Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-15
THE ROADMASTERS.
THE CONCLUDING SESSION OF THE
CONTENTION YESTERDAY.
Matters of Special Note to the Craft and an
Address Full of Common Sense from
President j. Fl. Preston, OF Des Molnes'

The Roadmaster's association of Ameri-
ca took an enjoyable excursion to Mime
tonka yesterday morning, on a special
train rendered them by the st. Paul, Min
neapolis & Manitoba road, sailed seventeen
miles on the lake over whose wild land and
water scenery they were enthusiastic,
roamed over the spacious but deserted
halls of Hotel Lafayette, and returning to
Minneapolis thoroughly inspected the VIA
duct of their railroad host which spans
the Mississippi and on which they passed
a unanimous verdict as being of the finest
architecture and workmanship.
Returning at o'clock in the afternoon
they held their final meeting of the session
n the hall of representatives., having
passed half hour in personal examination
of models of track implements and road
fixtures brought thither by members and
by agents of inventors, among which were
Joint bars, nuts, bolts, wrenches, draw and
spike bars, coal chutes, car coupl ers, etc.
President H. Burnett, calling the associ-
alton to order, the following new members
signed the bylaws, swelling the whole
number of members to eighty seven, of
which twenty-seven had signed at this
session: E. A. Corners, Chicago, Milwau-
kee g. st. Paul, Sioux City division, Wor-
Ellington, Mimi; E. M. Marsh, Sioux City
& Pacific, Neville, Ia; P. 81. Hennessy,
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul, Council
Bluffs division, Perry, Ia.
The president then informed the associ-
alton that the st. Paul & Manitoba COM
pany hal placed at their disposal special
train, to leave union depot on Saturday
morning for Fargo, whsre it
would stop for the night and re-
turn to st. Paul on Sunday on the other
route in season for the departure of the
Sunday night trains east. 1t was voted to
accept the invitation, some twenty-five of
the party signifying their desire to take
the trip. Mr.. McChristian thought their
respective roads could spare them to take
this trip, as they had had no vacation in
thirty years, while every clerk in a railway
Office had to take from month to six
weeks annually to rest his tired brains.
Then again, he wanted to stay as long as
possible with such genial people as he had
found out west on this visit, and if more
of them could be found further on he
wanted to see all of them he could before
he returned.
The members then contributed to
pay for the publication of their annual re-
port in book form, and to remunerate the
stenographer, G. F. Hitchcock, Jr, of Min
neapolis, for the preparation of the copy
for the printers.
Several questions which had been po-
pounded for discussion at this session were
laid over until the next meeting, which
were as follows: Frogs and switches,
creeping rails, cause and prevention, sur
facing, necessary filling for track ballast
and the elevation of curves.
committee reported on the subject of
life saving apparatus in foot guards for
frogs, that the Hart blocking to prevent
feet being thus caught was the best pre-
tentative invention thus far.
The following officers we're then elected
for the ensuing year: President, I. Bur
nett, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, Jol-
let, ILL.,; first vice president, John G. Bren
nan, st. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba;
second vice president, James R. Sloan,
Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Danville, ILL.,;
secretary, John Tierney, Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific, Blue Island, ILL.,; treasurer,
Thomas Adamson, Ohio & Mississippi,
Iawrenceburg, Ind: Executive committee:
S. L. Sweeney, Wabash, st. Louis Pacific,
three years; j. G. Evans, of a Wisconsin
road, two years, ana ]. FL. Mcdonnell,
Chicago & Northwestern, one year.
The president in accepting the Office a
second term, said he should give it ardent
work and counseled each member to do
the same. He further stated that the num-
Der of roadmasters in the United States
was 1000, and by active individual service
of the members predicted the next session
would swell the associations membership
to 200 in numbers.
A telegram was received from
Chas. Latimer, chief engineer of the
New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio, stating
that he gave his roadmasters permission
to attend the session at st. Paul, but on
account of his absence and their work they
thought best to defer joining the associa-
ton until its next annual meeting at
which they would certainly be present.
It was stated that certificates for mem
bership had been printed and that they
would be sent the members who would fill
in the division of the road in which they
were in charge.
It was voted that member should
always be a member of the association if
in good standing and conforming to its
regulations, and also that the members
would aid each other in securing posi-
lions for members out of employment,
they being able to furnish good recon-
mendations as to character, efficiency, etc.
A vote of thanks was given the officers
for their efficient services and also to A.
Guthrie, superintendent of the Brecken-
ridge division of the st. Paul, Minneapo-
lis & Manitoba road, for his personal cour-
tesies and services to the members on
their visit to st. Paul.
The president introduced j. G. Worral,
Esq, Minneapolis attorney, as favorite
employe of his for several years and stated
that he had been known to load a hand
car into freight car single handed, what
ever might be his legal record.
The following resolutions was passed:
RESOLVED, That we express to the COVER
nor and secretary of state of the state of
Minnesota, our thanks for the courtesy ex-
tended to this organization in the privilege
of holding this meeting in the state house;
G. 3. Bronson, superintendent
of the union depot, a like courtesy,
and to all the officers of the st.
Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba and
the Chicago, Milwaukee g. st. Paul Rail-
road companies for kindnesses extended
to the members of this organization. And
also that copy of this resolution be for
warded by the secretary to the governor