The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-08
RAILROAD PENSIONS
Splendid Results Yielded by Two
Year Experiment.
FORMER ST. PAULITE's FORTUNE
Former Representative Hartman on
the Bad Results of Closing
a Montana Copper Mines.

Building, Warrington
Washington. Feb. S.--The pension de-
partment of the Pennsylvania railway
company has now been in operation two
years. The system covers employees who
have reached the age of 70 years, and
those between IS and 50 who have been
in the company's employ thirty years and
are physically disabled. Two years ago
the road decided to set aside 100000 per
year to keep the pension fund going, and
so for the two years just closed the total
Appropriation out of the company reve-
nues has been 100000. This amount has
been exceeded in the two years, for the
total pension payments for that time have
been $3.50, 900. Since the inception of
the pension department LIZA employees
have been pensioned, of whom PIT have
since died. OF the number retired, 24S
were between IS and 50 years of age. OF
those relieved from active duty, the re-
quests originating with the employees were
four to every one originating with the en-
ploying officer, which is taken to mean
that the system Is popular. A complete
set of books is kept by the company, show
ing in detail the service of every employee.
These books will enable the company at
any desired moment, to anticipate the de-
mand which will be made for pension pur-
poses In subsequent years.
Since the Inauguration of the pension
system the employees of the Pennsylvania
company have been brought into close
touch with the management and are rem
der1ng more sympathetic and intelligent
work than ever before towards increasing
10 nd
there has been no indication of any spirit
of unrest. A prominent railway official
remarked the other day that he thought
the Pennsylvania scheme was the best
preventive for strikes and labor disputes
that he ever had heard Of and predicted
that in a short time the results would be
so satisfactory as to compel the adoption
OF the same scheme by other lines. In
fact, the Pennsylvania pension system has
already been investigated apprOvingly by
the leading officials of many of the larger
roads east Of Chicago.
Distress in Montana
Former Represent alive Charles S. Hart
man OF Montana is spending few days in
Washington. Apparently he has forgot
ten all about politics and has no further
use for free silver. He talks freely re-
garding the distress that has come to his
state from the closing of the great copper
employed in mining copper in Montana
are idle, and since the total is upwards
Of II 900 men, this SIS per cent means the
able-bodied fellows, largely the heads of
able bodied fellows, largely the heads OF
families. Mr.. Hartman has this to say:
There was no excuse in the world, as every
bne-at least every one in Montana-knows,
for the closing down Of those mines De-
mand for copper good, and the was
being mined without difficulty. The property
was making money, too. All of sudden,
however. without any apparent reason three
OF the biggest mines were closed. I must
give them credit, though, for having re-
opened some of the closed property A few
men have been put back to work. And, after
all, the conditions which make it possible
for few men to preside over the destinies
of SO many in existence because of the
woeful lack of sense on the part of the
masses themselves. If they knew how to vote
how to pound sand into rathoe-things
would be different.
St. Paul Millionaire Mine Owner.
Oscar Adams Turner, once struggling
attorney in st. Paul, now one of the mill.
iCnaire gold mine owners of the country
After leaving st. Paul he went west
where he knocked around for eight OF
nine years, with Indifferent success
About a year ago he got hold of a newly
discovered gold mine in Nevada, and al
At once became fabulously rich. His in.
come is now $4,000 per month, and it is
being added to rapidly. 1t is claimed thai
his mine is richer than anything yet dis.
covered in the United States and dis.
counts the old Comstock lode in it's palmy
days or the best era Of Cripple Creek
Mr.. Turner, accompanied by his wife, is
in Washington on vacation trip.
Good One on Boies
. William H. Noble an attorney of Water.
loo, Iowa, thinks that Horace Boies woult
make formidable candidate for congress.
against Speaker Henderson. Speaking il
washington the other day regarding the
out look in the Henderson district he said
The democrats are considering Boies ant
believe that he will consent to makel thu
race. Although we are of different politica
faiths, 1 cannot deny that Boies made
good governor. He has very strong fol
lowing among the independent voters, VIII,
are becoming more numerous in the hawkey
state every year. | can't see how he can de-
feat Henderson at this time, but do see how
he can give the colonel hard rub, and
swift run for his money. That reminds M
OF good political story they used to tel
on Boies, when he was candidate. Frank D
Jackson was the. republican nominee, an,
was a rather young fellow for the party t
rally round, in it's effort to crawl out from
under democratic predomnance. The story i
that couple of Irishmen were working OF
the section, and discussing the relative
merits of the two candidates. 81 think,
said one, ''that Horace Boies has his eye OF
the governors chair" WELL said his com
panion,- 81 think that Frank jackson will
sit on Horace Boies eye
g. w. w. Jermane
Births.