Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1908-05-01
CONDUCTORS EXCHANGE RUNS
Conductor Croeker Goes to West Side
Conductor Webster Comes to
YamhiII Division.

Passengers on the am nlIi olvlsio
: Of the Southern Pacific railroad wi
Z hereafter miss the smiling face an
pleasant greeting OF Joseph Crockel
the veteran conductor. After tEent
: years Of continuous service on thi
division, Mr.. Croker has been trans
ferred 70 the West Side. exehangini
places with Conductor Webster, who's
advancing years makes il Decesssr!
for him to take an easier run. Mr.
Croker made his last regular triE
from Dallas TO Portland yesterday
afternoon.
Conductor Croeker came 10 Oregon
from California about twenty years
ago, and entered the employ OF the
lOregonian Railway Company, Lim-
lifted, as q conductor on the Dallas run.
The road at that time was a narrow
gauge. and a mixed freight and pas-
senger train was operated between
Portland and Airlie, tri-weekIy, CON-
ing up one day and going back the
pe1t.
This triweekly train, OF which 1t
used to be said that ii came up one
week and tried 10 go back the next
was standing joke among the people
Of Polk county and the travelling public
10 general The equipment OF the
road consisted OF a few small loco
motives, known as ''dinkies, " and one
or two vest-pocket-edition coaches,
together with hatcars and boxcars Of
like proportion. The locomotives were
about the size Of an ordinary harvest
ing engine, and were unable TO pull
more than two or three loaded cars up
an ordinary grade. Owing TO their
light weight. these locomotives were
off the track about as much OF the
time as they were on 1t, and the writer
we'll remembers that at one time when
an excursion train was returning from
a picnic at Ballston, all OF the able
bodied men and small boys on the
train were loaded onto the engine to
keep 1t on the rails and TO prevent 1t
from rearing up" as the cars were
being pulled up Smithfleld hill.
The regular train, facetiously known
as the Cannon Ball." used to leave
Airlie early in the morning and arrive
In Portland about o'clock In the
evening, although the distance is less
than 80 miles. Dallas passengers ate
lunch at WhitesoD, less than 20 miles |
rom home. The engine had a habit |
1f jumping the track about every five
miles, but little mishsp like that did
not worry Conductor Crocker in the
east. He would borrow a few rails
rom a neighborlng fence, and sum-
noning the train crew and the pas
'eDgers to his assistance, would lift
he old tea-kettle back onto the rails
md be on his way again in less than
IN hours time, as calmly as IL nothing
lad happened.
Conductor Crocker, when 10 a rem
niscent mood, can tell many a good
tory OF those halcyon days. Here Is
me OF his best: He tells that at one
ime young woman, whose parents
esided In Dallas, wa teaching school
It Smithfleld. Every Friday after
loon, she would board the train at
hat station and come TO Dallas to
pend the Saturday holiday. One
tuesday, night there was to be an
in Dallas, and the
oung woman, desiring to attend, was
'aiting at the station when the train
ulled in. Just as the engineer was
for down brakes, a passen-
er inquired, Conductor, what day
this2" Happening to see the school
eacher waiting at the station as usual,
Conductor Crocker absent -mindedly
nswered, Friday" Overhearlng
he answer, an aged travelling man,
ho had been DOING in his seat, woke
p and remarked: well, / knew
Ills was slow train, but / had no
lea 1t was as bad as that. We left
ortland on Tuesday morning, and
ere it is Friday afternoon"
But those old days are gone, and
Ow all is changed. When the road
sssed into the hands OF the Southern
acific Company. the track was soon
Hanged 10 a standard gauge, and
olern locomotives and coaches took
e place Of the aDtiquated equipment
lstead Of a trI-weekly mixed train, ,
e company has long operated daily
Issenger train between Dallas and ,
'rtland, and few years ago a second :
lily train was placed on the run.
stead of being all day on the road. !
9 trip TO the city is now made in
rec hours.
Through all Of these changes and
'ars. Conductor Crocker has been on
e run. and by his agreeable manners
ID uniform courtesy to passengers, 1
Is endeared himself to every man, a
man and child living along the ]
ie. His transfer to the West Side
II be regretted by every patron OF 0
Yamhill division. but all will be \
'ased to learn that his place is TO be b
ed by so pleasant and obliging an :,
clal as the veteran Conductor Web .