Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1906-02-14
DELAWARE DIVISION OFFICES
REMOVED FROM CLAYTON
ORDER WENT INTO EFFECT TODAY MAKING
WILMINGTON HEADQUARTERS IN FUTURE
About twenty-five Families Are Affected by
the Order Who VIII Doubtless Move to
Wilmington as Soon as Possible.

BY decree issued by the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, Clayton is no longer
the Delaware Division headquarters.
The expected happened on Saturday
when an order was sent to Superin-
tendent Holiday to vacate the offices
to-day Wednesday, and report at the
new office building at Wilmington,
which had been put in readiness for
their coming. The official notice
caused considerable stir around Clay
ton. While the order was looked for
at any time, still there were some who
were of the opinion that since the
company had waited this long, they
would hardly be ordered to move be-
fore the late spring or summer. The
order came and since, there has been a
hustle and hustle in Clayton to make
ready for the general exodus which
took place to-day. The order affects
about 25 families, from Superintend-
ent Holiday down. Superintendent
Holiday lived in Dover, but the large
majority lived in Clayton. Among those
affected by the change are: Trainmas-
ter J. b. Book, Assistant Trainmasters
E. r. Supple and W. A. Fleming;
Clerk Frank L. Reynolds and Clerk
Lee Melvin of the Division Trainmas-
ter's Department; Chief Clerk Thomas
G. Metz and his assistants j. G. Long
fellow, and j. Y. Boggs; Accountant
John A. Hoffecker and his assistants,
Robert Hollett and Baynard Fowler of
the Accounting Department; Civil En-
gineer j. III. Stadelman and his assis-
tant Elwood Cosden and Carl Fleming
of the Civil Engineering Depart
ment; Division Operator Harvey
F, Smith, Train Dispatchers J.
r. Donovan, W. l.. Colpitts, Ell
mer Webb, W. q. Onley, and Clerks
}. H. Louz, d. B. Pyle. t. f. Shortall
and T. D. Wise, Robert Clifton of
the Division Operators Department;
Special Operator and Car Assigner
Frank A. Strickland; Time keeper, S.
s. Roberts.
With but few exceptions most of the
above are married men and have fami-
lies, all of whom will be required to
take up residence in Wilmington.
Consequently, those who did not Sc
cure residences in Wilmington are
busy looking to get settled. Some few
of the officials and employees will run
up and down from Clayton for awhile
until they can get time to secure per-
msnent location. The exodus of so
many families from Clayton is matter
of deep regret. To say that they would
not be missed in Clayton would be a
misstatement of facts. They have
helped make Clayton thriving town,
socially as we'll as materially. But the
opinion is that Clayton will still live
and prosper. In the course of time the
residenc es vacated will be filled per-
manently by others and those who re-
main will no doubt aid in helping
make better and more stable future
for Clayton. The town will not be en-
tirely depleted of railroad people. II
will still continue to be an important
railroad center. The Supervisors De-
partment, the Master Carpenters De-
partment, the Train Crews of the Del
aware 4 Chesapeake Railway and the
Queen Anne & Kent Railway, and
other employees will still continue
to make Clayton their headquarters,
while in addition to these the carpen-
ter shops will remain. Take it all in
all Clayton does not suffer as badly as
some may suppose.