DECEMBER 1951 - Milwaukee Road Archive

THE COVERS
THE nostalgic scene on the
cover of this issue is reproduced
from a scratchboard drawing by
Elwood W. Bartlett, a clerk in
the engineering department,
Chicago. Mr. Bartlett is better
known as a woodcut artist
whose work has appeared many
times in the Chicago Tribune,
the Milwaukee Journal and
other newspapers, as well as in
a number of magazines including
The Milwaukee Road Magazine.
Six of his woodcuts
have been purchased by the
Library of Congress.
The photograph on the back
cover represents a concession' to
the artistic eye of the photographer,
who found more perfect
composition in the two bins
of the Road's new four-bin
Diesel sanding facility at Bensenville,
111., than in the entire
structure. It was taken by
Harold Rapalee of Elgin, Ill., a
prize winner in many photographic
exhibits.
The complete sanding facility
is designed for the servicing
of Diesels on three tracks,
as well as steam locqmotives on
two, and as soon as pneumatic
equipment for automatic refilling
of the bins is received will
be one of the most modern devices
of its kind to be found
anywhere in the United States.
In The Spirit of Christmas
A GOOD deed in the spirit of Christmas
-the open heart, the helping hand and
the word of cheer for a stranger-has
been reported from Mobridge, S. D. The
principal characters are the local chapter
of The Milwaukee Road Women's Club
and the family of a serviceman traveling
on the Columbian.
The wife of the serviceman with her
three small children had boarded the
train at Tacoma, bound for the home of
her parents in Atlanta, Ga. At mealtime
several hours out the conductor noticed
that the little family did not eat, and
when the second mealtime passed again
without food, he engaged the mother in
conversation. It brought out the fact that
she was making the six-day journey without
funds, her last money having been
spent for the railroad tickets.
December, 1951
Train Time for "the Kids
ONCE MORE Rhodes department store
in Tacoma, Wash., has done its utmost
. to put joy into the hearts of its small
friends by offering them what they
like best-a streamlined miniature train.
And once again it is a replica of the
,Olympian Hiawatha.
The above picture shows the little
customers queued up at the ticket office.
Note the busy conductor framed in the
When the train drew into Miles City
the conductor sent a wire ahead to Mrs.
Paul Bridenstine, president of Mobridge
Chapter of the Women's. Club, which
explained the situation. Mrs. Bridenstine
made quick use of the telephone and
soon several members were working on
the project. Food was purchased, a local
store volunteered a donation, and the
club treasury was tapped for $10.
office window.
The picture below shows, left to right:
B. F. Knowlen, display manager of
Rhodes store; M. P. Burns, Milwaukee
Road district passenger agent; K. K.
Keel, retired conductor (47 years of
service), who serves as conductor on the
miniature train; JoAnn Stafford, the
store's ticket seller, and Juanite Vargo,
engineer.
Upon the arrival of the train the committee
went on board, and from all accounts
it was like a visit from Santa
Claus. Overwhelmed momentarily, the
mother recovered to explain that she was
hoping to reach her parents' home before
the arrival of another child. Her
gratitude was a most sincere tribute to
the women's efforts,
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