Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-02-22
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I HOW The B. AND M. QUEEaED E
/ ITSELF WITH CASS0t0LIS. I I
.51S2g2RSlG2S952S252S151S152!

When the B. and M. division
shops were moved to Cassopolis
there was great rejoicing. Rivalry
in securing this railroad industry had
been exceedingly keen and had engen-
dered bitter sectional strife.
At last, however, after heated
campaign, in which Cassopolis's
-"best" citizens had committed the
general managers office to the end OF
the limit, assopolis had won, and it's
population, from the tiniest tot to the
most aged settler, was pulled up
with pride and exuberant joy.
BY actual count Cassopolis had a
population of 5000, but it was fear
some thing even to hint that there
were fewer than $500 men, women
and children within the corporate linn
it's. And now the B. and M. shops
would add another great industry to
Cassopolis' already expanding COM
mercia ism, and what was even more
important, would add 1000 souls by
actual count, and $500 for pOpula-
ton StatlStlcal purposes.
In due time the railroad company
erected the car shops and Cassopolis
welcomed the shopmen with custo-
mary Western hospitality. AS is the
custom where such institutions are
established, the mayor and city coun-
Gil convened and passed set OF reso-
lutions, in the course OF which they
did not fail to express their unbound
ed faith in the greatness, the wisdom
and the humanitarianism OK James j.
Hill. who they were certain, was re-
sponsible for the location OF the b.
and NJ. shops at Cassopolis. Would
Mr.. Hill please remember that his
kindness TO Cassopolis would never
he forgotten. The resolution, ornate
ly framed and presented by the com
mittee which rode to Chicago on
passes, still adorns one Of the walls
of the general offices.
AS is customary also, the builders
of the car shops did not neglect to
provide that institution with siren
whistle. This particular "siren" need
ed no apology. 1t began operations
at the bottom of the bass clef and
assembled the entire lengths OF two
scales by screechy jerks and steamy
pyrotechnics which precluded main
tanning a soberly conducted grave
ward within radius of five miles.
The "siren" did business every week
dav morning about the time that the
roosters began to get active. After
heralding the break of dawn with
series of unearthy Shrieks it again
assembled from the bass to the treble
at 6 o'clock, descending always by the
same course and dying away in a wall
like the d;ath chant of an Apache.
AT $50 there was another perform
ance Just to show that the engineer
had steam up, and at the siren dld
its final morning stunt, which was the
most artistic of all. 1t so happened
that the citizens of Cassopolls look
great pride in the siren of the car
shops. for like everything in Casso-
polls, it was the superlatlve OF It's
kind. Unfortunately, however, Tor
James j. Hill I6puldClOu, AOAIAOl IN
nor the B. and M. officials were aware
of this fact. Several years subse-
quent to the establishment Of the
shops the general officers OF the Bur-
ington CHANGED to stop at Cassopolis
on their annual tour of inspection.
In order to be where quiet reigned
President George B. Harris had the
special switched into an abandoned
corner of the yards not far from the
shop gates At break of dawn the
day following the. advent of the gen.
eral officers the siren" reached the
height of its artistic career. There
was a full head of steam and the en-
gineer and the siren" had become
well acquainted. The first crescendo
brought the railway president stand
ing in the middle of his room in the
private car the allegro bar sent goose
pimplss chasing up and down his