The Portland daily press., 1870-10-22

ticket masters, station agents. Sc, &c. That
this just policy has been of advantage to these
corporations is generally admitted-that it
gave to the T. S. & P. railroad, conductors
who Will be remembered as models of indus
try, fidelity and politeness, the career of such
men as Alderman and Towle sufficiently attest
And thus it happened that Mr.. Towle, who
began life as stage driver at the early age of
sixteen years, was transferred from his early
employment to the Eastern railroad in the first
instance and subsequently to that of the P s.
s. p. In 1912, when that road was opened for
travel TO this city, it was, says Mr.. Willis. "con-
ceved to be of little benefit to our CITY. being
regarded rather as tie medium of withdraw
ing business fTom us, and exhausting our
means to build up the other terminus, than as
contributing to our growth or wealth." What
changes in the world of thought, of manners,
customs, politics and even of religion since
then!
MIR. Towle started cut on the train under the
political administration of Martin Van Buren,,
and has pursued the even tenor of his way
through those of Harrison Tyler, Polk, Tay
lor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln, John
johnson and the present incumbent of the
Presidential chair survive. In the railroad
| management but few changes have occurred.
There have been but two Presidents of the
road, viz, David A. Neal and Hon. Ichabod
Goodwin, while Francis Chase, Esq, the able
and accomplished Superintendent, is the fourth
serving in that capacity, Messrs. John Kirs.
man, James Sweetser and John Russell, hay
ing preceded him in that responsible office.
Of the conductors, engineers and fremen who
began service with Mr.. Towle but few survive
Mr.. Coolbroth, the faithful switchman at this
station, was, we believe, a fireman when Mr.
Towle began; but having been injured in the
terrible accident at Wells many years ago.
whereby the engineer lost his life; was sensi-
bly, impressed with the idea that a locomotive
is, like horse, "a vain thing for safety" and
has never tempted fate or fortune since. We
| calculate, after making due allowance for alb
sences on account of sickness or pleasure, that
Mr.. Towle has travelled by rail, nine hundred
thousand miles. If the track had been in a
continuous line he would have Just hove in
sight after completing his thirty sixth trip
around the GLOBE If, ON the other hand. he
had been journeying to the moon, he would
have made one trip thither and back, and been
due at the Union depot in Portland, on bis
second return trip from that far-off planet.
in 1877.
Mr. Towle has met with few accidents, but
his good fortune in this respect has not abated
his watchful care for the lives and limbs Of
those committed to discharge. He is prompt
methodical and Systematic. In This inter
course with the great travelling public he is
somewhat reticent, but always civil. With
the man of the world who knows where he is
going and when he gets there, he wastes nc
words; but to untraveled youth and timid
| age be not only lends an attentive ear, but ex.
! hibits spirit OF patience that would have ad.
ded much to the reputation of ancient Job.
Printing presses have long been busy with
autobiographies and recoIections of busy lives
but finitely superior to most of these would
be the personal recoAections of a conductor
"31lyears.on!the. rail" How pleasantly he would
discourse of great men and little men, of rich
men and beggars, of blushing brides and wan
dering MINISTRIES, of grave Senator'S reverend,
divines, stump speakers, lyceum lecturers
play actors, dancing women and clowns, in
short of every specimen of human kind! Take
the case OF Mr.. Towle for instance-he has nj
loted President into Maine, and Vice
President going out to his inaugural The
silver tonged Evans, the illustrous Fessenden
and scores of others who have adorned and il
Illustrated the annals of our State, have taken
passage with him time and again. He saw
them in the pride and flush of early manhood
going forth to win renown where only men
who were really great could hope to get foot
hold. He saw them in their later years return
ing, victors in lfes great battle, and bending as
1t were beneath the accumulated weight of
years andshonors. He could tell us of beard
less boys leaving the parental roof for college,
for trades, for business, for adventure, hound
for Harvard or Bowdon, for Boston, New
York or Chicago, for the north, the east, the
south, the Ewest and of those same s'boys''
returning quarter of a century later-some
successful, prosperous, happy, famous, rich
some discouraged, diseased, disappointed,
bankrupt, wretched and Acknowledging or
crawling with uncertain footsteps to their ear
ly haunts. He could tell of hundreds, ay!
thousandslwho during the war of the rebellion
crowded his trains on their way to battle,
some .of whom returned alive and well and
others sick or manned and covered with hon
orable scars.
But we find on looking this article over that
we have run off on several side tracks not con.
templated at the start, and will close bv ex-
pressing the wish, in which hundreds of our
readers will join, that our conductor may con-
tinue his regular trips until his travelled miles
shall equal the distance between Portland and
some planet beyond the moon, and when he
begins his down grade in the journey of life,
may the descent be gentle, and the passage
long.