Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-01
CONDUCTOR OxEw RE1IRes
After IS Years Of Active Service With tn,
Maine Central Railroad.

Inc DdHSof commercial OF OCT. ~
had the following:
Upon his arrival in Dexter, tonight
Conductor Josiah L. Owen, of the
Dover and Foxcroft train, will retire
from railroading, after 45 years of &C
tive service. 1t is a record of which
MIR. Owen may we'll feel proud.
Conductor Owen is one of the best
known railroad men in Maine. He
probably has as many friends among
the travelling public as any man who
ever purchased ticket and they all re-
greet to have him leave the Maine Cen
tial. He announced several months
ago that he would retire on the first of
November and ever since that time he
has received the congratulations and
good wishes of hundreds of the travel
ing men and others, all expressing the
wish that he would live for many years
to come and enjoy the much needed
rest
Conductor began his railroad life at
Leeds Junction in November. 1852 He
worked around that station handling
freight. braking trains. running and fir
ing the shifter in fact there was hard
ly anything in the way of railroad
work that he did not do there. He was
at Leeds Junction five years.
In 1852 he received the appointment
of baggage master on the run between
Bangor and Portland. Railroading was
different in those times from what it is
now. There We're only two passenger
trains on the road and when the train
left Bangor for Portland, it never
bothered about orders. The engineer
knew that his train was the only one
on the track and he opened the throt-
tie and "let her 60" There were no
detention reports to be made out then.
Mr.. Owen was baggage master on the
Bangor & Portland train with Con-
ductor Pitman.
+ At this time Conductor Owen used to
board in Portland with Mayor Beal,
sand it was through his efforts that the
mayor began the railroad business. Mr..
Owen and the mayor have always been
the warmest friends and no one will
miss the conductors daily visits to the
Bangor house, more than Mr.. Beal
In 1868 Mr.. Owen was transferred
from the Bangor & Portland run to the
Dexter branch. which at that time
only extended from Newport to Dexter
He was made conductor and officiated
in that capacity until the opening of
the extension from Dexter to Foxcroft
Yin 1889 when he was made conductor of
he passenger train between Foxcroft
Hnd Bangor, position which he has
SINCE filled with great satisfaction.
conductor owen has always claimed
Dexter as his home, but he has been
Obliged to live in Foxcroft for the past
few years. on account of having no
waytto get home after his train reached
there from this city at 6.35 P. NJ
AT Dexter, Conductor Owen has a
finelN appointed home, and everything
arranged so that he can enjoy himself
for the next few years.
WhenS asked what he was going to do
to occupy his time after he left the
road, Conductor Owen said:
Five Or six years ago, or before I
was Obliged to live in Foxcroft over
night, l used to have the finest gar
den in Penobscot county. Now it is
full of weeds everywhere from foot to
four feet high. I'll be pretty busy dig
ging them up for the next year or So"
Conductor Owen is "a years old, and
he is younger, today, than many men
of 40. His friends in this city hope that
he may live to enjoy many years Of
rest and pleasure.
w. G. Baker,, who for the past II
years has acted as baggage master for
Mr.. Owen. has been promoted to con-
ductor, and will take charge of this
same train on Monday. Mr.. Baker was
with Mr.. Owen on the Dexter branch,
previous to the extension to Foxcroft,
and the two men constituted the trains
crew, barring, of course, the fireman
and engineer. Whenever Mr.. Owen
has been absent from his run Mr.. Bak-
er acted in his stead
His promotion meets with the ap-
prevail Of the travelling public and is a
subject of much rejoicing among his
host of friends in the towns along the
line and in this city, The appointment
cannot prove otherv Use than satisfac-
tory in every respee t.. His thorough
knowledge of railroading thoroughly
fits him for the positi On.
Harry r. Chase. W, o has been brake
man on, this train or on the main line
for the past six years. will be promoted
to baggage master Mr.. Chase has
presided in the baggage car often and
the work will be by no means new to
him. In him Mr.. Baker will have a
most able and comp assistant