The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-02-07

PRESIDENT DURHAM. amount. At the same
time number of the men are members Of
other insurance and benefit societies.
| Since its organization, the Association has
been steadily and rapidly increasing, both
1 in membership and financially. There
have been less than ten deaths among the
members since the Association started, ten
years ago, SO that the average has not been
one death per year. sS ssas
The first President was Captain Samuel
Decker, who served one term. During his
term of Office the foundation of perma.
nent fund was laid, which has grown to
the snug sum of three thousand dollars
This fund is deposited in two banks in this
city. The railroad company takes consid-
cradle interest in the association. and are
anxious 60 help it along. They furnish the
society with q meeting room free of cost
which is great help to the m embers, and
is encouraging, as it shows that their en-
ployers take a lively interest in their well
fare
The present President of the association
is Captain William Durham, one of the
Oldest pilots in the employ of the COM
pany. Captain Sidney Barr is Vice Presi-
dent; Recording Secretary. John Sears !;
Financial Secretary, Samuel L. Price !:
Treasurer, W. /. Tier Trustees, William
H. Van Buskirk, George W. Strausburg,
George Elder. The duties of the trustees
are to see that the money of the associa-
ton is properly invest d.
The TATTLER presents to its readers a
portrait of the President Captain Durham.
He is man of splendid physique, and APP
pears to enjoy the best of health. He is
past thres score years Of age Nearly forty
two years ago he commenced his boating
experience as a driver of canal mule on
the Morris Canal. He did not remain long
at canaling, but, graduating from
the tow-path, went on board a schooner
where he became either such favorite
with the captain, or SO proficient in his pro-
fesslon that at the age of nineteen the cap
tain would go on shore and leave the vessel
in command Of young Durham. On one of
these occasions when he was left in charge
of the vessel a terrible storm came up, and
threatened-to engulph the frail bark, bnt
owing to the presence of mimi and good
seamanship of the young skipper he
brought her safe in the harbor. At that
time the docking facilities In this city were
very meagle, so meagre in fact that nearly
all freight which was transferred to the
railroad had to be carried around in schoon-
ers, which gave young Durham a fine
chance to learn the river in very thorough.
manner, and he took advantage of every
opportunity. After few years aboard a
schooner Durham was placed in the tug
boat service where he remained for some
time, being transferred from one tug to
another until 1870, when the company
placed him in charge of ferryboat run
ming between Philadelphia and Camden.
There he remained for four years,
when he was recalled and placed in
charge of a boat on the Jersey City ferry.
where he has been ever since He has had
several narrow escapes from death. Once
he was on.a tug when the boiler head blew
out He has seen several boats, in close
proximity to his own, burn to the waters
edge, and others blown to atoms. Some
years since, while running steamer up
the Hudson, at night, he nearly run down
small boat full of women and children,
but his presence of mind came in play and
they were all saved The Captain knows
the boat system of the road to perfection.
as he is one of the Oldest pilots in the SER,
vice. His history, if written, would send
thrill of romance to the heart strings of
the most phlegmatic novel reader. Captain
Durham is in every respect self-made
man.