Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-14
ENGINEER RUST A
GR|zzLEOv VETERAN
Of THE RAIL
After Twenty Years at the
Throttle, Trusted Employe
of the Santa Fe Finally
Passes Away in Topeka,

n. G.. Rust, for forty years a loco
motive engineer, and an old resident
of Topeka, died Wednesday morning
at his home il THAI city of Brights
disease at the age of sixty-seven
years, after an illness which has con-
fined him to his home for three weeks,
He began railroading in the capacity
of a fireman on the old Cleveland and
Toledo line which is now a portion of
the Lake Shore system in 1857, and
was continually in the railroad SER
vice until April 6. 1906, when he re-
linquished his position with the Santa
Fe on account of failing eye sight.
For twenty 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 for
ty years that he handled a throttle ON
various lines of railroad he never had
a serious accident or cost a human be-
ing his 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 twenty years that he operated
trains for the Santa Fe system that he
never cost h company a penny for
repairs due to accidents on accoun Of
carelessness on his part, with a single
exception. This occurred when he
started his train too suddenly and
pulled out a drawhead and while the
company held him blameless for his
trivial accident. Dad" Rust always
Insisted hat it would not have occur
red had he been a little more careful.
There are few locomotive engineers
IN the country who have handled the
throttle for forty years and in such a
uniformly capable manner as has Mr..
Rust. When asked where his birth
place was, he replied, I'm a log cabin
in hard cider times"
He was working as a fireman when
the civil war broke out, and immedi-
ately enlisted in the Eighth Ohio in
fantry. He served till near the close
of the war. being mustered out when
his time expired in 1864. During the
war he participated in ~sixty-five bat
ties and skirmishes and was wounded
twice. At the close of the war be went
back to work as a locomotive fireman
n In January, 1866. he was promot-
ed 10 the position Of engineer on The
old NJ. 5. and N. /. line. now q part
of the Lake Shore. A year later he
went with a line which is now a part
Of the Louisville and Nashville, and
two years later accepted a position as
engineer with the Michigan Central.
lie remained in the service of this
road until 1878 and then went with
the Lafayette. Muncie and Blooming
ton line. Leaving this company he
worked for a short time on the Chi
cago and Alton and In 1881 went with
the Texas Central and later with the
Texas and Pacific. "An engineer had
his troubles on hat road in those
days" said Mr.. Rust. There was so
much alkali i'm the water down there
that you could not keep a cork In a
jug let alone trying 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 and Da-
kota line, now a part of the Chicago
Great Western. In addition to run
ming an engine on this line. he was
also master mechanic of the road. In
1884 Mr.. Rust took q position with
the Illinois Central and remained
there until 1887 when he began his
york with the Santa Fe.
His first service with the Santa Re
was running a work engine on the
Great Bend extension. He was then
transferred to the Chicago division and
ran between Fort Madison and KAN
sas CITY until 1895, when the runs
were changed, and he was put on the
run between Marceline and Topeka.
which u he held until his retire
ment.
During his many years Of service as
an engineer Mr.. Rust was in but one
serious wreck. and that was the one
which happened on October 80, 1905.
near Kansas City. when No. 1 Jumped
the track and swung into the rocky
sides of the cut where the wreck oc-
CURED.