The division superintendent came out to hurry up things and he
appeared so pleased at my work that, in a few weeks, he offered me a
place as copy operator in the despatcher's office at El Monte. This
appeared to be a great chance to satisfy my ambition to become a
despatcher, so I gladly accepted, and in a few days was safely ensconced
in my new position. The despatchers only work eight hours a day, while
the copy operators work twelve, so they work with two despatchers every
day. I had the day end of the job and worked from eight A. M. until eight
P. M., with an hour off for dinner, so that I really was only on duty for
eleven hours. The pay was good for me, seventy dollars per month, and I
was thoroughly satisfied. Really all that is necessary to be a first
class copy operator is to be an expert telegrapher. It is simply a work
of sending and receiving messages all day. However I wanted to learn, so
I kept my ears and eyes opened, and studied the time card, train sheet,
and order book very assiduously.
The first trick despatcher was honest old Patrick J. Borroughs, a man of
twenty-five years' experience in the business and as good a man as ever
sent an order or took an O.
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