Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-14

JOHN C. AuLp has a full real
ization Of his responsibilities. and the
manner in which ne masters a train
is accuracy in all that the word i'm :
plies.
Acquaintance of this good and
happy hearted gentleman know him
better as Jack" His friendly dispo-
sition has made him a favorite es-
pecially among commercial men and
even to the children who occasion
ally ride on his train he is subjected
to acts of immediate friendship. In
fact. he is such man who makes
patrons for his company and friends
for himself. MIR. Aud is now in his
18th year. It's in the neighborhood
OF thirty years ago since he entered
on his railroading career. When u
husky lad of about 16 summers he
might have been seen braking on the
Rock Island road between Chicago
and Peoria on what was known in
those days as the old Peoria freight.
Four years, faithful attention to, this
position and Mr.. Aud was promoted
to an extra freight conductorship.
In short time he was given regu-
lar freight run between Rock Island
and Chicago. Three years in this
capacity and John was given the
conductorship OF the stock express
running into the Illinois metropolis.
One Conductor Clark related to
young Auld glowing descriptions Of
the beauties of the south. A suscep.
tible ear was given and in 1875 Clark
and young Aud made for warmer
chimes. They landed in Kentucky
and both secured positions on a rail
way running out of Edgefield-Auld
as a brakeman. While engaged at
that place young Mr.. Aud had an
experience which will ever rema ain
fresh in his memory and which put
n rather sudden Termination to his
southern engagement. In those
days the Cbeethams took a prominent
part in kentuckian depredations
One day Conductor Clark ordered the
daughter of railroad official from
his train, in the absence of knowledge
as to who she really was, because she
could not produce a ticket. The
Cheethams got wind of the incident
and started in to annihilate Conductor
Clark and his crew On their next trip.
Bullets flew around at a lively rate
for while, but neither conductor
nor brakeman received a scratch. 1t
was too much Wild West for young
Aud. and it put sudden end to his
southern engagement.
Mr.. Aud drifted back to this
reighborhood and in 1877 went
braking for the Rock Island. He
remained in this position for several
months when he was again promoted
to freight conductor. After serving
the company faithfully for five years
running freight train he was given
a passenger run on the Rock Island
Il Peoria, between this city and
Peoria. And there he has been since
with a record of which any railroader
could boast. Mr.. Aud has been par.
ticularly fortunate in escaping acct
dents during his railroading career
He is q mem Der of the Order Railroad
Conductors division %, OF Peoria
and resides at 1412 Sixth avenue.
Railway Notes.
Frank Hodgdon's engine 9l4 ha.
gone into the Rock Island shops a
Davenport for repairs.
Engineer W. d. Maxwell, of tn,
Rock Island, is taking the world
easy while his engine 651 is being
overhauled.
Frank Mousley's engine Oil is OF
after several days stay in the Rocl
Island ring, where it received heat
end repairs.
Nels Dickerman's engine $50
which was damaged by being de
rallied on the Rock Island at Colon.
Monday morning. is being repaired
in the Chicago shops.
Brakeman John Kelly. who ha,
his skull fractured in an accident OF
the Rock Island last Sunday, and fol
whose recovery little hope was enter
tanned, is somewh hat improved and i
now is believed he will get well.
They are discussing 4 phenomena
run alleged to have been made b,
Engineer William johnson between
Iowa City and Des Moines Monda.
morning. II the story be true John
son has lowered the mile-a-minut'
record somewhat. Engineer Davis
engine was laid up that morning
when johnson was called upon Il
guide the fast mail from Rock Islant
to Des Moines. He had the 9lS en-
CINE. The train was behind tim,
several hours. Between the tw'
points mentioned it is said johnson Gu
her loose and covered l21 miles in a.
many minutes besides making fou
stops.