The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-02-25

projected somewhat above the level q
the other rails Against this q whee
. would strike. and the rail-. being force
q up perpendicularly or at q sharp angle
would enter the car floor. Sometime
Q these suddenly projected snakeheadl
a would badly injure people. One nota
: BILE case was that of a bridal party
+ The groom. seated beside his. bride
: was enjoying the novelty of first rid,
q on the cars. when suddenly, with f,
1 stunning jar. q snakehead cam,
i. through the bottom of the car ant
nearly cut off his leg. As genera
thing the motive power was so veal
. that the snakehead stopped the train
: and thus itself prevented damage.
But the snakeheads are to this day an
unpleasant memory of those early days
of railroading.
The strap-iron rails, poor articles,
wore quickly and badly. and one Of
President Vass' serious problems was
the necessity of replacing them. He
had no funds to buy new ones. So
in connection with his roadmaster, o
sharp fellow named Rhodes, he conceiv.
ed of plan which, though as prima.
tive as any ever devised, was found to
work well. Alongside the road grew
numbers of young whiteoak trees,
three or four inches in diameter.
These were cut down. Invested of theil
bark. and then nailed down, after be.
ing split into two parts, the curved side
being uppermost. The use of these
wooden rails came to be very frequent,
and the white oaks of suitable size be.
came scarce. Then little pine saplings
a few years old were used in the same
way. They also lasted very well. So
1t came about that President Vass re.
placed iron rails with wooden ones,
and during his term in that Office did
not purchase pound of new iron. lie
declares that the wooden rails were
actually better than the ones they re.
placed.
A railway president of to-day, going
here and there in lordly style in his
private car. little imagines the duties,
as well as the trials and tribulations
of the president of the Raleigh and
CASTOR road in those early times. One
of Maj. Vass' duties was to inspect the
entire line of the road. To do this he
went over it on foot over every mile
of it, back and forth, once month,
accompanied by his faithful roadmas.
ter. They literally saw every bit OF
iron and wood as they footed the $50
miles from Raleigh to CASTOR and
back. They usually devoted full
week to this business of inspection,
camping out at night If no house was
near BY. Not few times did they
spend the night with passengers beside
camp-fires alongside the road. A train
would break down. the passengers and
train people would build roaring fire
beside the track if the night were cold,
and all would pass the time as pleasant
ly as possible. AS has been said. they
were not over-fastidious in those DAYS,
and most OF them, when they saw the
baby engines. the rough road, and the
wooden rails, wondered that they got
along at all The president as he
laughingly remarked to-day, was then
kept walking all the time. For his
services as real railway Pooh Bah"
he was paid ST., ZOO year, and thought
it good salary. just before his term
as president ended he was paid $1.5Oe
Henry Clay visited Raleigh. and the
Raleigh and Faston Railway people.
desiring to show him great honor,
had car built at Norfolk especially
for him. 1t would be called rough
affair in these days. 1t was rather lon-
ger than the cars then in use. was OF
pine. with oak supports. was painted
a rty yellow, and had little windows
each of two panes of glass. The seats
were of pine, and very nearly resem-
Dled those torturing ones in an old
fashioned church. The road thought
hat in the construction of this car
perfection had been attained, and Maj.
Vass showed it with peculiar pride to
cores of visitors. Another triumph in
pecial cars was constructed for Prcs-
lent Polk upon the occasion of his
'isit here. 1t took two entire days of
lis time to make the 75-mile trip from
Saston to Raleigh. That car was pre-
erved for years as sacred relic. A
'ox-car of this date would surpass it in
lyle and finish.
In 1851 Maj. Vass retired from the {
Presidency of the road. He had en- ,
ineered it through its darkest days. ,
lie was urged to continue in the office.
ir. George w. Mordecai was put in ,
hat position, and Maj. Vass again re- !
nrned to his duties, as treasurer, !
vhich in fact had never really been :
Ever since he has held :
nat position. Jan. l, 1916, was the !
ate of his taking the position. and in !
OF his forty years
srvice the company, Jan. I. 1886, pres '
nted him with solid silver service !,
alued at $1,000. In 1861 he was made =
'easurer of the Raleigh and Augusta (,
ailway; also, a few weeks ago he was 7
ected treasurer of the Durham and !
orthern railway. He now receives =
5. 900 per annum. and is a man of q
rye wealth. all the result Of of honest, q
.reful saving. The receipts of his !,
d road, in 1s49 $4,000 are now !,
|. 0O0 600. and it is prominent link
the seaboard system, which isnow
hiding q $5. 900. 900 line between At t,
nta, Ga. and Monroe. N. C. f,
Thus North Carolina can boast of s,
Q oldest railway treasurer in the ii
dest railway treasurer in the United b
ates. 1t is said that the same claim O
n be made as to railway presidents. c,
d that Hon. r. r. Bridgers, of the al
ilmington and Weldon railroad, is G,