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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1920)
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: JANUARY 4, 1920. 4H HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE-- GEORGE DOES MANY DUTIES Is a Composite Detective, Doctor, Trainman and Valet "George P The word slips 'out easily. Of course it isn't nil name, but the dusky faithful porter on any one of 20,000 Pullman cars running over the face of North America answers with a smile. His business is to answer- with a smile regardless of the tone of voice you adopt. Do you want a pillow to ease a head which has begun to swim in the stream of countryside which has been flooding past the window all afternoon? George produces a downy one and stuffs it comfortably in just the proper corner of the seat you occupy. Do you long for a cooler breath of air? George brings one of those little folding screens about 5 inches high which he inserts under a partly raised window. Ring for "George." Do you want telegraph blanks, a card table, a good brisk brushing or information about train schedules at Grand Junction George obliges. He will even permit 8-year-old Freddy, who is getting decidedly restless on the trip, to follow him out to the vestibule for a little tribulation such as "Porter, what makes your shoe bulge out that way where your big ine begins?" or "Do those two lit tle curtains there on the sides of the doorway hold the cars together?" or "Where do you sleep; up on top of the car?" , Where Does He Sleep? As a matter of fact there is real point to Freddy's lasf question. Where does George sleep, anyway? And when? He was a lucky George indeed if he had a comfortable bed anywhere in the car regardless of the length of the run, be it of one night or three, before the government took over the railroads. But Uncle Sam took an interest in porters. For more than a year upper one has been re served for George on all short runs where men travelers have a habit of sitting up most of the night in the smoking room, and on trans continental trains George has been officially entitled to make up his bed on the long leather seat in the smok ing room. "When do you shine alt the peoA pie's shoes?" Freddy always asks, wondering at the brilliance which the footwear of the entire car ac quired so mysteriously during the night. That, too, has a good deal to do with George's sleep, that and the buzzer by his ear all night long. It's, considerable of a job to polish 30 or 40 pairs of shoes and it runs well into the morning until after every body is in bed. What traveler, un less he be an insomniac, detected George at his business? So the shoe business robs George of much night ly rest. Women and Actors Worry. And then that buzzer! "Some trips it jus' rings alia time. A cahload of rich folks, especially rich women, they suttinly can make it buzz," com mented a gray-haired porter of long years on the road. "I don't know why rich folks want so much more attention in the night 'cept maybe they're used to servants all "round 'em and maybe they all got little ail ments and can't sleep quite so well as reg'lar, ordinary people. "But of all folks who ride trains gimme jus as few theatrical troupes as possible. They're the people who wears out the buzzer batt-ries in the night. A po'tah don't get much sleep on their cah. Somehow they act like they nev' had nobody to wait on 'em befo and the,y got the idea the way to act like real people is to be alh time demandin' sump'in Not so many of 'em has money eithah, so a po'tah don get much for servin em." Ha Goes to School First. The average George will tell you fervently that there isn't much in portering for any sort of people, al though thinga are better now than they were before Uncle Sam became general manager of all American lines. If a colored mar wants to join the Pullman legion of Georges he begins at $45 a month in any one of the several schools in portering which the company operates. First he qualifies as a literate and produces eminently satisfactory testimonials as to his good character. Then he hears lectures on the business, in cluding a good deal of instruction in courtesy. He is told that he must be unfailingly courteous without groveling: for it there is anything the average American dislikes it is - to be groveled to. George must learn to study human nature and in terpret people's wants in advance, where that is possible. But what ever he does must be done in a way that looks like honest service, not depending for its quality on tips. After several days of these lec tures each George-in-the-making is taken to a model Pullman car, where for two or three days he roes through every motion of being a porter. He makes up beds and un makes them until he can do it witn the proper skill and dispatch. He polishes up the car and learns a good deal of basic information about railroad trains as they are related to the inside of a Pullman. He does a good day's work each of .those training days and must keep himself . trim and neat all the time. How He Climbs Up. If he is ordinarily bright he fin ishes his schooling within two weeks. Then he goes out on two or three student trips with some tried and true porter of long service, all the while drawing his pay at the rate f fcis , month. Then comes the great day when he is listed as ready for service. Maybe he catches a regular run at once, but the chances are he stays on the "extra board and nicks ire random runs for a while. He is assigned to a certiin railroad district and there he prob ably stays indefinitely, drawing his $45 a month, but now he is getting , tips and his income varies. If he is good, and stays with the company long enough, he may be listed in the class of "porters in charge," men of intelligence, who - 5 . The Pullman Porter? I i life, V r v. v x T V' 1 f. (' v - fK-wl f&k t La1 - i: can take over the operation of a car without the supervision of a Pullman conductor. There are many jobs for such men, especially on trains which carry only one Pull man. When he attains this goal his pay is raised to $60 a month with tips. $20 in Tips Sometimes. The little matter of tips, of course, is forward in every porter's mind, especially ifvhe has a family some where to support. That is the rea son certain trains on every railroad are most desired by porters. The trains patronized by men of big business are better for porters. Such passengers know what they want, ask nothing unreasonable of George and pay liberally for atten tion. Porters working crack New York Central trains between New York and Chicago not infrequently end a 20-hour run with $20 in tips, but the average is far below this, if an efficient porter rounds out a month with $175, he is doing well. He Lives a Spotted Life. To earn his money, however, he lives a spotted life. He has to be on occasion a detective, a laboring man, a shoeblack, a waiter, a valet, a trainman, and even a doctor and nurse combined. He is constantly in danger of stepping into a trap by some criminal seeking to escape a train leaving all evidence of an unlawful act pointing to the porter. He is constantly in danger of being accused, for if a ring or watch is missing black George is inevitably the first to fall under suspicion. Some of the best trains in the country are frequented by men whose success in life depends upon getting away with other travelers' valuables leaving George to face the music. Too often George has no more convincing defense than simply "I know nothing about it," and must submit to a thorough in vestigation and search by some rail road detective. But the very fact that it is so easy to accuse George is nis strongest DuiwarK, tor tne Pullman company considers its men absolutely trustworthy and proof against them must be absolute to degrade them in the estimation of their employers. George, in Detective's Role. In the role of detective, the ex perienced porter, who has held a cer tain run for a long time often helps land crooks of the.breed which preys constantly upon travelers. The most well konwn device used by such workers is for one to board a train with the bearing and appearance of a prosperous business man. He Omaha Woman Will Be Presiding Officer at BigY.WCA.Meet Cleveland, O., Jan. 3. Financial support and the membership basis for the association will be among the important questions considered by the national convention of the Young Men's Christian association of the United States of America here the weekUf April 13 to 20. The convention was postponed from the spring of 1918 to comply with a gov ernment request that expense and travel be reduced to a minimum dur ing the war. The granting of charter member ship privileges to the Chicago Y. M C. A., a recommendation that the interim between . convention be re duced from three years to two, and providing an increase in member ship of the national board of the as sociation also will be discussed. Sectional meetings will occupy the afternoons. , Rev. Charles W. Gilkey, pastor of Hyde Park Baptist church, Chicago, will give a series of morning ad dresses during the convention week Dr. Robert E. Speer, secretary to the foreign missions board' of the Presbyterian church, north, will also give an address. Mrs. Speer is pres ident of the national board of the Y. W. C. A. Mrs. W. P. Harford of Omaha will preside at the opening session, hav ing been elected as president at the last convention held in Los Angeles in 1915. Mrs. John French of New York is chairman of the committee on busi ness to come before the convention. It is estimated about 2,000 dele gates will attend. Police Will Not Be Used as Internal Revenue Agents Cleveland, O., Jan. 3. Detectives or policemen will not be engaged as internal revenue agents in the en forcement of the federal prohibition laws, according to an announcement by Collector Harry H. Weiss. "It is not the intention of federal agents to relieve city, county or state officials from any of their obli gations in enforcing the liquor laws, but rather to work as a supplement ary agency," Mr. Weiss said- finds company in the smoking room or observation platform of some car other than the one in which his berth is always some other, car. Along toward night of the first day out he has made one or two friends among men of obvious affluence. Usually just before bed time he gets down to cases. "Well sir," he says with a shamed little laugh, "I don't know "what made me so forgetful but 1 lef the office today in such a rush to catch this train that I got all flustered. After we got out of New York I discovered my wallet was flat didn't bring enough money to pay even my hotel bill in Chicago to morrow. Now isn't that the deuce? By jove, that's the first time I ever ran off without cashing up." and he emifs that fetching little embarrassed laught. Confidence Man's Laugh. "It's funny hovv; many men fall for that laugh," says a certain gray haired George, who has worked on the Union Pacific for a quarter of a lifetime. "I'll bet five out of six men. fall for it. They just up and offer to help." Then Mr. Crook fakes the necessary hesitation and finally consents to accept about $100 and writes a cjieck for it, which, you understand, is just as good as cash. He's sorry he has troubled his new friend so much and certain ly appreciates ets., etc. They talk awhile longer, yawn and part with a handshake. The new friend never sees Mr. Crook again. Of course the check comes backed marked "No funds." George gets familiar with men like these if they travel often enough, and with the aid of Pullman conductors, spoils the game. Then there are the professional card sharks who patrol main rail road lines periodically, working in pairs and engaging in "a little game" friendly travelers who obviously have funds. These, too. are some times spotted by George. Is George's job full of others' crimes? "Things don't happen every trip, of course, related a porter oi five years' experience, "but they hap pen often enough. Usually they are opposed of so quietly that hardly anybody in the car ever hears of them. Oh, you may sleep through a lot, .i vou travel a good deal. "Only last winter two men in sol diers' uniforms got on my car com ing out of Denver. One of them had a scar across his face. I heard him tell a passenger in the smoking room that a German did it with a bayone: and that he was so badly hurt he was sent back home and had just been discharged. That scar looked like a razor mark to me and an old one. The other soldier had one hand tied up and said most of it was shot away and that he, too, had just been dis charged. They v ere both telling how hard up they were. "Well, one passenger hauls out a thick roll and peeis off $10 for each soldier. The way those two eyed that roll when he put it away made me suspicious. They all went to bed pretty soon. The car was all quiet and I went to shining shoes. Twice as I walked back into the car to return shoes I saw one of those soldiers jerk his head back behind his curtains. By the time I hid worked back to No. 8 and No. 9 I always take out ah the shoes in two berths at a time I 'stumbled over a pair of pants in the dark aisles. While I stood there with my hands full of shoes staring at the pants, I heard a groan. Well, it might have been a snore some folks make mighty funny noises in a sleeper. Anyway I picked up the pants and asked the man in lower 9 if they it,- Ulm Ta 1 strain. Still no answer. I touched him and he didnt move. Then another groan and I knew where the sound had been coming froni I dropped the shoes and got the Pullman conduc tor quick. We found the man he was the one with the bank roll had a dent in the back of his head the size of a dollar and his pillow was soaked with blood. "I suspected those soldiers and told the conductor all about it Of course they both denied any knowl edge of it. We got them into the smoking room just as the train was slowing down into a yard. The train conductor all of a sudden whipped out a revolver and threw it.down on those two just in time, for one of them was making a pass for a big automatic inside his shirt front. The butt of "that automatic had a little knot of bloody hair on it. Well we found the fat roll, wrapped around those fellow's legs inside their spiral puttees. They were turned over to detectives at 1:30 a. m. it was about 12 when they first left the smoking room and went to bed and the next morning not another soul in that whole carload of people knew a thing had happened." Why People Call Him George. But George doesn't live a dime novel life all the time. "Really, it's fine to meet all the people we do," declared one porter. "The only trouble is we don't see the same people often enough to learn just how they want things done and, so I s'pose we don't please them as well as we might. If we could only know folks better. I guess hardly anybody would have to complain about us. It's fine to meet people, mainly be cause most everybody is pretty good. There are only a few 'crabs' after all. Why the very tact that everybody calls me 'George' proves that. 1 don t know who started this 'George' business, but I guess every body does it just to be friendly. It sounds better to say. 'I say there, George!' than to say 'Hey, you!' We don't get rich look at the shoes I have to wear but portering is steady and comfortable work and I'm pretty glad old Mr. Pullman provided in his will that colored men should always be hired for his cars." Insects Are Five Times Larger Than Human Race Des Moines, la., Jan. 3. Insect life of the world in point of size is five times greater than that of the human race, according to Trof. E D. Ball of Ames, la. Professor Ball made his statement to the Iowa Vegetable Growers' association, and ?aid if all the insects were in one pile and humans in another the in sects would occupy five times a i much space. To Break Ground For New $1,500,000 Burgess-Nash Building in February Structure Will Be Nine-Story Affair on Present Site Of Boyd Theater, Which Is to Be Razed Plans Drawn by George B. Prinz Interior Decorations And Furnishings Planned by C. A. Wheeler of Chicago All Contracts Let. Construction of a new nine-story store building, to cost approximately $1,500,000, by the Burgess-Nash company, where the Boyd .theater now stands, will be started on Feb ruary 3, it was announced yester day. The Boyd theater, which was erected 29 years ago, will be razed, leaving a frontage on Seventeenth street of 26' feet, and on Harney street of 139 feet, for the new building. Plans for the structure, by George B. Prinz, architect, have been com pleted, as well as interior decora tion and furnishing plans, drawn by C. A. Wheeler of Chicago, and all contracts have been l?t. Four floors of the new building will connect with those of the pres ent Burgess-Nash store, extending in length an entire block and half a block in width. Decorations and furnishings will be uniform through out both buildings. . Men's Rest Room. Every practical feature in use in the- largest eastern department stores will be embodied in the new Burgess-Nash structure. The entire main floor, opening on Seventeenth street, will be devoted to a gigantic men's department. There will be men's clothing, furnishings, a bar ber shop, tailors to give first aid to loose buttons. This floor will also contain a rest room, the first of its kind in the city, where tired business men may loll and smoke while wives shop. The second floor will be devoted to yardage goods and the daintier things of women's wear. A feature here will be small individual shops, entirely enclosed, each containing its own particular article of wear ing apparel. There will be fine linen on this floor, and as a daylight light ing system will he used, shoppers will experience little difficulty in picking just the shade of goods they desire. The third floor will contain a large infants' wear department, individual enclosed shops as on the second floor, hair dressing and manicuring departments, and a luxurious wom en's rest room. House furnishings will occupy the fourth floor, according to plans, and model rooms, furnished com pletely, will be a feature. There The Loveliest Curly Hair So Easy to Have! Why make your hair dry, brittle and dead-looking with the heated waving tongs, when the simple nilmerine method will produce a eurliness far more natural in appearance, and at the same time pre serve the luster and beauty of your tresses? Liquid ailmerine is so agreeable to use, being neither sticky nor greasy, and the over-night transformation is so pleasing, the first trial will make it your firm friend. The approved way to apply it is to pour a little into a saucer at bedtime, dip a clean tooth brush into this and draw the brush through the hair from crown to tip, one strand at a time. A few ounces of this harmless liquid from your drug gist will last a long time. You will like it not only because of the charming curly and wavy effect, but because you will also find it an excellent dressing for the hair. Thousands of others have gotten rid of theirs WITH OUT DIETING OR EXERCISING often at tho rate of over a pound a day and WITHOUT PAYMENT until redaction has taken place. X am s Bcensed pnettsing physician and penonally sdeet the treatment tor aadt Individual case, tons enabling me to choose icmedka that win produce not only a low of weight harmlessly, bat which wffl also rellere yem of all tba troublesome symptoms of wrstontaesa taca as shortness of breath, palpitation, Indigestion, rheumatism, govt, asthma, kidney trouble and various other afflic tion which often accompany orerituulaess. My treatment will reUere that depressed, tired, sleepy feeling, giving yon renewed energy and rigor, a result of the loss of your superfluous fat You &re not required to change In the slightest from yew tegular mods of living. There if no dieting or exerdsS It Is simple, easy and pleasant to take, , U yon are overstont do not postpone but sit down right now "r fDd.for T FRE TRIAL TREATMENT and my plan whereby I am to be PAID ONLY AFTER REDUCTION HAS TAKEN PLACE tf yw so desire, DR. R. NEWMAN - ll n,ddm flats fart 2M Fifth Avtaaa, lUw Ttrk, N. T. Daak. CI 34 Da. B. Xmux, 3M Wk Ava. K.T. c 184 J TBIAi. TREATMENT aid "pay when-reduced" offer. IVaina AAinm m R.F. D Ml owiu,, i,, 8tata will also be an interior decorating department on this floor. Fifth Floor Auditorium. The fifth floor will be devoted to music. There will be 10 record rooms. All types of pianos and talking machines will be on sale. A feature of the music department will be a large polishing and pack ing department, which will enable 1 1 fip? workmen to prepare instruments for delivery without moving them to another floor. An auditorium, with s Urge seat ing capacity will also be built on this floor, for the benefit of both customers and employes of the store. Sporting goods, .toys snd a chil dren's play room will be located on floor six, as well as the general offices of the store. On the sev enth floor a cafe and tea room will be operated. The eighth floor will be devoted entirely to the use of store employes. An open air roof garden, which in the winter will be enclosed in a glass and heate will also be available to employes. There will be a tafeteria, club rooms and a gymnasium for their use on the roof. A separate and distinct store will be operated in the combined base ments of the old snd n offering new merchant wnat lower prices. t basement store will house, completely ur Negro Pneumonia f! Takes Stroll In! Rockford. III., Jail Wetnington, negro, ptf tient in a local hosptti tendants and took a niffhtshirt. Although hammered the thermon 12 rlrcrrrs above ierO. 1 Several blocks away he! the door of a residenc pnsca occupants who took Wethingtonl hospital none the worse tl enande. " Bee Want-Ads Prodnj "Mr. Piano Buyer" Make every dollar count. A dollar saved is a dol- lar made. Don't buy a Piano or Player from anyone until you see us For We save you money. Hobart M. Cable ' and Packard Pianos MIC. (EL'S 15th and Harney Phone Douglas 1973 Bad Teeth Are A Positive. Injury To Health. It is estimated that 75 of all ailments are catf by defective teeth and unclean mouths. You n not know this, but you do know that decaj broken-down, dirty teeth spoil the appearance interfere with chewing of food. It is no Id excusable for anybody in even the most mod. circumstances to have bad teeth. The convenient location of our office, the lent tservice rendered and the very reasonable make it possible for everyone in Omaha to B. good teeth. - FINEST X-RAY SERVICE 1 McKenni Dentist 1324 Farnam St. Corner 14th and Farhi Phone Douglas 2872 in i i -n n i nri : ifitFM v jm new JCiSl lions for Winter Sojourners Each year many wise folks plan their an nual pilgrimages southward, to laugh and dance and play and be young in a warm, sunshiny climate. But before leaving on their southern route the fair sex must select the wardrobe that will improve each shining hour. It has been with these sojourners in min that we have carefully selected the beautiful as sortments of Newly Created , Apparel Modes which are now on display. And one need not be going to one of the many summerlands of winter to enjoy to the full these new mqdes, for every woman interested in the new will rind it here. "Ask Mr. Foster" Travel Bureau will glvs you snyMnformatlon required on traveling , ... J ... " ... . i I M. m ) A. FTTifTr,
