The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-02
AMONG THE RAILROAD MEN
First Railroad Ball Given at Nickerson
New Years Eve.
VISITORS FROM ALL POINTS
Along the Santa Fe ROad-It Was
Most Pronounced Success.


the entire year for revelry and enjoy
ment.
Recognizing the appropriateness of
the night, Prairie Gem lodge No 10,
Brotherhood of Locomotive Fremen of
Nickerson, Kan, arranged for the inau-
guration of their initial ball. and the only
railroad ball of the season in Nickerson
on the eve of the new year. and prepared
to pull the bell cord and "ring ont the
old. and ring in the new"
How we'll they carried out their ar
rangements, and with what joyous ca
dence the engine bells ushered out the
! old year and ushered in the new was at
| tested by the pronounced success of their
| ball.
| Prairie Gem lodge has a prophetic
name The "prairie" is distinctly dis
| aud the 'tgems"-well they are repre-
sented by each member of the lodge.
Prairie Gem is still in its infancy, hav-
| ing not yet reached the year notch in the
! staff of time. Indeed was it not for the
serene countenances and grave manners
of the members, with the exception OF
| Harry Finn, who is unable at any time OF
the year to keep straight face, it might
be said to be yet in its swaddiing clothes.
| twas proposed and preparations were
| made accordingly, for the organization
of the lodge on February %. 1895, in
i honor of the day on which the Father of
! his Country was born; but owing to the
non arrival of the officers of the grand
lodge. the organization was postponed
| until early in March. Although it was
misfortune that the birth of the lodge
could not occur on the same date as that
of Washington, it did not detract in any
way from the natural military
greatness of the members, and with
out doubt each fireman could
WELD sword with as much
dexterity as they now handle the shovel
in their daily occupation, and cause
| England to smoke well as the 90
| does when Harry Finn receives infor-
| nation that it is necessary to make
meeting point.
And speaking of military greatness
| and England, it can truly be said that no
revolutionary hero in the struggle for
Americas freedom ever planted the
American flag more firmly on the Brit
ish ramparts than John Wiselogel did
on the cab OF the 288, in the midst of the
English fire from Engineer J0hncock;
| and no standard bearer ever carried that
| flag more proudly than did the same
| 2S8. 1t was signal victory for Amer
| lea over England without the shedding
of blood or the loss of a man.
| The f1remen's organization in Nicker-
son, which existed prior to the present
one, like the majority of railroad organi-
| cations over the entire system of the
| Santa Fe, Wes broken up by the last
| strike, maGv Of Ii4e= mem bers leaving and
| few returning. Lodge 70 has now a
membership of sev3uJs cen. their names.
all as good as the -iacivlduals, are as fol-
! lows: +. w. Barse, John Wiselogel, Harry
| Finn, R. R. Smith, ]. Ward, W. ]. Seher-
| er, J. Brinkman, Chas. Lyle, L. s. Ar
nett, A. E. Leap, r Jett, ].
Dunklebezger. William Stevens, Theodore
| Disonner, Fl. H Holmes. G. A. Wooden,
| and Fred McWhittey. The officer of the
lodge, elected last April for the term of
| one year, are: Theodore Dischner,
master; Fred Barse, secretary; R. Jett,
vice master; l. s. Arnett, receiver; John
| Wiselogei, collector; VIM. Stevens, local
| chairman; Robert X. Smith, past master.
| The lodge has now several applications
! Tor membership, which will be acted up
| on at the next regular meeting, raising
| their number to probably twenty seven.
And now for the ball. The stage of the
| City hall, in which it occurred, was pref
| tilv decorated with those emblems of
| engine and train service Incidental to the
| daily life of a fireman. In the center
stood large rear headlight, brilliantly
| polished and newly painted, borrowed
unkEowingly to him from dad" Kel-
| sey's switch engine 314, which runs in
the Santa F'e yards at Dodge City, but is
at present in the Nickerson shops under
| going repairs. On either side were ar
| ranged the red, green and white lanterns,
| signal lights, which signify so much
| to the men in charge of an engine. On
the top of the headlight and between the
| lanterns on tho stage were the flags of
the trains and engines, also red green
| and white. On the stage were stationed
! the Schubert mandolin orchestra of
| Hutchinson, secured especially for. the
occasion. II
At exactly nine o'clock the mandolin
orchestra struck up a popular march
| tune, and the grand march, opening the
ball, commenced, nearly one hundred
| uples participating. Twenty three
| dances followed, with an intermission of
| thirty minutes, and by the time the
second waltz was called the hall was
comfortably filled Conspicuous in all
parts of the room appeared the familiar
form of Harry Finn, the indomitable fire.
man of the So
1t was not until he made up his mind
after repeated efforts, to engage in a waltz
that Mr.. Finn riveted the exclusive at
tention of the room as whole, and while
his efforts lasted interfered materially
with the progress of the dance
The other members of the fremen
were distin uishiug themselves at various
occupations w. ]. Scherer, the prize
dancer of the lodge, was making all
necessary efforts for the honor of the
organization, and his experience of past
years in WALKING down the aisles of the
school room with the maiden teachers or
possibly with the innocent looking older
school girls, for Mr.. Scherer was formerly
a wielder of the birch, stood him
we'll, and the reputation of the
lodge was we'll sustained. R. Jett,
found no difficulty in keeping the floor
hot, as he waItzed and quadrilled, schot-
tisched ana polkaed, although at times
he may find it difficult to keep the 80
in that condition.
Fred Barse, although with practically