, 1908-05-22
WAS ONE OF
The FINEST
FORMER CHIEF DISPATCHER
PAYS TRIBUTE TO WORK OF
EMPLoYE IN OFFICE.
A. H. Stewart Well Acquainted With
L. l. Downing When Both Were
Residents Of This city-Few Men
Better Able to Handle Trick on a
Difficult Bit of Railroad.

A H. Sewart of Denver, now in the
insurance business, was formerly
chief dispatcher for the Union Pacific
at this place. While in the city yes
terday afternoon he called at The Re-
publican office and was given a copy
of the paper containing a reprint from
the Salt Lake Tribune concerning the
death of l.. l.. Downing in that city on
Saturday of last week. He was mex
pressibly shocked at the news of the
death of Mr.. Downing, which did not
reach him until a day or two ago.
Good Trick Man.
Il consider Downing one of the best
trick iispatchers the west has ever
known" he said. He was chief dis
patcher for a time at Rawlins and
came to this city and worked as a
trick man under me. He vas in close
touch with the men on the division,
and III those days the district between
Laramie and Rawlins was one of the
most difficult to handle in the United
States. There was but one track, with
hundreds of trains, and the dispatcher
had to keep his eye on the situation
all the time. Mr.. Downing was in a
class by himself, with the possible ex-
ception, perhaps, of SOL Morris, now
superintendent of the Colorado and
Southern. You knew 'Sol?' Well, l
consider him the best chief dispatcher
the Union Pacific ever had. With Nor
rio nc chiaF opd Dou,pipu n tho tr;o,y
man, it is no wonder that the Wyo-
ming division became known the
whole country over for the excellence
of its train d~ispatching."
Good In New Calling.
Mr.. Stewart paid a tribute to Mr..
Downing as a wool salesman after he
retired from the railroad business, and
noted the success attained in that pro-
fession in Salt Lake. He was ever
on the alert for the good things in
store for the wool buyer and seller,
and no man can say he was intention
ally wronged by Downing. Few men
had more the esteem of his a%cquaint-
ances than he, and the news of his
death. while shocking to his wife and
relatives, was no less shocking to us
who had been his associates in bust
ness for so many years
Funeral on Wednesday.
The Salt Lake Tribune Of yesterday
had the following reference to the fu-
neral of Mr. Downing In that city on
Wednesday,:
Several hundred friends and bust
ness associates of the late L. l.. Down.
ing gathered at the Masonic temple on
East First South street Wednesday
afternoon to pay their last respects to
the memory OF the dead a The
funeral services were conducted by
the Argenta lodge. Utah commandery
No. /, Knights Templar, Of which Mr..
Downing was a member, was in attend
ance and acted as escort to the grave
in the city cemetery. The floral Of
ferings e most beautiful, and so
numerous that the casket was com
pletely hidten beneath a mass of
roses and lilies, the blossoms Eve be-
ing banked over the altar, covering
the entire east end of the lower lodge
hall.
Masonic Funeral Service.
Rev. Elmer /. Goshen read the Ma
sonic funeral service. but no other re-
marks were made. The active pail
bearers were: w. H. Cunningham, D
C. Jackling, Ira c. Tuttle, l.. H. Hard
ing, ]. A. Reeves and kent o. Reyes.
The honorary ~pallbearers were the
following members of the Commercial
club, of which Mr.. Downing was an
active member: D. C. Bolton, Ira H.
Lewis, s. H. Love, R. E. Miller, c. D.
Williamson and Joy H. Johnson.
Freight offces Closed.
The general freight Offices of the
Oregon Short Line were closed Wed
nesday from 2:30 until 4 o'clock in OF
der that employees might attend the
funeral of l.. l.. Downing. Mr.. Down
ing was formerly connected with the
freight department Of the Oregon
Short Line.