, 1873-01-25
GRANVILLE KtMBALLx,
The Michigan Central Thirty
Years Ago.


One by one our old residents are passing
away. 4 few days since Was ch1onicled the
death Of Granville Kimball. At the first an
nouncement the event seemed shrouded with a
painful mystery, but this has completely dis
solved, and it is certain that deceased met his
fate by accident. There is nothing in his affairs
! or business that juBtifies any other
view. Ho WAS possessed of compe-
| tcnce, had few or no business cares,
and melancholy accident has taken him from u
community where, for so many years, his haa
been familiar aad most respected name. But
the life thus cloaed deserves moro than brief
mention Of regrets. Like few who still remain
among the active men of city which has risen
where they found a struggling prairie village,
Air. K1mban Was strongly identified with some OF
the most important phases Of that carly period.
1n1842, ir. Kimball. originally from New Hamp-
slira, parted with hisinterestin the old American
House at Buffalo, and came to Detroit to idonti-
fy himself with the transportation Of the tide Of
travel seeking tho West. Michigan, like most
of her sister States, had gone strongly into in
ternal imrrovoments and WAS then running two
partly built railroad lines, tho Michigan Central
and the Michigan Southern. The former wns
being pushed westward from Detroit, along tbs
old military read, and st. Joseph, proud
the Western terminus: The O. Michigau
Southern loft Toledo and Monroe, and tho two
lines made junction at Adrian, aa at present.
Besides these, the State had othor railroad and
canal schemes, and the State Board Of Public
Works WAS q busy institution. Our esteemed
and venerable tellow-citizen, Colonel Samuel
Stone, was Secretary Of this Board, With bis
Office at the corner of Woodward avenue
and Michigan street, Detroit. Mr.. Kim
bali WAS associated with tho Stage Com
Of the Michigan Central for Chicago. Among
ito other proprietors was the late B. F. Hadduck,
of this city
Tie Michigan Central, in State control, thirty
years agot was primitive affair; It's track vas
laid. with strip rails Of unpleasant remem-
brances, given to sudden snake-heads. when the
rail would curl up through the car, to the havoc
and horror Of passengers 1t was no uncommon
thing to run OF the track. It WAS the early day
of railroading. In 1912 tho Michigan Central
giving to passengers plump 200 miles OF stag
ing before they rolled across the praitie into
Chicago. In 1916 the limo w2s finished to Mar
shall, and il 1876 to Kalamazoo, 146 milcs from
state OF the roals. At some periods Of the year
it Was fully 1,000-
During this period, from 1912 to 1876, Grnn-
vile kimbau received and forwarded tho west
ward travel from Detroit, always cheerful, ur-
bano, and busy. the very model Of d passage
agent. Each eight he sat down with Colonel
Stone rs Secretary Of the Board of Public Works
Of Michigan to render account Of tickets by rail.
III 1876 the State took square look at tho
passenger business, and retired therefrom. Tho
s20s60oo. It was sold for 81, 000, 900 to j. ".
Brooks and tho Eastern parties he represented
and 80 hnppy was the selection OF successor to
the State management, that the spirit OF ]. ".
Brooks, it's first 6uCerint endent, lives to-day
san The ea y r5osa snd apRGased ste1
since 1916 no mistake seems to have been chron-
icled: To furnish the historical reference, it
ncetls to be added that in 1886 the Michigan
Southern was also sold, for $500, 900, after hev-
the State sold out tho Clinton and Kalamazoo
Canal, which had cost s6oo,oo0, the sale being
effected by paying private parties 10000 acres
Of land to take the ditch off the hands Of State
and put things to rights along tho abandoned
at tho efforts Of our early Western State legis-
lators i'll the wa! of improvements. They we're
livo men, snw the future, and struck boldly
out to grasp it. Who can reckon the
I'D t. make & th' t ppesass paHSsf fcP Ssrh sess sas
who came after them? Perhaps MORO OF their
spirit should have remained in the State policy
concerning routes Of travel, for these old fell
lows believed honestly TINT tho railroads were
1uT Lue pEVp4ty huu 1letEI 0Calu6u tuGE tu9T9
mi ght be danger in reversing the proposition.
But the change in the control Of the Michigan
Central ended Alr. kimballs relations in Detroit,
and he can,o to Chicago, hero to reside, and still
and for years to bo associated with the carly
stage lines westward from this city. And when
the iron horse had succeeded to tho last Of tho
Frink l. Walker lines, and the stage Office closed,
Mr. sKimball lapscd into the quiet and -urbsne
citizen, moderately active in quiet echemes, and
long ago reckoned among our well-to-do men.
The incidents Of ahuman life like hia are human
history; the annals Of his ago could DO well told
in his experiences and business Gfo, which
Ind 60 muck to do with the influx
Of population in the West. What would
lhe now conner in Chicago give to look out
through such eyes as his upon the swift pano-
rama Of thirty years growth Of the city Of Chi
cago and Of its tributary region, ar9 note how
1 gcrambGng collection of cheap tonements bo-
came magnificent aud wide spread city, with
it's Score Of radiating railway lines, making it
he great interior focus Of tho trade and COM
nerce of the continent? Mr, kimball will be
missed by many who knew his quiet worth and
Tho lament Ills sad, untimely fate, and this
will recall him to many who in
he years Of his connection with travel 1emem-
,er his kindliness aud courtesy. Do all TINT
,ave to do with the travelling community re-
member how long kind smile, q cheery word,
ready service will live in the mind Of the |
stranger and pilgrim, such as We all become
yhan re journey among strange Bcenos? i