Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-26
pared fine Christmas dinners which they
served to fairly numerous lis, Of gucs,a.
CHRISTMAS wIrn RAILROAD MEN.
- ~
Most of Them Managed to. ue at Home
fnr h..

Most of Them Managed to.ne at Home
for the Festive Day.
Railroad men are not different from other
individuals-they like to be at home on
Christmas day. General Manager Dickinson
OF the Union Pacific came in, with his fam
lily from Chicago yesterday morning in order
to be in front Of his own freslde during
the merry festal day. President Clark OF tho
same company left on the preceding day
to join his family at the ST Louis home.
Master Mechanic Mcconnell OF the Union
Pacific got in from the west in time TO
greet his friends with merry Christmas.
General Manager Holdrege of the b. & NJ.
cut short a trip through the Black Hills
and over the Burlington's 'Iwestern lines
in order to be at home In time for Christ
mas eve. Assistant General Passenger
Agent Arthur Smith of the same road, ac-
companted by Mrs Smith, hurried home
from the balmy climes OF southern Cali
forna so that he might play the part of
Santa Claus and fill the stockings of his
two little children yesterday morning Cen
oral Passenger Agent LomaX of the Union
Pacific got home from his trip through New
England a few DAYS before Christmas in
ample time to purchase gifts for all of his
many friends. General Agent Nash of the
Milwaukee rushed back from Chicago in
order not to be counted out, and General
Agent Rutherford of the Rock Islands pas
senger department arrived home yesterday
morning, just in time to answer to the fam
lily roll call. H. A. Snyder formerly agent
Of the Rock Islands freight department
in this city, and now assistant general
freight agent of the same road, came in
on a morning train from Chicago with the
credentials of his new post securely fas-
tened to his inside pocket. 1t is commonly
whispered that he brought a most beautiful
present to his family-Mrs. II. A. snyder
in honor of his appointment to the high
pfi mt bC wi bnl of
The example set by the general officers of
all the local lines was closely followed by
the subordinate representatives. All the
travelling passenger agents temporarily abaE,-
doned the search for tourists. and the trav-
cling freight agents postponed their fight for
big cargoes in order to draw up by their
own hearths yesterday. The city passenger
agents were not anxious about working yes
terday, so they all made q solemn vow with
each other that they would close their offices
at noon. For once the members of the low
joints" stuck to their word, and some of
the bolts were even drawn across the front
doors before the bells toled high noon.
The ticket sellers might just as we'll have
taken the morning off, too for there was
scarcely sale OF any moment along Far
mum street yesterday morning. All the
morning trains were filled, but the passen-
gers purchased their tickets at the depot
office or had supplied themselves at the up
town offices the day before. There was
Christmas, but after the first trains yester-
day morning the bottom dropped clear out
of the business. 1t became so awful dull,
in fact, that City Passenger Agent Dunn
took his wife and went over to St. Paul be-
fore the agreed hour of closing had arrived.
As there were very few sales, nothing of a
nature occurred among the low
joints" and one more day passed without
case of a cut rate or of too much intimacy
with brokers developed. Some folks
IN low inip ptcf' had ,uh fan laft
over from their meeting on Wednesday to
last them through the holidays.
At the various railroad headquarters all
but the executive officers were quiet and
sleeping and still. Most of, the cIeik ks Sc
cured a holiday though a few dlsobeyed their
orders and reported at the regular hour just
to convince their bosses that they were
workers. In the Offices OF the general mana
gers and of the general passenger agents
most of the attaches we're on hand. as was
expected of them, and labored faithfully un-
til the noon hour. Thd other offices were
deserted except blythe janitors