TH - Canada Southern Railway

-to
New York Central Lines Magazine for May, 1928
Engineman G. B. Lott was met by a large group of his associates when he finished his farewell run at Pekin,
& Eastern last month. He was presented with a traveling bag.
G. B. Lott, Who Helped Build
P. & E., Retiring
E helped build the Peoria & East­
H ern, he has seen one official after
the other take charge, and now G. B.
Lott himself is retiring after fiftyfive
years on that road. The engineman
was presented with the traditional
traveling bag from fellow employes
on the eve of his leaving and
the presentation was attended by General
Manager Rose, Train Master L.
C. Tyler and F. W. Carson, Road
Foreman of Engines.
Mr. Lott served as a water boy
on the construction of the line, then
known as the Danville, Urbana,
Bloomington & Pekin Railroad. Later
he was made a fireman and engineman.
Since 1900, he has been a yard
engineman at Pekin on the Big Four.
L. L. Dorey Retires at Rochester
HIRTY-ONE years of unbroken
Tservice ended for Lawrence L.
Dorey, Watchman at Rochester, N. Y.,
March 1. For the first twenty-nine
years of his career, Mr. Dorey was
employed as a trainman, but his duties
were later changed.
For the past forty years he has been
affiliated with the Democratic party
of Rochester, and was also a member
of the Railroad Y. M. C. A. On the
occasion of his retirement, Mr. Dorey
received letters of congratulation
from numerous officials.
W. S. Ballard is Traveler as
Well as Engineman
S. BALLARD, retiring New
» York Central engineman,
writes the following letter from his
home in Cleveland:
"My career as an engineer was not
a very eventful one, as I think that
running an engine successfully is a
matter of using good judgment, as
in all other branches of railroading.
I never got into any serious trouble
and always had fairly good success.
"I started firing on the Lake Shore
& Michigan Southern on December 4,
1886, on the Erie Division, and was
promoted in 1890. I fired the World's
Fair flyers for Brother John Foote,
who had at that time held the world's
record for about seven years, but
which has since been beaten by Brother
Tonkey on the Buffalo Division.
"On my retirement, I can't express
praise enough for the officials and
my co-workers on the old Lake Shore
and New York Central.
"I still take the same interest in
soliciting transportation in the future
as I have in the past. I have traveled
quite extensively for an old 'eagle
eye'—have been to Europe, also to
the West Indies and South America.
"Just to show you that I am still
on my job, soliciting transportation,
when I learned that a friend whom
I had met while in Europe had left
England on March 4 to come to this
country to make her home in Detroit,
Two reasons why W. S. Ballard Is
glad to be on the retired list—his two
small grandchildren at their home in
Cleveland.
III., on the Peoria
I immediately wrote to her advising
her to take the New York Central
from New York to Detroit."
Mr. Ballard lives at 585 East 102nd
Street, Cleveland.
P. & L. E. Retires Inspector
F. J. Weidenkoff
PARTING present of gold was
A given F. J. Weidenkoff, who recently
completed forty-six years of
continuous service with the Pittsburgh
& Lake Erie Railroad. L. Sutherland,
General Storekeeper of the Railroad,
made the presentation on behalf of
the employes.
When the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie
was a single track line from Youngstown
to Pittsburgh, Mr. Weidenkoff
started work in the engineering corps,
laying preliminary lines from Pittsburgh
to Connellsville, Pa. Later he
was transferred to the car shops at
McKees Rocks as time keeper and
clerk. He was again moved up as
assistant storekeeper, and for the past
twenty-six years has been a first aid
inspector.
Supt. Clark of B. & A. Retires
H. CLARK, Assistant Superin-
S• tendent on both the Boston and
Albany Divisions of the Boston & Albany
Railroad, retired April 30. At
the close of his service, Mr. Clark was
in charge of examinations.
He was born at Waterbury, Conn.,
in 1858, graduating later from the
high school of that town. In 1875 he
entered the service of the Boston &
Albany as a clerk and operator at the
State Line, and in 1881 he became
agent there.
Another promotion came in 1888
when he was transferred to Rensselaer,
N. Y., as assistant to the division
superintendent. This work kept
him there until 1901, when he became
train master at Albany, being promoted
to Superintendent of the Albany
Division in 1910. His last promotion
came in 1913.
Mr. Clark lives at 36 Fairfield
Street, Springfield, Mass.
New York Central Lines Magazine for May, 1928
Conductor Hendrix is Enjoying
Leisure After 57 Years on
Railroad
THEN this story appears in print,
former Conductor Frank V. Hendrix
will be lolling in his back yard
watching the purple
martins build
their nests in the
homes he has
made for them, at
543 Prouty Avenue,
Toledo, Ohio.
Nearby is his red
shop where there
is the finest array
of tools any carpenter
could wish
for. Conductor
Hendrix is enjoying
his leisure,
after fifty-seven
Frank Hendrix years with the
Railroad,
serve under his new superintendent.
A native of Corning, Mr. Heath entered
New York Central service fortythree
years ago as a brakeman. In
1894 he was made a conductor on the
same division with which he started
and from which he retired.
He has five children, including a
daughter who is married to C. A.
Holiday, Supervisor of Schedules.
Mr. Heath's youngest son, Harold, is
a senior at the University of Michigan
and a member of the football team of
that school. Mr. Heath hopes that
"Bud" will join the New York Central
upon graduation and help to "carry
41
Vaillant was made General Freight
Agent at New York for the Erie
Railroad, I took his position as agent
at Cleveland.
"At that time we had four freight
depots in Cleveland, three for the forwarding
of freight and one for freight
received.
"When I left we were employing
135 clerks, twenty-one of whom were
women and girls. There were 365
truckmen and boys working there."
Mr. Andrus is shown here as he
appeared in his earlier railroading
days.
Patrick Hart Recommends a Job
on the N. Y. Central
Surprise Party in Ashtabula for F advice from veterans means any­
Charles Mortenson I thing, many young men and women
HARLES MORTENSON, for might be interested in what Patrick
C twenty-one years a painter at Hart has to say on his retirement
the New York Central Steel Car Shop, after forty-four years with the New
Ashtabula, Ohio, York Central:
Mr. Hendrix tells how, on
his
was pensioned "Any young man who desires to
February 21. earn a decent livelihood should imme­
fourteenth birthday, he started railroading
as a "brakie." He has al­
Mr. Mortenson diately try to connect himself with
ways worked on the Michigan Divi­
was honored by an honorable job on the New York
sion. In those days, "braking meant
his fellow work­ Central Lines and stay at it, develop­
braking," with plenty of risks and
ers at a party ing himself for any of the many ad­
much work. On cold nights, above a
held in the office vantages that there are in these days
swaying car, Mr. Hendrix often
at the Steel Car for promotion, with a management of
crawled to his post of duty, pushing
Shop the evening which myself and others have been
a container of ashes ahead of him
of March 8. Sev­ proud."
which he sprinkled on the boards to
enty-five had se­ Then Mr. Hart looks back to early
assure a better footing.
cretly assembled days:
at the office, after
"There wasn't any time-and-a-half
"There have been many changes on
which Mr. Mor­
pay for overtime," he comments. "We
the railroad during my lifetime. I
tenson was ush­
got a straight $5.50 for a run, no
started on the Hudson Division as a
Charles Mortenson ered in and then
matter how long it took. Once I was
wood cutter. Wood was used at that
out seventy-two hours without sleep the grand party commenced.
time, both for running the locomotives
or rest."
Accordion, banjo and guitar music and heating the cars. Few are living
At twenty-one Mr. Hendrix was a was furnished and greatly enjoyed, today whom I recall working with in
freight conductor, and a passenger after which O. G. Blood, General those early times. I remember old
conductor in 1892. For the last eight Foreman of the Ashtabula Car Shops, friends such as Thomas Sherwood,
years he has had the Century run be­ acting in the capacity of chairman Sr., Daniel Whalen, John White, also
tween Toledo and Chicago. Among of the affair, called on several of the my last employer, W. J. Adams, and
the great men he has met in railroad­ employes for impromptu speeches. Mr. W. P. Davis, Master Mechanic of the
ing have been Presidents Garfield and Blood, in behalf of the employes, pre­ Mohawk Division, who were nothing
Wilson. And high and low, they've sented Mr. Mortenson with a purse but kids filling minor jobs forty-five
had to furnish a ticket when they of gold.
years ago."
rode on Mr. Hendrix's train.
At the close of the party, Miss Ethel Mr. Hart makes his home at 319
Johnson and Miss Lura Holbrook Orange Street, Albany.
served refreshments.
William Porter Retired
Frank Balfrey Retires After
45 Years
riLLIAM JONES PORTER, Recalls Early Freight Days in
Pumper at the water station of
RANK BALFREY, who recently
Cleveland
Palmyra, N. Y., retired from service
Fretired as Crossing Watchman at
recently after thirty-nine years with HEN George Worthington An­ Syracuse, has had
the New York Central. E. L. Jenkins, drus left the Railroad in 1910 as opportunity to see
Supervisor of Buildings and Bridges,
Agent at Cleve­ many changes
and other officers extended to Mr.
land, telephones and many places
Porter their best wishes for his re­
had not yet been during the fortytirement.
installed, he five years he has
Mr. Porter began as a laborer at
writes. Starting worked with the
Cold Water, N. Y., in 1889. Later
in 1856 as a clerk, Railroad.
he was made a pumper at that place
Mr. Andrus Mr. Balfrey be­
and was transferred to Rochester and
worked his way gan as a laborer
Palmyra.
up, becoming chief at Cornwall in
clerk in 1864 and 1883. From there
agent in 1876.
Conductor Heath Leaves Fall
he was trans­
"I commenced ferred to Bergen-
Brook District
railroading in field in 1886, to
TILL in the best of health and
1856 with the Weehawken i n Frank Balfrey
S never having missed a pay day, W.
Cleveland & To­ 1891, and to Syr­
H. Heath of Corning, N. Y., has been
ledo Railroad. acuse in 1893. He was made a gate-
retired as Conductor on the Pennsyl­
Addison Hills was man at the last place in 1893. His
vania Division, Fall Brook District.
General Freight final change came in 1921, when he
Although Mr. Heath has earned a
Agent and George was made a watchman.
well-deserved vacation, he will by no
H. Vaillant was Mr. Balfrey's friends and officers
means be idle, according to Mrs.
Freight Agent. I have spoken highly of his long term
George W. Andrus
Heath, who avers she has lots of jobs
was a clerk in the of faithful service with the Railroad.
around the house for her husband. office of Mr. Vaillant and in the course The veteran makes his home at 114
Mr. Heath seems perfectly willing to of time became chief clerk. When Mr. Catherine Street, Syracuse.