he Blogging from A to Z Challenge is to post everyday (except Sunday) in the month of April 2020 starting with the letter A and going all the way to Z. My theme is...
Ancestor Occupations
ENGINEER
My great grand aunt Sarah Ann King was married 1881 in Montreal to John McTeer, a Grand Trunk Railroad locomotive fireman from Lévis, Quebec. A fireman stokes the fires for the steam engines and his wages would have been about $30 a month.
In 1884 John had moved up to be an Engineer making about $60 a month. John was secretary for the St Lawrence Montreal Lodge of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
John and Sarah moved to Bisbee, Arizona where John was locomotive engineer for the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad owned by the Copper Queen Mine.
Tombstone Epitaph
John moved back to Quebec in 1902, living in Limoilou and working as an engineer for the Quebec and Lake St John Railway (owned by Canadian Northern). A locomotive engineer now earned about $3.00 per hundred miles, and a fireman about $1.75 per hundred miles, depending on the company, what kind of train, passenger or freight, etc. There is a schedule of rates for the year 1902 here.
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John stated on the 1911 census of Canada that he earned $1600/year and held a life insurance policy of $100.
On 10 August 1914 John McTeer's train came to a bridge that he discovered too late was on fire. The engine fell through, killing the fireman and injuring John. He died in hospital four days later.
John McTeer died 13 August 1914 at the age of 55.
Wow! I had no idea that train workers were paid by the mile. Makes sense, I suppose, but I'd never thought of it. And imagine being able to get by on $60/month today.
ReplyDelete~Tui Snider, @TuiSnider TuiSnider.com - Exploring Historic Cemeteries & Symbolism
When I worked at a lumber company the boys in the yard that did grading of the wood were paid by the hour. One day the management decided to switch it up and pay them by the board foot. That only lasted a few months as they were making waaay too much money!
DeleteYour census records certainly provide detailed financial information.
ReplyDeleteOnly the 1901 and 1911 census asked what kind of work, how many months worked or hours a workweek, and earnings. They were often way less on the 1911 than the 1901... don’t know if it’s because earnings WERE less or they wised up and said they earned less. But checking other resources I can get an idea if they are “on the money” so to speak!
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