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Show HOW THEY RUN IT, The CfCcia's who Manage a Big Railroad. PSESIOEHTS WHO EARS TKE13 SittiliES Work Eoaa by Subordinates. Tin Traffic Dapartment. Very few persons comprehend or in any way understand the organization and man-agiiieuc man-agiiieuc of the large railway systems which are now such an important factor in tbe commercial aiTairs of the country. The gen-end gen-end organization is ubout the same on all the large systems, there being, however, some difference in titles of department officers offi-cers and matters of detail, according to the fancies of the directory or president, or the pec'iiliiir necessities of each case. As the properties in this country are owned by private individuals, who naturally try to obtain tbe best service at tho least cost, it is presumable that no extravagant or unnecessary unneces-sary positions or departments ore provided. It is usually thought that the president of a largo system has an easy place to fill, and really gets a large salary to do comparatively nothing. In many cases this is true, and that dignitary is nothing more or less than a figurehead, whose duties are performed by a vice-president or general manager, and who may not have the slightest knowledge of the manner in which the business is carried on, excep- that at the annual stockholders' meeting meet-ing ho will present them an elaborate statement state-ment of earnings and expenditures, which has been formulated and prepared for him. Such presidents are, however, rare, and nearly allot tbemeorn their salaries. Really, tho president should be tho financial head of the company, and it is usual for him to delegate dele-gate to a general manager the management and operation of tbe road. The officer is, therefore, necessarily a practical railroad man, and from him the officers of all the departments de-partments receive their instructions. THE SUBORDINATE OFFICIALS. These departments are the accounting, sometimes presided over by a comptroller, who may report either to the general manager man-ager or tbe president; the traffic department, which may have for its - head a traffic man-1 ager, assisted by general freight agents and , general passenger agents; the operating, in' charge of a general superintendent. The j accounting department is tho one in which j all accounts are kept, and tho auditor, who 1 either assists tha comptroller, or where there is no comptroller, is responsible to the gen- eral manager, who receives on impression J copy of each "way till," which shows the i name of the shipper, tho point of shipment, I the name of the consignee, the destination, 1 the marks and the weight and freight : charges on each consignment carried over the road. This way bill ho scrutinizes carefully, care-fully, and sees that the charges are in accordance ac-cordance with the rates announced by the general freight agent. If they are found correct, he makes from them numerous records, rec-ords, crediting agents or connecting rail-roods, rail-roods, and charging others. The ticket agents send hitu either daily, weekly or monthly reports of their sales, which are checked with tho tickets forwarded to him by conductors when taken up on trains. The operating department is one of the most important on a railroad, as the success of tho whole depends on its efficiency. The general superintendent is assisted by a superintendent su-perintendent of roadway, a superintendent of machinery and a superintendent of transportation, trans-portation, Tho superintendent of roadway has charge of all tracks, and usually all bridges and buildiugs pertaining to the track department, although some roads provide a separate oSlcer who looks after bridges alone. The superintendent of roadway is assisted by roadmasters, who have charge of divisions, varying according to tho physical features of the traok. These roadmasters direct all work performed on their divisions by section foremen and trackmen. The superintendent of machinery has charge of all locomotives, and Is responsible for the performance of proper service. He also has charge of en-ginemen, en-ginemen, firemen and machinists. Tho superintendent of transportation has charge of the movement of trains over the ! lino, appoints conductors, brakomen, agents nnd train dispatchers, distributes cars where they are needed, mid is generally responsible for the safe and speedy movement of passengers passen-gers and freight. Ho is assisted by train ninsterwhosG duties vary on many lines, but they uxo generally immediately under tho direction of the superintendent of transportation. trans-portation. THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT. The traffic department is really tho commercial com-mercial department. It is divided bctweena general freight agent and a general passenger passen-ger agent, both of whom report to and re ceivo their instructions from a traftio manager, man-ager, or whero there is no trafiio manager ; from tho general manager. The general j freight agent has charge of tho fixing of I ratat for transportation of freight, and un- ' dor his supervision soliciting agents and traveling agents watch the movement of , traffic and sccuro to the road such of it as can bo controlled. All reclamations for loss, damage or overcharge on freight while in 1 transit aro adjudged by him. Tho general passenger agent supervises tho j passenger traffic in the same manner that the general freight agent provides for the j , freight business, it bomg his duty to see that his railroad is properly nnd sulllcioutly ad-: ad-: vertised; that it is represented impartially in ' j tho ticket offices of all connecting lines, and j ; to supcrviso the printing and supplying of ! such tickets to the agents of his lino as the needs of its patrons demand. These officers ; of tho freight and passenger departments 1 havo their hands full, as do all others in charge of departmonta. There is a chief clerk who is supposed to do a little of everything, from answering tho telephone to discussing a knotty problem of policy toward some refractory competitor or connection with his superior, so as to carry out that gentleman's ideas. As a rule tho heads of departments aro ; young men, and the demands on tho brains I and strength of theso officers aro so severe j that they seldom die in tho servira from old ago. They oro well though not extrava- 1 gantly paid, the salary varying according to tho size of tho road. The clerks In the do- 1 partments are usually men of ability, and are generally well informed. Each is fitted by natural Labuts, experience nnd oducation for some particular kind of work, and is not j supposed to know much of tho duties per- i formed by other mon. Courier-Journal. J |