Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-07-11
OLD DAYS ON
THE CATAW|SSA

of John r. Pott relating to old days
on the Catawissa abroad appeared in
the Williamsport Sun of recent issue.
Its pleasant allusions to Danville will
be appreciated by our readers.
November 1, 1872, was sorry day
railroad. 1t was at that time taken
over by the Dutch. From the early
sixties up to that time the Catawissa
boys" had been little family by
themselves, each helping one another
engineers, conductors, firemen,
brakemen, shopmen, agents, operators
and trainmen. Superintendent George
Webb and Assistant Superintendent
J. W. Mussina and J. W. Alder, were
the idols of all, and nothing was too
hard to be done when needed George
H. Prescott, master mechanic Andy
Prescott, assistant; S. Y. Pierce and
W. H. Hale were roadmasters.
"The operators were W. Ed Eeles,
Edward f. Hunt, Tom Graham, "Bil-
ly" Thompson, (now at Ninth and
Green, believe) Emma Wilson. The
agents and operators were J. 1. Paint
er (J. |. 81 at Muncy Jake Starr, at
Watsontown Lyman Wilson, at Mil
ton; Charley Forester, at Danville,
(now travelling in Europe); H. P.
Chamberlain, at Rupert; j. b. Yet
ter, at Catawissa Dan Teter. at Nc
Auley, succeeded by Johnnie Pott,
who afterward succeeded Wash Brown
at Quakake Junction; Peter Badly, at
Ringtown. succeeded by George O.
Coughlin, (now at Philadelphia with
Philadelphia and Reading and G q
l. as sales agent); W. E. Mohr, at
Brandonville, then Mahanoy Station,
(now cashier National bank at Nun
Cyl Davis Runyon at Beaver, now
retired John P. Lance, at Summit,
now Lofty; Lance, believe is at
Reading in the lumber business; Pet
er Small, at Quakake; then Peter
Baldy, then Wash Brown, then john
ME Pott, now at Pittsburg, with the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul ;
Frank Carpenter at East Mahanoy
Junction, now at Bloomsbury with
Philadelphia and Reading.
"The train runners were l.. o.
Whitman, Aaron Stadler and ]. B.
Yetter-that is they were assistants
to J. W. Mussina, assistant superin-
tendent, who had charge of trains
81. W. NJ" resigned about 1870 He
was succeeded by ], W. Alder as as
sistant superintendent and L. o. Wit
man had charge of train dispatching.
1.-The freight conductors were Nose
/ 5. Bond (now the Chulasky truckman)
! John NJ. Decker, Dave Hollingshead,
Phil Miller, William (BilD Berger,
/ George Barclay, Andy Irwin, John
/ Wheatly, Arthur Rarder, Billy Hald-
erman, now an engineer on Philadel-
phia and Reading; John Reicheldefer,
now on Philadelphia and Reading
between Tamaqua and Newberry.
Mr.. Potts describes several amusing
characters employed on the Catawissa
railroad. the most of whom were Penn
sylvania dutchmen. Among these Pet
er Rishel, who came to the road from
Lehigh county in 1864
He was put to braking on pass
enger train. 1t is said that on COM
ing into Milton one day he called out
Danville, Danville, CLOSED the door
then realizing the error he immed
lately reopened it and said; Hellno,
Mildon, Mildon -
Louis Hilger was shop foreman at
Dutch Louie" he was call
/ ed, He had many funny ways Once
/ he and the "old man (Mr. Webb
/ had some differences by wire in refer.
/ ence to delay in getting an engine re-
/ paired so as to take a train out. AT.
1 ter considerable talk, Louie sent this
message to him: " George Webb-Send
me my resignation and l accept OF
+ him; Signed Louis Hilger' OF
1 course it was not sent; they could not
1 do without him in those DAYS.
"On another occasion he had an en-.
/ gine in the shop for repairs. After
1 getting it all fixed up he started tC
take 1t ont of the house lie threw the
reverse lever back and opened the
/ throttle. Much to his surprise it wer
4 the other way, through the end of the
I shop into the fields; at this Louie
4 yelled, "fordamsi, when she goes bach
/ she goes ahead. " He had had the &c