Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-08
Presented With $1,000 Loving
Cup Upon His Departure.
FORMER EMPLOYEES SHOW ESTEEM
J. F. Deems, Formerly BurIington's
Master Mechanic in ottumwa, Is
Honored by Employees of American
Locomotive Works.

The fact that J. F. Deems had the
love and confidence in the fullest mea-
sure of the men under his charge was
fully demonstrated by the action Of the
employees of the American Locomotive
works at Schenectady, N. Y, last
Wednesday evening in presenting Mr..
Deems with a $1,000 loving cup upon
his retirement as general superinten-
dent Of the works to take the high po-
sition of general superintendent of mo-
tive power and rolling stock on the
lines Of the great Vanderbilt system of
railways. Mr.. Deems entered upon
his new duties January I, taking the
new position, instituted expressly for
him. The Schenectady Union tells of
the princely gift of the employees of
the plant to their retiring superinten-
dent as follows:
The great drill room of the state
armory, which has been the scene of
everything, from hard drill work to
the scenes of brilliancy when the art
of the decorator transformed the bleak
steel arches and plain walls to sights
of beauty in honor of the handsomely
gowned women and well groomed men
who glided over the large expanse of
floor as an orchestra gave forth en-
trancing strains for the dancers, was
last night the place of an entirely diff.
ferent scene, but one which was just
as enjoyable and probably more heart
felt.
1t was the presentation by hundreds
of employees of the Locomotive plant
of the American Locomotive company
to j. F. Deems of magnificent loving
Cap as a slight token of esteem in
which he is held by the men who work.
ed for him during the past year AS
has .been told, Mr.. Deems sewers his
connection with the American Locomo-
tive company today to assume the po'
sition of general superintendent of the
motive power on all of the Vanderbilt
lines. When the announcement was
made a week or two ago, that Mr.
Deems was to leave the local plant, the
men at once determined that they
would show in some way, the esteem
in which they held him. There was
not much time to lose. and after brief
conference it was decided that Mr.
Deems should be given loving cup
The first idea was that it would be
modest sort of an affair because OF
the shortness of the time, but there
was sucn spontaneous demand upon
the part of the employees to add their
mite to the fund that within very
| few days the sum had reached $1,000
Then it was decided to present to Mr.
Deems the handsomest loving cur
which had ever been seen In Schenec
tady. The order was placed with the
! John Krank Jewelry company. and
they IN turn turned the order over tc
the Gorham Silver company of New
York. The latter part of last week
the cup arrived in this city and nothing
but words of praise have been uttered
by every viewer since.
1t is a massive affair of wrought
sterling silver which will hold 80 pints
The general design is on the Louis
XIV order. There are three large
handles to the CUP which is gold lined
Because of the hurriedness of the
whole affair there has not been time
to place suitable engravings on the cup
but it is proposed that on one space
of it there will be an engraving of q
train passing over Schenectady streets
on elevated tracks, and in another
place will be the words: Presented to
J. F. Deems by the Employees of the
Schenectady Locomotive Company
1t had been hoped that the presenta-
ton would be a surprise to Mr.
Deems until the conclusion of Mr.
Flanigan's speech, but the premature
publication in an evening paper caus
ed his friends to fear that the surprise
feature would be eliminated. This feal
proved groundless, and he was almos