The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-09
YALFACENTURY A CONDUCTOR
" q. CHARLTON's 81 YEARS AS A
Knight OF THE BELL CORD.


1SSs-The First Train Made the
Rum From Savannah to POOIer in
One Hour and President Gordon
exclaimed 40 Miles in an Hour;
wonderful! Wonderful! wonder
fuIv'-The CentraPs First LOcomO-
tives and First Passenger Depot.
CAPT. Sanford Bell, who claimed to be
II tba oldest railroad conductor in the world,
died in Atlanta this week. The announc-
ment of his death was made in the Morn
ing News yesterday. Capt. Bell had been
a conductor on the Western and Atlantic
railroad for forty-1ve years, and ran the
first train into Atlanta over that road.
Capt. Bell, however, was not the Oldest
conductor in the world by a number of
years.
Mr. W. o. Charlton, better known
as oscar Charlton now Of Guyton, but I'M
n I'll few years ago, a resident of Savan-
nah. is doubtless the Oldest living railroad
conductor in America. He began on the
Central railroad in 1887 and was contin-
uously in its service until 1888, a period of
81 years. He was not only the first regu-
lar conductor, but ran the only train, OPP
Grated by the road, which was then built
to Guyton, at that time called Whitesville,
distance of thirty miles.
Mr.. Charlton, in speaking of the early
days of the Central, said road building was
begun near the juction of the Louisville
and Augusta dirt roads, towards Pooler.
Sometime before he became a conductor,
the railroad received two locomotives from
Charleston, which were taken up the Ogee-
chez canal to Jenck's place, just opposite
to what is now known as the fair grounds,
and were hauled to the railroad track, and
used in hauling dirt from Four Mile hill to
make the embankment, which begins at
the Augusta road, crossing to the bridge
across the Ogeechee canal, near the pres
ent passenger depot
The locomotives were named the Geor-
Eia and Tennessee and were small affairs.
Mr. Charlton does not remember whether
they We're of English or American make,
but wherever they may have been built,
they came via Charleston.
Mr.. Charlton related an incident of the
first trip from Savannah to Pooer, the
farthermost point west, that the road had
then been built Mr.. w. w. Gordon, then
president of the Central and the father of
Col. w. w. Gordon, was, of course, on the
train. The distance, 10 miles, was made in
an hour, and Mr. Gordon was delighted and
exclaimed: Ten miles in an hour Won
utIIuI- w OuISfluls w Oiu6Tlul.
The first passenger depot and that which
was used until the building of the present
structure, was a small wooden building,
which stood just about 100 feet west of the
end of the new depot. 1t was used for that
purpose up to some time during the late
war. Mr.. Charlton is 50 years of age His
younger brothers, both of whom are still
living, Messrs. Jno. D. and Andrew Charl-
ton, were also conductors on the Central
for many years.
The railroads expect to do a big business
during the Christmas holidays. At that
season the roads always enjoy a time of
busting traffic, and it is not thought that
this year will prove an exception to the
rule. The rates that will be in effect have
been announced, together with the days
upon which they will be on sale. These
rates will be the same as those that pre-
vailed last year, which were based on one
and one-third fares for the round trip.
Tickets will be sold on Dec. %, 49, a. 25,
26, 81 and Jan. 1. Their final limit will be
Jan. 4.
A great deal of the work of the general
freight department of the Ocean Steam
ship Company is now being done in the
Office of Mr.. E. H. Hinton the traffic
manager For this purpose several addi-
tons have been made TO the Office force.
MIR. w. H. Chandler has been made chief
rate clerk. Mr.. Chandler, until recently,
has been in the office of Mr.. f. T. Charl-
ton, general eastern agent for the COM
pany, at New York. Upon his leaving
New York he was succeeded by Mr.. B. L.
Sawyer, who retired from position he
held with the eastern agent of the Flori-
da Central and Peninsular road to accept
that with the steamship company.
The place of assistant rate clerk is filed
by Mr.. c. B. Kealofer, who comes from
Memphis, where he was connected with
several of the roads entering that place
Mr. Fred Debele has been transferred as
stenographer from the office of the gem
eral passenger agent to that of the traffic
manager
Prior to the change by which most OF
the general freight work is now being
done under the supervision of the traffic
manager it was done, particularly the me-
chanical part, in the office of the general
freight agent.
The passenger department of the Cen
trail railroad reports that the new line Of
through sleepers from st. Louis to jack
sonville which was put on several days
ago. is doing very good business. When
such a line Is put on it generally takes
some little time for it to attain its full
popularity. This was proven very preco-
cious, and al an early age has given prom
tse to the roads interested becoming one
of the popular routes from the west to
Florida. 1t is expected that it will be
used a great deal during the winter by
the tourists from the west who may de-
sire to find health and pleasures in the
balrny climate of the south.
The roads interested in the line are the
Illinois Central the Kansas City, Memphis
and Birmingham, the Central and the
Plant system. The line has been dubbed
the Holly Springs Route"
The new line has benefited the western
divisions of thesCentraPs system consider
ably. Before 1t was put on there were
not enough trains running between Bir-
mingham and Albany to handle the cars
turned over to the Central at the former
place 1t at once became necessary 10
put on a double daily service. The in
creased passenger service has been re-
ceived with great favor by Columbus and
the other places 1t has helped.
The schedule between Columbus and Sa-
Vannah has been greatly quickened by the
new line. The necessity for putting on
new trains has given better connections