Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-02
ENGINEER FORTY YEAR,
Samuel B. sIlafcr, yetera
Northwestern Driver, Re
tired on Pension
shafer Never Had Serious Accident
Formerly Ran on This Division--Has
Son Who is Engineer on Same Line
Has Ridden One and a Half Million
Miles.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Cedar Rapids, May 2-After having
driven an engine on a Chicago &
| Northwestern locomotive for nearly
half century. and having ridden in
that time something like million and
a half miles in an engine cab, Samuel
B. Shafer. of this city, has decided that
he has enough railroading When he
stepped from his cab after his last
run few days ago he had completed
over forty years service for the North
| western, and that system has retired
him on the pension list. along with the
| scores OF other old employees who have
spent the greater part of their lives in
| serving the road. Forty years is a long
| time for d man to hold position of
any kind, and it is an unusually long
| time to hold the lives of a train load
of passengers in his keeping, as Mr..
Shafer has done. During that time he
has worn OUT several locomotives,
and has earned a rest. So his name
has been taken from the list in the
roundhouse at Clinton and during the
coming years he will live largely in
the memories of the past and enjoy
well earned rest with his family in his
beautiful home. at No. 1880 Fourth
| avenue, this city.
For twenty-five years he ran the en-
CINE on the way freight between Ce-
dar Rapids and Clinton, going down
one day and back the next. During
the past twelve years he has had
charge of the engine on trains 10 and
2O-the Chicago passenger - between
this city and Clinton For one year he
had the Clinton Marshalltown accom-
mediation, and for one year the Clin-
ton-Belle PLANE passenger. During
all this time he has only been Il
about twenty months. and this was
cause of an injury received while on
duty.
During all these years of service Mr..
'Shafei' has never had a wreck. and
with the exception of himself has
never injured a human beig. On
March %, 1901, while his engine, No.
l05. was running at a high rate of
speed between Stanwood and Clarence
the connecting rod on the left hand
side broke and the entire side of the
cab was torn off in twinkling The
first revolution Of the broken rod as
1t came thru the cab. struck Mr.
Shafer in the back. injuring him in
ternally in a most severe manner.
Either the flying rod or piece of the
broken cab also struck him on the
knee, knocking off the knee cap and
injuring his leg in a terrible manner.
Because of this accident, for which
he was In no way responsible, he was
confined to his home for sixteen
months, the railroad company allow
ing him full pay. A short time after
he took his engine again he hurt his
injured knee again, which laid him
up for another four months, and these
twenty months have constituted prac-
tically all the time he has lost in the
entire forty years. He has never fully
recovered from these injuries. and it
was largely on that account that he
retired from the service Saturday.
Mr.. Shafer has a beautiful home in
this city, and will spend the rest of his
life here. He has a son, Harry, who is
also an engineer on the Northwestern,
ana mas one daughter, the Vile OF ~.
d. Cutler, general live stock agent for
the Northwestern, who lives in Chi
cago. He and Mrs. Shafer have resid-
ed In Cedar Rapids for thirty-six
years. 'Mr. Shafer is 81 years of age,
and with the exception of his injured
knee he is enjoying the best of health.
He has been a member of the Broth
erhood of Locomotive Engineers since
1869, and was one of the charter mem
bers Of Clinton lodge No. 125.