The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-08-03
THE LITTLE coNNorroN.
Very Narrow Gauge Troubles or This Pop
ular Line.

be public servants or the people, are
very secreatiYe in the trimmer workings,
considering rightly that what is their
own private business does not concern
anybody else. But occasionally a dis
turbance arises from within the inner
charmed circle of official life, that like
stone thrown into the midst of a
placid lake, causes the cOncentric rings
to widen until the impact received from
the centre ruffles the entire surface of
the pool. Such has notably been the
case with the COnnOttOn Railway Com
pany, which has been for some months
past under the able management of Mr..
w. W. Hungerford, an experienced man
in railroad matters for the past twenty
seven years, his sphere of operations
having embraced several of the extreme
points in this country, verging from
Lake Superior to the Rio Grande in
Texas. Mr.. HungerfOrd came to Canton
under advices received from the direc-
tors, who reside in the East, and surren-
dered lucrative position in Texas in
order to act as
GENERAL MANAGER
of the COnnOttOn 1-ilway. His only
reason for coming North was on
account of his wife's poor health, she
not being able to stand the varied ex-
tremes of heat and cold that prevail in
that country. When Mr.. Hungerford
took charge of the road he found the ac-
counts of the offices in somewhat shaky
condition, to say the least, and being a
business man and disciplinaTian pro-
posed to put the same in good shape or
'die in the trench"
He found strong opposition engen-
dered towards him by faction headed by
Superintendent MOtfat, man appointed
to that office by the Proal and Patterson
management, and when he endeavOred
to have orders executed, that opposition
became very manifest, so much sO in
fact, as to interfere with the workings of
the road.
The Manager found that vigorous
treatment was required in the case and
took the bit between his teeth and began
the assertion of his authority by re-
moving Mr.. MOffat and abOlishing the
Office of Superintendent, rightly claim
ing that as the Board of Directors had
appointed him as the General Manager
of the road, he proposed to be the head
and front of the company at this end or
die in the attempt.
The position of General Manager of a
railroad may not be understood by most
people, and we will explain by saying
that he is the ruler of the whole road
and his action is only subject to the
Board of Directors, whose money has
The fact of the removal of Mr.. MOffat
was bOmbshell in the camp of a num-
ber of his henchmen, and on Saturday
night, when the o'clock train should
have gone up to Congress Lake, there
were no conductors or engineers to run
it, but by skirmishing around, men were
found who finally took it up, after an
hours delay. A few minutes after IL
o'clock a train of coal flats with Con-
ductOr Jones came down from the north,
and Ticket Agent Morgan jumped on the
cabOOse as the train was pulling to the
round house and said that there would
be special train of ten empty coaches
to go to Cleveland at 320 Sunday morn
ing to bring down an excursion, and
asked him if he would run it up. Mr..
Jones glared at Morgan moment and
wildly swinging his lantern, said: 81
will not turn another wheel for the
road" That settled the matter, and Mr..
Morgan stepped off and reported to Mr..
HungerfOrd, volunteering to act as con-
ductOr himself, which offer was ac
cepted, and at 3:20 a. IN. ten coaches
with summer" seats, made of thin
wood, perforated with holes, fOr better
ventilatiOn), went up the road, amid the
fog and cold mist of the morning. Ar
irving at Cleveland, the yard men were
found to be working all right, and we'll
satisfied with the management, they
having the idea of all sensible men,
that when you have a good job, keep it,"
THE SINGYEREIN,
a German society of Cleveland, invaded
the platform with baskets, sun shades,
stunning neckties and innumerable
questions, to the number of | 200 peO
pie, and not only filled those ten cars
but required three more to accommodate
their numbers. The sun about this
time came out hot, and as the train was
delayed some time, the German element
sWeltered in the heat, wished themselves
at home dozen times, and in default of
something better to do, began to belabOr
the new conductor Morgan with in
qulries about leaving time, until he was
willing and ready to throw up the
ductOr work. He was ably assisted by
MIR. H. c. BUSH,
Builder of Bridges and Master Carpen-
ters made Mr.. MOrgan's task less
OnerOus.
A freight car hitched upon the rear
end of the train was filled with beer,
pop and other effervescent summer bev-
erages and received due share of atten-
tiOn on the trip. Two engines were re-
quired to pull this load of humanity,
which they dld successfully, and landed
the excursionists safely at Congress
Lake at II a. NJ, after which the engine
and five cars returned to Canton. Engi-
neer WhitcTaft, regular man, had
charge of the throttle. Much credit is
due Mr.. Morgan, assisted by Mr.. Bush,
for the handling Of the train with its
immense load of people.
1t does not look as If the business of
the road is suffering any on account of
a furry of few of its disaffected en-
ployes. In fact, under the present
management there is more business be-
ing done than ever before.
MIR. HUNGERFORD SPEAKS.
reporter of this paper interviewed
General Manager HungeTfOrd on Mon
day morning, in regard to the recent
troubles on the road, and found him in
the General Ticket Office, up stairs in the
second story of the cOmmodiOus Canton
station.
Mr.. HuugerfOrd is a well built, heavy
set man of middle age, with a genial
countenance that at once betOkens
frankness and business grit" In
answer to questions which were shot at
him from the repOrtOrial catapult he
said he had been a railroad man for 27
years, and naively remarked that he was