June, 1954 - Milwaukee Road Archive

SPEAKING of HOBBIES
THE BATONS wielded by such famous
musicians as Arturo Toscanini and
Andre Kostelanetz, as well as popular
leaders like Paul Whiteman and Cab
Calloway, are the work of one man. He
makes nearly 10,000 a year, entirely by
hand, and tailored to the sFecifications
of the maestrOs who wield them. The
owner of this unique business is past
70, and he started it merely a3 a hobby,
This is but one example of the diversity
and fascination of hobbies, "the
companions of our leisure hours," and
no one is too old or too youn,:; to enjoy
them.
Here are a few hobbies of Milwaukee
Road people which have come to the
'attention of the Magazine's correspondents
recently:
T. 1. Colwelr, division editor at Terre
Haute, recently visited the home of
Charles Hammond, clerk in the Terre
Haute freight house, who is a dog and
bird fancier. Mr. and Mrs. Hammond
have exhibited collies at shows throughout
the country. At one time their ken­
10
nels had 13 purebreds, including one of
the seven champions of the collie
world. Puppies from this sire have been
sold as far west as California and east
to Virginia. While they now have only
two pet collies, they are still active in
the local kennel club and Mr. Ham·
mond continues to serve it as treasurer.
Mr. Colwell was more interested,
however, in their collection of birds.
"Some are very rare," he said. "In.
cluded are parrots from Mexico and
South America, love birds whose ancestors
came from Africa, cockateels
which originate in Australia, a mynah
from India, and about 70 para1ceets.
The family pet is Ronnie, a Mexican
double yellow head parrot which the
Hammonds bought when he was so
young' that he had to be spoon-fed.
Ronnie can recite most of Little Boy
Blue, but he won't show off in front of
company. The mynah, on the other
hand, talks practically all of the time.
It has an extremely loud 'wolf whistle'
and in the summer, from its cage on the
• • •
porch, will whistle at every passing
automobile. Loretta, a parrot from Pan.
ama, also talks-even to strangers.
"Practically all of the birds are very
tame, with the exception of the para.
keets which are used for breeding, and
they cannot be tamed. They are taught
to speak with the use of records, although
they pick up many words from
their owners and from visitors. Due to
their endless variety, the Hammonds
have found them a very interesting
study in genetics."
The C. S. Packs represent the in.
creasing number of retired people who
are learning and enjoying new skills,
according;. to Mrs. Karen B.. Rugee,
Magazine correspondent at Mason City.
When Mr. Pack retired in 1952 as
chief train rules examiner at Milwau.·
kee and they returned to their former
home in Mason City, Mrs. Pack had
just enrolled in a hooked rug making
class at the YWCA. Reluctant to for.
sake her new hobby, she commuted be·
tween the two cities, a round trip of
Charles Hammond
exchanges "bird
talk" with Ronnie
and Lo retta, who
hail from Mexico
and Pan a ma, respectively.
The collie
whose picture
is framed with the
ribbons is Caimbrooke
Commodore,
of a famous line;
in the large picture,
Caimbrooke Commodore
", a pet.
The Milwaukee Road Magazine