ng rather heavily on their hands.

Thanks to automatic air brakes, the life of a passenger brakeman is now a
very easy one as compared with the same life a few years ago. The
brakeman of those days, almost as greasy and smoke begrimed as a fireman,
spent most of his time on the swaying platforms between cars amid showers
of cinders and clouds of blinding dust. At every call for brakes he was
obliged to spring to the wheels of the two entrusted to his care and set
them up by hand with the utmost exercise of his strength. He was not
allowed to remain inside the cars between stations, and the only glimpses
he got of their scant comfort was when he flung open their doors to call
out the names of stations in his own undistinguishable jargon. He was
invariably a well-grown powerfully built fellow, as rough in manner as in
appearance.

To-day, on all passenger trains and on many freights as well, the
automatic brakes are operated by compressed air controlled by the
engineman. By a single pull of a small brass lever within easy reach he
can instantly apply every brake on his train with such force as to bring
it to a standstill inside of a few seconds. The two small cylinders
connected by a piston-rod on the right hand side of every locomotive just
in front of the cab form the air-pump. It is always at work while a train
is standing still, forcing air through lengths of rubber hose between the
cars and into the reservoirs located beneath each one. As brakes are
applied by the reduction of this air the engineman's lever merely opens a
valve that allows the imprisoned force to escape with a sharp hissing
sound. If a train should break in two the connecting lengths of rubber
hose would be torn asunder, and the outrushing air would instantly apply
brakes to the cars of both sections bringing them to a speedy standstill.

Thus the brakeman of to-day, instead of being the powerful, cinder-coated
and rough-voiced fellow of a few years back, may be as slim and elegant as
any of the passengers under his care provided he is polite, wide-awake,
and attentive to his duty. Clad in a natty uniform, he now spends his time
inside the car instead of on its platform. He has reports to make out,
lamps and flags to look after, and in cases of unexpected delay must run
back to protect his train from any other that may be approaching it.
Formerly it was necessary to have as many brakemen on a passenger train as
there were cars, while now it is rare