Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-13
o0RvIvlALIrY.
Handsome Presentation 90 Pope.
lar nafIroad SUPERINTENDENT.

enta "a prOvcfDihL iuuocui july kooe
nature, kind heartedness, sociabiliiy and
aifabiliiy are characteristics Of nearly
all railroadme They are class Of
people who see much Of mankind, and
study the peculiariiies Of all grades Of
society; therefore they are always able
to please the fastidious Upper Ten as
we'll as the enthusiastic Lower Twenty,
the gallant Mr.. Something as we'll as the
garrulous Mr.. Nothing Ia social inter
course they are jovial, gay and jocular;
fall Of merriment; free and easy 10 their
manners; never boisterous; never AFRO
CANT; but always sailing smoothly along,
with nod and smile for every one, as
IL the whole world was made up Of sun
shine and beauty.
We were therefore not the least sur
prised last evening to find a crowd Of
those generous-hearted men paying
tribute Of esteem to the nobesouled Sam.
B. Jones, Superintendent Of the Memphis
aud Ohio railroad. in the shape Of q
handsome Epglish-lever, ruby;jswelled,
gold watch, with chain attached, valued
at $3.50. Inside the case is engraved;
Presented to Sam. B. Jones, General
Superintendent of the Memphis and Ohio
railroad, by the Employees, October,
1863" On the front case is monogram
of the recipient, and on the reverse an
etching of locomotive. 1t is beauti-
ful time-piece, and deservedly bestowed.
The presentation took place in the
freight-house of the depot, which had
been tastefally arranged for the occasion.
All the employees being assembled, Col.
L. s. Kuowlton took the chair, and DR..
]. G. Thomas proceeded to make the
presentation speech. Addressing Col.
Jones, he said
Sir, to my lot has fallen the delicate
vet pleasing task of representing my fel,
low employees of the Memphis and Ohio
railroad company in presenting to you
testimonial OF their esteem. | fear /
shall not le able 10 convey in my feeble
language just Interpretation Of their
feelings on this occasion, but must trust
to the action, which speaks in more ex-
pressive tones than could be clothed in
the most euphonioas language. Time
being all important to railroad men, the
gift is naturally watch and chain. This
beautiful creation Of artistic skill, valua-
BILE as il Is, intrinsically must be far more
valuable when considered as an express
sion of the noblest feelings which ami
mate the human heart Among those
who have assembled to do you honor,
there are few, if any, who began With you
career which, to you at least, has been
most honorable one. In referring to
your connection with the company must
be pardoned if am very brief, for it would
take more time and an ADLER historian
than to follow yen through all the ardu-
GUS labors which it has fallen in your
province to perform. First as subor
dinate in the freight department, by your
energy, quick conception of duty, and
faithfulness with which it was performed,
your employer discovered those qualities
which caused him in an emergency to
PLACE yon in more advanced position,
| Afterward, as q conductor OF = pas
senger train, your friends were no less
pleased to see that under all circum-
stances those qualities which always dis
tinguish the gentleman and the man of
| business frew the beef aud the dFone
were ever promising in your CHARACTER.
And when opportunity occurred, it pleased
the officers of the road to place you in
charge of one Of their most important
posts, Here, too, you were more than
equal to the trust, and this proved a step
ping stone to the houorableposition which
you now and have so long wortbily filed.
Warriors attain fame on the field OF bat.
tie, where they are moved to deeds OF
noble daring by the excitement of the
contest and hope of glorious reward.
Statesmen seek fame in the forum, mid
the encouraging applause of contesting
| partiee. You have sought and found it
| in far more difficult path. As the mer=
camille prosperity of our country has
become its life, so every one who con-
tributes to the advancement of these
interests becomes patriot according
to the degree in which be is sue
sessful in helping forward those
interests. Connected with this road from
its infancy, you were, of course, familiar
with its workings and its necessities; and
when the late terrible war burst upon US,
it became necessary that you should
guard the interests of the company by
removing their property to other locali-
| ties. This was done most successfully
on more than one OCCASION. When the
war closed, and you were called to
resume your position here, truly the
prospect was discoursging, and few stout
hearts could have faced the mountain
of difficulties as you did. The road q
wreck, no money in the treasury, and
Int little material, and that in bad con-
dition, with which to stock the road
and begin anew. Nothing daunted,
through the assistance of our able Presi-
dent and the generosity ofour merchants,
you were, at last, enabled to begin your
work. How successful you have been
I need but point to our wealth-laden
trains as they thunder along through our
peaceful land, and to this occasion, where
noble hearts and active intellects have
assembled TO express their hearty ap-
probation of what You have accom-
plished, and bid you God speed for the
| future. Yours is a most difficult position,
and few fill it who can at all times see
clearly and act promptly for the inter
ests Of the company, and at the same
time do justice to their subordlnates.
How YOU have succeeded in the former
the repeated action of your directors
attest on the one hand, and this auspi-
cious occasion testifies most signally on
| the other. must here, as it is probably
unknown to many present, refer to the
conduct Of your employees on recent
occasion, when they feared that the man
aeement of the road might pass into
| oho. LonJs Erou, the hnmhlest lahorer