Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-07


| miles an hour gives him an appetite that makes
| him relish his food, and the continuous jOlting
motion of the cars, not as vigorous as 1t used
| to be before the great improvement In car
springs brings with it good digestion, and seems
to settle the flesh down into solidity. The rail
| road conductor is a man of good, rich blood,
and he shows it in his face.
| We are attracted to each other by common
| sympathies. A conductor may be on line
| across the continent from us, but his daily ex-
| periences are just the same as yours and mine,
and @ when en- we meet na from m
| We do here to-day, we know when We strike
| hands with brother, that there is bond that
reaches to the heart. Nor is our fraternity
one of sentiment, or accident of being in the
same calling alone. 1t is actual and beneficial.
1t cares for the sick and wounded. for we have
tears OF the widow by loving and tender SYM
patby, and aids her substantially to meet life
alone, but not unthought of.
By our system of life insurance more relia-
BILE, more sound, than that of the best life in
surance companies, because based upon honor,
which is not always the case with corporations
chartered by the State, we have
during the twelve years of our ex-
istence distributed benefits to the amount of
nearly one million dollars, and that without
having been burdened above what we could
bear. MANY hands make light work" and
when many hearts are in the work it is lighter
still. This feature has made US class free
from the opportunities of that everlasting
nuisance, the life insurance agent, and that Is
something; it has placed the provision for our
families In case of our being suddenly and vic
lently called from earth, in good hands, and
we feel that those mCst dear to us will, In any
event, be free from financial embarrassm eut
and want; this is an assurance of comfort.
Our annual meetings held at different points of
the country, have been productive of great good
as well as afording opportunity for cultivating
personal friendships.
myself have missed only ore Of the twelve
conventions, and have always regretted that
was unable to attend that one. regard our
convention as the one great fraternsl feast of
the year, the occasion above all others that /,
and presume you all, look forward to with
pleasure and for profit.
There are Thousand things that might be
said that would tend to show why there exists
as deep fraternal feeling in our hearts to-day,
but the business of the convention must be at
tended to, and besides they are self-sug-
gesting. You have them in your minds as well
as 1.
Brethren, We are all ticketed through for
life's journey, and every one Of US will go to
the end of the route. We may be laid up on
the sidings now and then for repairs, but as
rule, the full head of steam is on, the throttle
valve wide open, and We are spinning on, max
ing time rapidly. There are up-grades that
will tax all our strength to raise, long stretch
es of level where the run is smooth and moth
ing jars our course. delicate trestle work
where we are obliged to "slow up or break
down alto. .ether, and there is the down-grade,
near the end of the journey. when we seem to
be running swiftly and TREMENDOUSLY to the
the rails, they run parallel
and are bound together by ties,
ties more durable than wood stone, ties
more durable than ever laid on road bed made
by man, ties that make us brotherhood; that
call us here to-day in the furtherance of the in
terests of that brotherhood; ties that are last
ing as life. and reach ever beyond, and link
us to the memory of those gone before.
Let us Low, on this occasion. renew our fealty
TO each other, vowing that the long life route
shall be made pleasant and profitable by fra
ternal good will.
MIR. Nichols address was listened to with
great interest by all present, and at its conclu-
sion he was greeted with hearty applause.
President Sears then turned to Capt. Rhodes
and said that while he might have legal
punch to apply if they went too fast, the asso-
citation had one capable of punching any
ticket even if made of wood. Suiting the
action to the word, he proceeded to open a
box about fourteen by eight inches and exhi
blted model Of a railroad conductors
punch, which from its size seemed to have
grown up, aod was the grandfather of all
punOueb OFCl OpOu SAduludtlOu Lu6
following inscription was found engraved upon
it:
Presented to the United States Conductors
Insurance Association by the Grand Trunk
Railway Conductors of Montreal, 1S7S.''
large number of the delegates availed
themselves of the opportunity to have their
personal cards punched. showing in bold type
the letters &c. I. R." after which the little
joker was passed around among the ladies, to
whom it WAS genuine curiosity.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
President Sears then delivered his annual /
address as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: Once more the
wheels of time have made their revolution,
once more we meet together to enjoy those mu-
tual intercnanges which endears our friend
ship and strengthens our association. 1t is
with feelings OF gratitude that l, in common
with those l have the pleasure Of meeting
duties of the hour. We meet together
this morning to perform a sacred duty,
and while in the discharge of those duties
while deyolve upon us at our yearly gather
ings let not forget that it is not for ourselves
alone that we cheerfully submit to carry these
burdens, from year to year, and 10 obey the
summons which our duties demand, but it
is for cur dependents.
Realizing as we all do the necessity of pro-
vldIng tor our dependents, against immediate
want in the event of our decease, or accident,
depriving US of the free use of our faculties.
l claim it the duty of every man to provide for
the changessthat are liable to wash the most
prudent of business men against the ragged
edge of breakers, which if he survive with
life may leave him powerIess to provide
for those whose welfare the Divine will has
made him steward of, and if at that time he
should be called to account for his steward
ship he can say, to your one shekel of silver
here your own with usury, / have added SO
much in the Railroad Conductors Mutual
Life Insurance company or some
other of like management and
responsibility. 1t is estimated that there are
asout 500, 900 railroad employees in this country
and Great Britain. OF this number in Great
Britain alone, two hundred and ffty-two rail-
road employees are killed, and two thousand
| wounded annually. Rejecting upon all this,
| is it not time that cless of men upon whose
| faithfulness so much depends should receive
| more consideration from the community at
| large. When efforts are being made by them to
| improve their condition mentally and socially
should they not be met hsif way? And, when
| for their own improvement, they try to estab-
| lish reading rooms and libraries, should they
not be aided by the public to an extent that
| will show a proper appreciation of their
| manifold labors and risks. The
question may be asked, and very Justly
too what good has been accomplished by the
Railroad Conductors Life Insurance company,
| that they should ask public sympathy and