The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-24
AMONG THE RAILROAD MEN
Ball of the Railway Switchmen at
Hamilton Hall.
NOTES ABOUT KANSAS RAILROADS.
Gossip Among the Railroad Men OF
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and Notes Along
the Line.

the Line.
railroad men in every department in Kan
sas are requested to furnish items to this col
umn. Matters of news, stories, accidents, an
SCUSR7s anu CoiAAilu VI 90
receive attention, and be gwen place II s sult4-
bic. The name Of the writer should pc atIacn-
ed It viii not be published unless desired Ad-
dress Railroad Reporter, State Journal
Last night at Hamilton hall the Topeka
Switchmen's union gave the initial ball
of their order and the frat railroad ball
of the season.
The other railroad orders, with that
spirit of sociability characteristic of
railroad men, aided financially and by
their presence in the success. of the ball,
AMI by the time that the first strains of
the grand march foated through
the hall, one hundred and twenty-six
couples had been provided with pro-
grammes and were in line. Never was
there a more successful railroad ball
given in Topeka. Mr. f. II. Morgan,
master of the lodge, acted as master of
ceremonies, aud the reception of the
guests was attended to by Geo. Nc
Laughlin, Fl. McDade, B. Kershner, Geo.
Bingham, J. c. Whalen. q. l. Stone,
and S McFerren. The arrangements
were perfect in every detail and reflect
much credit on that committee. which was
composed of C. II. Petit, II. B. Hanley and
Z. F. Fuller On the floor, L. G. Ham
mond, ]. Casey. George Keeling, G. B
Botkin, C. II. Petit, NJ. B. Hanley and j.
Crawford distinguished themselves in
their attention to the accommodation of
the participants and c. Y. Bentley, W.
Il. Norton and J. Nelson composed the
committee at the door
It was night off for the switchmen,
and they appreciated the event. Midst
the music and the dancing all thought
of their perilous daily occupation was
forgotten, and no warning signal light
or clang of the engine bell disturbed
their pleasure. The switches were
closed, the track was clear, and no
Santa Fe flyer or limited express ever
passed over the track more gracefully,
or with q smoother motion than the
switchmen tripped down the polished
floor. They waltzed down the main
1.-The, quadrilled on the branch lines, and
the curves were turned in the light steps
of the schottische and polka. There
we're quadrilles for the Switchmen's
union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Firemen, and the division superintend-
emf: lanciers for tt Order of Railroad
Conductors and the Brotherhood of Lo-
connective Engineers; a waltz for the Or
der of Railroad Telegraphers, and las.
of all the Virginia reel for
one of the largest railroad organizations
in the United States, the Brotherhood of
Railway Trainmen. The music was fur
uished by Steinberg's ochestra, and the
stentorian voice of the prompter, NJ. W.
Saxon, was heard distinctly by all the
dancers.
The ball was grand success, and con-
sidering the practical infancy of the or
ganization, shows faithful efforts on the
part of the members. The Topeka lodge
was organized on January 4, 1895. and
has now a membership of seventeen.
The officers for the ensuing year have
already been selected, and will take
charge of the work next month. They
are as follows: Master, c. V. Bentley
vice-master, E. F. Fuller; treasurer, Johr
Crawford; recording secretary, G. L
Stone; chaplain, William Philbin; direc
tors, George Bingham, George McLaugh
lin and c. V. Bentley.
If lodge No II can arrange and give
ball as successful as the one partici-
pated in last night, each year, they will
soon earn the reputation of being the
most prominent social lodge of that or
ganization in the west