The record-union., 1893-12-08
THE RAILROAD TRAINMEN.
Ball Given Last Evening by Suffer
Lodge.
An Enjoyable AfTair-Addross by Mas
ter c. e. Swain--Officers and
Committees.

night at Turner Hall was a decided sue
cess, both in the number who were pres
ent and in the manner in which every
thing was carried out. Nearly 200 couples
took part in the grand march and prom
enaded to the fine music furnished by
Fisch, Jones and Watson's orchestra.
The hall was tastefully decorated, the
initials of the order surmounting a land
scape in the rear of the musicians stand
and signal flags and lanterns mingling
with banners and coiored streamers upon
the walls. The chandeliers were also
beautifully draped with ivy and Other
vines and flowers. The programmes
were very beautiful and artistic, forming
souvenirs that will be carefully pre-
served.
THE MASTERS ADDRESS.
The opening feature of the evening was
the following address by Master G. E.
Swain:
"Ladies and Gentlemen: AS the presid-
ing officer of Sutter Lodge No. 340
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, lex
tend to you cordial welcome. The hap
piest hour of a traiDman's life is that in
which he sees the bright and smiling faces
nual ball. 1 have no doubt there are
many present tonight who have been
with us upon former occasions OF the
same kind. Believing brief sketch OF
the organization might prove interesting
to those who have shown so kindly an in
terest in our welfare, / will beg of you a
little time in which to set it forth. Ten
years ago. in the front room of a neat
though humble cottage home in the city
of Oneonta, New York, thirteen brake
men met together for the purpose of ef-
fecting an organization. This meeting
might be said to have instituted the lay
ing of the cornerstone of the order
known as the Brotherhood Of Railroad
Brakemen.
lowing to the promotion of many of its
members to higher branches OF the serv-
ice, the name was changed at the sixth
annual convention, held at st. Paul, tC
that by which it is now known-Brother-
hood of Railroad Trainnen, conductors
brakemen and switchmen being eligible
to membership. These words were carved
upon the cornerstone, the beautiful,
symbolic terms: 'Benevolence, Sobriety
and Industry at once the motto of oul
order and the fundamental principles
upon which it is founded. On the 23d
day of September, 1888, the first lodge o1
the order was organized at Oneonta, n
i
spread rapidly TO almost every division
headquarters in the United States and
Canada. Sutter Lodge, No. $40, was in
stituted in this city March 10, 1890. 10
night we look back to period extending
over little more than ten years after the
first lodge was organized, and we now
find our directory graced by 540 lodges,
the greatest number Of any organization
engaged in train service. The member
l,,rJ
are located at different points in this
State Pennsylvania has siXty-one, the
greatest number of any one State. Can
ada and the British Possessions have
thirty-five lodges. Thus you find chain
of brotherly love and fraternal union eX-
tending from the storm-beaten shores OF
the Atlantic to the sun-kissed waters ol
the Pacific.
"a feature Of the order is the insurance
carried by each and every member
whereby q stipulated sum is paid by
the brotherhood in case of death or total
disability. The amount paid in ten years
may give you an idea Of the danger and
perils of our calling. The amount paid
with the close of the fiscal month will
reach the vast sum of 81, 500, 900, or, in
other words, the organization has paid
claims aggregating that amount-an av-
erage payment OF S5S,000 per month al
the present time.
sit is utterly impossible for individuals
to treat successfully with corporations
therefore organizations become a neces-
sity. The mission OF the trainmen is not
to antagoniZe employer and employe, and
to-day every system of railway Of inn
portance in the United States and Canada
is being operated tremendously on a
schedule. ratified by the represent
atives of the different railroad or
-,
the road. The schedule governs the con.
ditions of employment, hours of labor
rate OF pay and other minor details; it is
general III application and includes every
man in tn service, union and non-uniOn
men sharing alike in the benefits accru-
ing from it. 1t is matter OF pride with
us that in the ten years this brotherhood
has been in existence it has been engaged
in but one strike previous to the trouble
on the Lehigh Valley. This was on the
Canadian Pacific a little over q year ago.
| am pleased to say it terminated success
fully and creditably to The Brotherhood.
81 desire to thank you Tor your kind
attention and trust that all present may
leave this hall tonight with kindlier
feelings for the brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen than they have ever known
before.o
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES.
The OfncerS are Y. IL. SWAIN, Master;
G.. ~ Woodward, Vice Master; w. II.
keenan,. Past Master; y. McDonough.
Secretary; J. z. Doughty, Financier; +.
w. Claresse, Conductor.
The following committees were untir-
ing in their efforts to make the occasion
a pleasant one: Executive-C. Il. Swain.
Harry Covey. W. /. Waters; Floor Di-
rector, Harry Covey; Floor Committee
w. H. Jones, L. b. Condery, p. II. Cox.
r. w. Brice, j. j. Ward. J. Dyer and W.
Z. Waters; Reception Committee-C.
4. Swain, S. B. Covey, G.. NJ. Hale, G.. A.
Woodward, i. w. Claresse, G. l.. O'Key
and j. Wentworth.
The diamond worn by the Sultan in
the aigrette of his plume on parade days
was picked up from a dust heap by a
poor man of Constantinople during the
reign of Mohammed ".