The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-07
AN OLD SANTA FE CONDUCTOR.
Tells Of Times in Kansas When Grass
honners Stalled Trains.

AAONlAJGA5 0-l4AAC0 AAeAAAA1s
Along back in 1873 and IA when the
main and only line Of the AtchisOn, Tope-
ka & Santa F'e Railway company extend
ed from Atchison through Topeka. to Enl-
pOria, Newton and Wichita, there were
just seven train crews on this division of
the road and the conductor of one of
lhese crews was IN 1opeka Lor a rev
hours the other day he IS Charles A.
Pencil. who has made his home for many
years past in Cleveland, o., where he has
acquired competency in the real estate
/ business and is now a director in the
Ohio Savings and Loan association and
the Provident Savings and Loan associa-
Mr.. Pencil and his wife are on trip
to southern California. where they plan
to pass the winter. and while en- route
there it is Mr. Pennells intention to stop
off at the places in Kansas which he be-
came acquainted with years ago when
ne was one OF the rev conductors on the
Santa Fe. After leaving the service of the
Santa Fe in 1874 Mr.. Pencil went to Cal
ifoTnia. where he worked for a while as
a yardmaster for the Southern Pacific.
He then went back east to Cleveland and
has made his home there ever since. This
first time he has visited the locality since
1879, and he more than marVels at the
changes which have taken place since
wonderful is a word which hardly ex-
presses the change that has taken place
in the years since have been away from
saw the country around here then would
ever believe that it could develop to what
plague was abroad and it sure did des-
Olate this part Of the country. People
We're as near to being poverty stricken as
1 nave ever seen them or as they well
could be Wei. when our trains would
pull up at the shall stations along the
line, and most OF these trains were mixed
ones. with only a passenger now and
hen, there would be groups of well nigh
sta wing women and children, and men as
well. asking if any aid had been sent
them. I tell you their condition was pit
liable. And, talk about grasshoppers. no
body who was not around here then can
have the faintest idea of what a grass
hopper plague is. When they would get
moving along the railroad line in the day
time they SWarmed so thick that it was
just as though a black cloud had descend
ed on the earth You could not see half
dozen feet in front of the engine without
the aid Of a headlight. They frequently
stalled trains. This may seem to be
stretching it little. but it is the fact.
q train or IL coal cars. We ran into a
swarm of them on the Wakarusa- grade
They were so thick that we had to light
the headlight and signal lamps and feel
our way along And it was not long be-
fore we could not make bit of Roadway
at all Millions of them. I suppose. had
CINE and cars until they became so slip
perry that they could not make a bit Of
Roadway on the rails. We lust had to
put on the brakes to keep from sliding
back down the grade and wait there until
the swarm had moved on and our wheels
had dried
Those were sure troublous times, but
the people survived them evidently and
now live in sort of a paradise to what
it was in those days. Topeka was not
much of a town then. as you can imagine
All along Kansas avenue where there are
so many fine buildings nowadays. there
were nothing but few frame stores and
dwellings which were a little better than
shacks. and tnat reminds me that if
there had not been full house out
against my three queens I might have
owned the very site on which the State
Journal building now stands My head
in md
boarded with family that lived in a
ramShackle sort of house right where
the State Journal office now stands. This
family owned the house and the property
on which it stood.
THE head of the family was anxious
were most other people while the
grasshOppers were holding their carni-
val around these diggings. to build up
stakes and move away. and he offered me
feet back from the corner of Eighth
street on Kansas avenue. for $3.50. All
that he wanted was $50 down. This would
could pay him the balance when pleas
ed. I had the $50 the NIGHT he made this
alluring offer, and told him I would talk
night I went down to the railroad yards
and discovered game of polzer in the
and had fair luck until wagered my all
on three queens. to have them beaten by
a fun house OF course my prospective
real estate venture was off. I have often
thought that had those three queens been
good. I might have made a hit of a for
tune in Topeka real estate
Mr. Pencil was chOck-a-blocz with in
terestins stories of the early railroad
DAYS in Kansas, and he said that the
western ends Of the Santa Fe were then
in the real wild and WoOllv west
Why, would you believe it, he said,
signs were posted around the station at
Wicmta, and that was the Jumping on
place in those days. which read Please
on entering town leave side arms with
the marshal -