENSE IDEA OF RAILROAD OFFICIAL IN HIGH POSITION. BOSTON AND WASHINGTON LED AMERICAN LEAGUE IN HOLD ING DOWN OPPONENTS. Bobby Wallace, the star shortstop of the St. Louis American league teamj roTes to recall an incioeni uiai Hap pened back in the "90's Just after Te- beau had assigned him to third base for the Cleveland team. Up to that time Bobby's only usefuli ness to the Cleveland club had been his well-known ability to pitch against the Brooklyn and hold them scoreless. The Trolley Dodgers were as help less before him as the Naps have gen erally been against Barney Pelty. Cleveland opened at CincinnaU thrt year that Wallace blossomed out into a third baseman, and Bobby's playing in that initial series was probably the most remarkable exhibiUon that up to that Ume had ever been seen, with' the possible exception of Jerry Den ny's great work. Wallace and Tabeau occupied con necting rooms at the Gibson house, and about two a. m. a delegaUon of CincinnaU and Cleveland newspaper men borrowed a pass key and invaded the suite. Tebeau was roused from his slumbers by the late Harry Wel den and shown a "phony" telegram from Cleveland, reading: President Roblson wired Manager Tebeau to-night ordering immediate release of Wallace." Tebeau read the message over two or three times in a sleepy fashion. "Is this true?" finally asked Wel- den. while all the other newspaper men turned their backs to hide their smiles. 'True?" snarled Tebeau. tearing the message into bits and making a spring at the newspaper boys. "I don't care what Robison says. I wouldn't trade Bobby Wallace for your whole darned CincinnaU team with John T. Brush thrown in." FIGURES FROM LAST SEASON Walter L. Ross, Who Began as Office Boy, Gives His Views of Policy Which He Believes Will Win Success. .Fewer Runs Scored Against Tail-End Teams Than Against Detroit Lati ter Club Scored Moit Runs Against New York Interesting Statistics for Baseball "Fans." Robert Spade, the star pitcher of the Cincinnati club, who up to the present writing, has been unable to come to an understanding on the J ! salary question, was born in Akron, O., January 4, 1879. He first attracted attention as a hard-hitting lnfielder and pitcher with the independent team of Kent, O. He started his pro fessional career with the Youngstown club in 1896. After that year he played independent ball season after season throughout northern Ohio until .1905, when he Joined the Jacksonville club, of the South Atlantic league. Be fore that seaso l was over he was traded to the Macon club. In the fall I lot 1905 he was drafted by the St ,txuis National league club. Later he was released to the Atlanta club of the Southern league. With tht team be did such splendid work all season that the Cincinnati club drafted him in 1908. In this season he was used as a substitute pitcher for naif the season, and in mid-season would have been turned over to the New York club but for a waiver technicality. The failure of the deal proved a lucky thing for the Cincinnati club, as there after Spade found himself, and in the second half of the season proved the Cincinnati team's winning pitcher and mainstay. A great many tales are told about the effect of the wind on the ball when it is in the air, but these two stories are told by veracious players. Charley Babb says he was playing in Portland. Ore., on a very windy day and he popped up a foul fly. He turned around and saw that the ball was go ing over the grandstand high in the air. Then a strange thing happened. It was caught by a gust of wind, start ed back, and the catcher caught It jwithout moving from his position. Squally remarkable is this experience of Fred Clarke, who says he never "credited the stories about the high winds on the Pacific coast until he saw the effect on a baseball with his own eyes. He was playing in a game In San Frarelsco and clouted the ball hard enougn to, he thought, drive It to the center-field fence. It went in that direction, and the center fielder started to run back of his regular po sition for it. But the wind caught the ball and carried it back. The center fielder doubled in his tracks, but the jball beat him. and dropped ten feet back of the pitcher. Both Boston and Washington sur passed the pennant-winning Tigers in defensive work last season in the American league, only 516 runs being scored against the Boston Red Sox and 537 against Washington, against 554 against Detroit. Philadelphia was almost on a par with the Tigers in defensive work. folding its opponents to 562 runs, or eight more than Detroit. Against New York opposing teams scored 713 runs, an average of almost 102 for each team, and more than five to each game. Detroit scored most runs against New York, 119. It fell 20 below this total with Philadelphia, Chicago held the Tigers to 92 runs, Boston to 89. Washington to 88 and St. Louis to 87. while the Tigers found the Naps a big stumbling block, scoring only 73 runs against Lajoie's crowd. Like Detroit, Cleveland found New York easy when it came to scoring runs. It ran up a total of 110 against the Highlanders, and almost equaled the number against Detroit, scoring 101. It counted 92 times against Phil adelphia, 84 against Boston, 73 against Chicago. 62 against St. Louis, while Cantillon's Washington crowd lived up to its reputation as Nap hoodoos by holding Larry's boys to 57 runs. Boston counted 91 times against Philadelphia, 89 against Detroit. 80 against St Louis, 79 against New York. 75 against Chicago, 73 against Washington and Cleveland. St. Louis also found New York easy, scoring 109 runs, following with 84 against Washington. 77 against Phila delphia and Detroit. 69 against Cleve land. 67 against Chicago, and 61 against Boston, the latter club being almost as big a hoodoo to the Browns as was Washington to the Naps. Chicago scored 90 runs against New York, 89 against Boston, 79 against Detroit and St Louis, 72 against Washington and only 49 against Cleveland, this latter being the smallest total runs scored by any one team against another in which two teams played 23 games instead of 22. the scheduled number. Philadel phia, sixth in the list, scored 92 runs against New York. 76 against Detroit and Washington. 68 against Cleveland, 60 against Chicago, and 54 against St Louis. Washington's 481 runs were scored as follows: New York. 114; Boston, 78; Cleveland, 77; St Louis, 62; Phil adelphia, 55; Chicago, 53. and Detroit 42. Washington, however, played only 21 games againBt Detroit compared to the 23 played by Chicago against Cleveland. Strangely enough, the tail-end High landers scored more runs against Detroit than against any other team. 90 in number. They scored 87 against Washington, 69 against Philadelphia, 59 against Chicago, and 47 against Boston. AH the teams except Boston scored most runs against New York, the Red Sox scoring its highest num ber against Philadelphia. In runs scored against or on of fensive play Washington set the pace against Cleveland, leaders In this de partment with 79 runs, followed by Detroit and Boston. 73; St Louis, 69; Philadelphia. 63; New York, 58. and Chicago. 49. Chicago, next in line, had Detroit mark up 92 runs against her, fol lowed by Boston. 75; Cleveland. 73; St Louis, 67; Philadelphia. 60; Wash ington, 53, and New York, 50. Detroit led against St Louis with 87. followed by Boston, 80; Chicago. 79; Cleveland and Washington, 62; New York. 59, and Philadelphia, 54. Detroit led against Boston with 89, against Washington with 88, Philadel phla, 99, and New York, 119. Chicago tied Detroit against Boston. Cleveland counted 84 times against the Red Sox. Washington. 78; Philadelphia, 68; St Louis, 61; New York. 47. New York was only one run behind De troit against Washington. St Louis scored 84 runs. Philadelphia 76, Bos ton 73, Chicago 72 and Cleveland 57. Against Detroit Cleveland led with 101. followed by New York, 90; Bos ton. 89; Chicago. 79; St Louis. 77; Philadelphia. 76. and Washington. 42. . Cleveland followed Detroit against the Athletics with 82, Boston scored 91. Chicago 79. St Louis 77, New York 69 and Washington 55. "I believe that high officials in the railroad world should come into closer touch with their patrons. A rail road, like any other large busi ness, should aim to give the peo ple what they want If the pol- generally carried out it icy were would do away with about half of the legislation against railroads." These statements with others of a similar na ture were made by Walter I. Ross, who, having entered the railroad busi ness 22 years ago as an office boy. was elected vice-president of the Chicago & Alton-Clover Leaf system at the age of 42 years. Mr. Ross outlined his policy regard ing the attitude of the railroad offi cials toward the public, and incident ally described the mental attitude which he believed most helpful in at taining success in business. The purpose of a railroad, as I it," said Mr. Ross, who for the last two years has been traffic manager of the system of which he is now vice- president "is to sell transportation to the people. It is not intended to make a position for you or for me or for anybody else. It is a commercial enterprise with something to sell, and It should act accordingly. It has been my constant endeavor to keep in touch with the people the patrons of the railroads. If more officials wonld adopt the plan I think we should have better railroad laws and fewer of them. I make it a rule never to refuse to see anybody. The man who has complaint to make can always come into my office and tell me about it will pass a whole day with him, if necessary, in order to convince him he has no real grievance or to do him justice. It is the railroad officials who sit behind closed doors and refuse to see any one who have done much toward getting the roads into bad repute. The man whose card is sent back to him with the words 'Nothing doing.' says to himself: 'Crookedness somewhere. all right, or why wouldn't they talk to me? If this man were made to understand that the railroads are really trying to do the right thing, ail would be different I have always instructed all em ployes subject to my direction never to refuse to hear complaints and to treat complainants kindly. The re sult is that I have had little trouble. Perhaps my success in using this policy comes from my having been in close touch with the people all my life. I was born in Bloomington, 111. When I was about 20 years old I got a Job as office boy on the Wabash road. always tried to perform my duties in that position as If it were the most important position the road could of fer me. The consequence was that soon became an operator, then a chief clerk, then a cashier. The next step upward was clerk in the trainmaster's office. Then I be came general agent for the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa, and on June 1. 1904, di vision freight and passenger agent Be fore the year was out I was appointed general passenger agent for the Clover Leaf system, and a year later general freight agent Two years ago I came to Chicago as traffic manager for the road I am at present associated with. 'If I were to name any one thing as being most instrumental In helping young men to success, it would be perseverance in the attitude that the position you hold, however small, is as important as the highest Never de spise your work. Always put into all the enerey there is in you. The man who follows these rules can never Call far behind.' I Mike Donlin did one curious thing, last season. He had exactly the same" fielding percentage In both left and 1 right fields 977. EACH USE OF THE SIGNALS. School of Instruction in This Branch Recently Instituted by Eastern Road. The demand for greater safety and facility in operation of railroad trains having resulted in an extraordinary growth in the number of block signal institutions by reason of the Increas ingly intricate nature of modern sig nal work, the Pennsylvania railroad, in order to better equip its men for the operation of block signals, has in stituted schools of instruction in this branch of work. These schools are located nt differ' ent division points, where experienced signal men give instructions to the new men, explaining by means of miniature signal apparatus the proper operation and maintenance of the va rious kinds of signal and interlocking appliances in service oa the road. The principal reason for the forma tion of these schools was the constant ly increasing number of signals being placed in service. - In 1902 on the Pennsylvania railroad there were bat 7.891 interlocking functions in opera tion on the lines east of Pittsburg. while in 1903 there were 20,723. To operate these 20,725 interlocking functions, 8,793 levers are required. The total number of signals fa sen Ice is more than 12,000, coveting ijii miles of road, or slightly more than 0 per cent of the entire mileage. This signal system cost $5,090,999. To train expert engineers, caps Me of eventually assuming charge of sig nal work direction and installation, six- apprentices have been appointed to the engineer department of the road. These young men are an graduate of technical schools. The plan Is to have the apprentice serve a three-year coarse. The first year the apprentices will study the mechanical end of the work on the road with the repair and construction gangs, the second year they will be detailed in the office of the superintendent of signaling and the third year they win be engaged tn outside work on electric and electro- pneumatic appliances. After gradoaation the men will be eligible to the post of assistant signal inspector in the signal engineer's of fice. The mastery of these duties will place the apprentice in line for pro motion in the engineer department of the road, with no restrictions on the office to which he may attain. Old-Time Argument Against Railroads. The stage fare from Hontsrile to Glasgow 25 miles was $1-50. Thin stage carried the mail, and It had to go. When the roads were so muddy horses could not pull the stage n double yoke of oxen took their places. It was slow traveling, hot they got through. The steamboat fare from Glasgow to St Louis in the early Vm was $7. That included stateroom and meals, and if the boat was held up n week or two on a sandbar the accom modations went oa without extra charge. The steamboat owners never believed the railroads could success fully compete with them. The way they looked at It people wouldn't be willing to travel 109 or 209 mites tied down to one seat tn n small car when they might be enjoying the fiesdoni of a big and handsomely furnished boat Then bo- are they going to find room for an orchestra an! s dancer an old river captain wanted to know. "No place to eat or drink, no room to move about; just sit still ail day long on a little wooden bench why, it's downright foolishness-"" Macon Republican. Safe on the Railroad. A well-known humorist entered railway carriage in which was one of those ladies who travel in constant fear of collisions. At every jolt sudden stop she cried out: "Have we left the rails? Is it an accident? Are we going to be killed?" Her fellow-passenger paid no atten tion, but remained wrapped in silence. Presently the lady said to him: 'Are you not afraid of railway acci dents?" "Not, I, madam," answered he, reas suringly. "It has been predicted that I shall die on the scaffold. She changed carriages at the next station. For Sunday as Day of There is a general desire at m-ent among the railway companies of Eng land to reinstate Sunday as n day of rest, says the Railway Magazine of London, and as at most country sta tions the usual Sunday service fs an up and down morning and evening train stopping at all stations, the mag azine asks why the station duties of these trains should not be performed by a traveling staff. Pasengers could be booked, tickets collected and the other station duties performed by n wait that need not exceed an average of three minutes at each station on Sundays when -traffic is normal. A train carrying a traveling booking clerk, traveling ticket collector and traveling porter could perform the va rious duties at the small stations at which the trains can. . Couldn't Stand the Pace. Jack O'Connor, the former St Louis catcher, who purchased a half inter est in the Fort Smith, Ark., league club franchise, has abandoned the venture, forfeiting all rights, and an nouncing that the life of a mogul in a minor league was too expensive for bim. He will continue as field man age? and captain of the Little Rock Southern league team. He was a mo gul tvi days. Train Waited While Engineer Shaved. A train stopped abruptly a few miles outside the little station of Hergatz, in Bohemia, recently, and the passengers alighted to ascertain what had hap pened. They found the guard engaged in shaving the engine driver, who apol ogized for the delay, and explained that he was about to propose to the young woman in the refreshment room at the next station, and he had no time to complete his toilet before starting. sKillian Goes Back to Minors. Pitcher Ed Killian of Detroit wlU go back to the minors. Detroit has re ceived waivers, but the disposal of the player has not been definitely decided. Killian probably will be permitted to select hi3 own club, as did Coughlin. Killian's arm went bad last season. Against Saloon-Cashed Checks. "Any employe of the Missouri. Kan sas & Texas Railway company who in the future has his pay check cashed in a saloon will be discharged." The foregoing is the substance of a gen eral circular issued by Superintendent N. J. Finney. Rewarded for Saving Train. For saving a passenger train from n wreck on the Bessemer & Lake Erie railroad near Euclid. Pa-. Leo XcCalL aged 14. son of James MeCan, was resented with a gold watch as n re ward. Superintendent J. S. Mattson and other officials went to the home of the lad in the country and made the presentation. Younj? McCall was walking home from E.:lid along the Bessemer tracks, and in the darkness si m bled against a mass of earth and rock in a deep cut. The lad knew the south bound train was almost due. He ran to his home a half mile away and got a red lantern. Cost of Trains. Many trains are worth .). while the recently constructed "South ern Belie," which runs between Vic toria and Brighton, is said to have cost over 49,049 to build. Bat take an ordinary train. The engine and tender are valued at 2.109; the lug gage van, 200; the mail van. 409; two ordinary passenger coaches 2.000 each; three first-class car riages. 3.000 each; total. 15.7'W. London Tit-Bits. Sadly Behind the There are less than 509 miles of rail way in Colombia, and nearly an travel ing must be done on horse or male back.