Story: Callers Displaced - 1906

Telephones Waking the Railroad Trainmen.

The "caller", an individual whose duty it was to rout out locomotive engineers and firemen and other members of train crews in time to get them on either regular or emergency duty, has had his day.

In his time he has been numbered among the most important and trusted functionaries. Armed with a lantern and a bunch of keys, he would travel through the streets for the purpose of getting the men out to their trains. He knew every member of the family, could call the house dog by name, and had absolute entrance to the households of the men he called.

Now all is changed. The telephone has taken the place of the "caller", but he will always live in the hearts of the old guard. As a rule, they were selected from among the sons of railroad men, and they were taught thoroughly that honesty was the best policy, especially as the young man would be given the opportunity of securing a better position.

In railroad service today are men holding high positions who began their careers as "callers".

[New York Commercial, DFP-1906-0601]