Evening star., 1909-05-25
Small Pecuniary Reward.

'As to the reward. The very aversion
on the part of the Northwestern Company
to admit that their passengers could
possibly be in danger was in itself an
impediment to making a suitable reward
for the heroic act Of Miss Shelly. Her
deed was Immediately heralded through
out the country. however, the passengers
made up moderate purse. associations
of railroad men passed resolutions and
swelled the fund and the public in gen.
eral began contributing literally. While
the fund was still in its infancy, the rail-
road company. imagining that it's repu-
tation was being impaired by the repre-
sentations that this girl had saved a
trainload of passengers, published a
statement that, while Kate Shelly was
undoubtedly heroine in though and act,
there had not been the least danger to
any of its patrons and in due time ii
would make her a suitable reward.
This had the effect Of stopping the con-
tributions. "'Of course everybody said,
the railroad company will give her for
tune. That was the popular idea. Sew
eral months later she received a check for
500 from the company and a life pass
over the system. Her total reward at the
time Of the incident was few hundred
dollars in cash and several million dol
lars worth of poetry.
Some time later, Mai. A. j. Holmes, a
war veteran member of the Iowa legis-
lature. secured the passage Of a bill in
assembly providing that a gold medal be
coined and given to Miss Shelly to COM
memorate her heroism. 1t was presented
with suitable ceremonies. and she still
'emains the only person to have received
this distinguished honor from the legisla-
tire Of Iowa.
Five years after the accident certain
DR.. Henry S. COggswell. a wealthy Cali
fOrnian, who happened to be on the train
that escaped the wreck conceived the
idea Of erecting drinking fountain to
her honor in the city of Dubuque, Iowa.
The dedication ceremonies proceeded with
considerable eclat, and a handsome monu-
ment cOmmorates the deed of heroism in
slightly spot But the glory of this re-
ward was also dimmed by untOward cir
cumstances. The pompous donor caused
his own statue to be placed on this sup
posed monument to Kate Shelly. and
the public mind could not escape the con-
viction that 1t was Mr.. Coggswell' s
scheme to utilize the popularity Of Kate
Shelly as the means of riding into fame.
As the idea spread. the people of Du-
buque became more indignant. and finally
deprived the fountain of Mr.. Coggswell' s
fine figure. which was dumped into the
an appropriate memorial to the hero
inc. The school children of Dubuque also
contributed their memento in the shape of
a handsome medal.
Fund Started by Chicago Paper.
I'm 1890 a Chicago paper started fund
to pay off the mortgage which had accu-
mulated on Miss Shelly's little home near
the scene Of the accident, and succeeded
in raising $9l7. which duly paid OFF the
deb, and aided Miss Shelly in providing
for the family of four brothers and sis
tiers. whose care she assumed at the
death of her father
THE above constitutes the substantial
reward which Kate Shelly has received.
The tributes to her heroism from every
part of the country are countless. Dis
tingushed writer's have made her deed
the theme of much eloquence. II she
ever had a hope Of a rich financial re-
ward, which would have been the natural
consequences Of the promises held out
by the admiring press. 1t was never real
lied II she felt disappointed no one
ever knew 1t. for she is now as content
and Industrious as she was brought up
to be in her humble surroundings.
She is still loyal to the Northwestern
railroad, and holds the position Of sta
ton agent at Moingona, the scene Of her
act of heroism. The Boone viaduct, the
great doube-track bridge which carries
the transcontinental trains over the .Des
Moines river some three or four miles
nortl, of the Kate Shelly bridge, has
eliminated forever the dangers from
storm and hurricane which made her
thrilling rescue possible. Only two trains
a day. one east and one west. relieve