The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-11

For 20 years prior to this time he
had pulled the fastest trains of this
road over the line and that with but
one accident In fact during the forty
years that he handled a throttle on va
rious lines of railroad ne never had a
serious accident or cost a human be-
ing its life. Among the officials of the
Santa Fe he was looked upon as one
of the most careful of employees and
the regret was mutual when old age
caused his retirement on account of
failing eye sight.
1t has been his boast that during
the 20 years that he operated trains
for the Santa F'e system that he never
cost the company penny for repairs
due to accidents on account Of
carelessness on his part with a single
exception. This occurred when he
started his train too. suddenly and
pulled out a draw head and while the
company held him blameless for this
trivial accident Dad" Rust always in
sisted that it would not have occurred
had he been little more careful.
There are few locomotive engineers
in the country who have handled the
throttle for 40 years and in such a uni
formly capable manner as has Mr..
Rust. When asked where his birth
place was replied 'in a log cabin in
hard cider timeS.'
He was working as a fireman when
the civil war broke out and Immediate
ly enlisted in the Eighth Ohio infantry.
He served till near the close of the war
being mustered out when his time ex-
pired in 1864. During the war he par
ticipated in IS battles and skirnishes
and was wounded twice. At the close
of the war he went back to work as
locomotive fireman and In January,
1866, he was promoted to the position
of engineer, on the old M. s. & N.
line, now a part of the Lake Shore. A
year later he went with line which is
now a part of the Louisville & Nash
vile and two years later accepted
position as engineer with the Michigan
Central He remained in the service of
this road until 1873 and then went
with the Lafayette, Muncie & Bloom
ington line. Leaving this company he
worked for a short time on the Chi
cago & Alton and in 1881 went with the
Texas Central and later with the Texas
& Pacific. IAN engineer had his trou-
bles on that road in those days" said
Mr. Rust. There was so much alkan
in the water down there that you could
not keep cork in. jug let alone try
ing to keep water in a boiler
After his experience in Texas Mr..
Rust returned to Bloomington, Ill.
where his folks were living and ran for
a while on the Dubuque & Dakota line.
now part of the Chicago Great West |
ern In addition to running an engine
on this line he was also master me- |
chanic of the road. In 1884 Mr.. Ru5t |
took a position with the Illinois Cen |
trail and remained there until 1887 when |
l.
His first service with the Santa Fee |
was running a work engine on the |
Great Bend extension. He was then |
to the Chicago division and |
ran between Fort Madison and Kansas |
City until 1896 when the runs were |
changed and he was put on the run be- |
tween Marceline and Topeka which run |
ne held until his retirement.
During his many years of service as |
an engineer Mr.. Rust was in but one |
nd ho
which happened on October 80, 1905, |
near Kansas City when No. 1 jumped |
he track and swung into the rocky sides
Of the cut where the wreck occurred
H G. or Dad" Rust as he was better
known in Topeka was born in 1910 and
vas married twice, his second wife and
L daughter, Margaret, nine years of
age, surviving him as well as a daugh-
.er by his first wife. Mrs. F. M Axtell.
Besides being a member of the G. A. r
ne belonged to the Order of Red Men.
The funeral announcement will be made
after