Evening journal., 1896-06-12
I8la FIftIoth Annlversarr.

the hftieth anniversary OF his connection
with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
and during forty nine years Of the half
century he hsa been an engineer In tbs
company's passenger service
Mr. Morgan. who Is still as hale and
hearty as many men half his age. was
seen ct his home, No. $40 Franklin
street, to-day by an EVENING JOURNAL
reporter, and be recalled numerous in
teresting events In connection with his
long service.
Mr.. Morgan originally entered the GER
vice OF the company, then the p. w. g.
B Railroad Company. on June 10, 1916
He went to work at first Ia the black
smith shop, but remained there only
one week.
He then became a fireman on the road
After serving sixteen months In that ca
paclty he was given run as engin eer
He has been one Of the most successful
men at his hazardous calling In the
history Of the road Throughout his
long term OF employment he has been
noted as one of the most careful OF the
company's employees and he has a record
of less accidents than most men who
have been running comparatively few
years. He has never had any serious
accident occur and has never had any
great Rmount of railroad OF private
property destroyed while In his charge.
The only accident which happened TO
him of any eric IS col sequences
was one that happened at Newport when
he was very badly scalded. the locomo-
tive being overturned bya mis- placed
switch.
When he FIRST went to work r Trim
bic was superinte mt and James Elliott
was master mechanic The locomotives
In uss at that time had no cab. no COW
catohers. aud no whistles nor head
lights. In fact ran under bare poles.
They had only psssanger engines weigh
ing sixteen tons. Now the engines run
from G5 to 75 tons The average speed
at that time was eighteen miles an
hour,
There have been innumerabls
changes Ia the road. management. track
system and equipment since l first
started running" said Mr.. Morgan" II
had kept a diary In which set down
everything of interest that occurred 1t
would probably be long enough to reach
from here to New York.
Mr. Morgan was born In Nsw Castle
county on June 10, 1924 and has lived in
this county all his life From early boy
hood until he was we'll known, he ilived
IN South Wilmington, which was then
considered IN the country. He has lived
In Wilmington proper about hfty years.
ana until five years ago had lived on the
east side.
He has run passenger train since he
first bscame an engineer. He ran the
first train into the old Broad street sta
1 L.. -
lngtOn avenue, Philadelphia. Prior 10
that time the engineers only raU
TO Gray's Ferry and the cars were hauled
into the city by horses BE carried the
message of President Franklin Pierce
from Washington TO New York on a
special train aud made remarkably
rapid run for those days.
He a'so ran the train on which Frssl
dent Pisrce went to Washington when
his son Was killed aud he WAS the en-
QIneer OF the train which bore there
mains Of Daniel Webster to his home
He WAS on the P. w. & B railroad for
ten years and was then transferred to the
old Delaware road now the Delaware Divi
sion. When he first went on 1t the
passenger trains on the road ran only to
Dover, though the track extended a
little beyond there He says that he
remembers having an impression that
that now very fertile section looked to
him then as very poor country.
he has been running steadily all the
time and has made 40, 600 miles year In
some years
When asked how many miles he had
run In his lifetime, Mr.. Morgan smiled
and said: "Well. haven't reached the
2 600, 600 mile mark yet he now runs
about 2 900 miles a month.
Mr. Morgan's sight Is still as keen as
ever aud he eau see rs well, II not bss-
ter. than most younger men. having no
troubls whatever in decipherlng the
train orders which are written on tissue
paper With Q stJ geographic pen. In s.ok.
log way he often j)llies" the youag
sters who are compelled to wear glasses
by saying: when get as old as you,
/ guess III have TO wear glasses too.
Mr. Morgan's second son, William P.
is also an engineer and has been In tbs
service OF the Company for IA years.
His oldest son, Charles, was formerly on
the road but was hurt twenty six years
lgo and never went back.
Mr. Morgan will celebrate Ibis 72d
birthday to morrow by taklug out his
train rs usual at IL 03 o'clock. His COLDER
wedding anniversary will occur In two
years