The San Francisco call., 1910-04-14
FIRE Up engines
Of REMINISCENCE
Pensioners of Southern Pacific
Give Interesting Luncheon
TO President LOVett
Start Trains of RecOlIectiOnS
From the ROundhOuse
of Memory

The Central Pacific railroad was re-
built yesterday afternoon at the st.
Francis hotel with the "reminiscences
Of the Southern Pacific pensioners. who
were hosts at the luncheon given to
President Robert s Lovett of the
Southern Pacific company and other
officials.
Gray and weather beaten. the pio-
neers Of railroading in the west as
sembled 10 honor q man who was a
child when they were driving locomo-
tives through sleet or sand over the
iron way that spanned the townless
corners Of the continent or were 10
eating rights OF way over battling
mountains and across thirsty deserts.
Bowed with age and infrmities that
come with exposure and arduoUs work.
the veterans Of raiIroading aroused
themselves yesterday 10 the occasion
by firing UP IN the roundhouse of mem
ory the engines OF anecdote which so
truly draw the trains Of half forgotten
thought.
FRIENDSHIPS AND HEROIsMs
The story of the Central Pacific was
revived from the time Coils P Hunt
ington and his associates first grasped
the gigantic scheme Of linking east
and west with iron rails. through the
anxious period of surveying and build
ing. until the triumphant moment when
the last spike was clamped against
the connecting rail The stories Of old
friendships and ancient heroisms were
recounted for the edihcation Of the
new president Of the old road.
Judge L0yett met the veterans OF
the company in the tapestry room at
the hotel and greeted each one per-
s0nally. He addressed them IN q brief
speech, expressing his gratiicatio at
the opportunity Of meeting the men
VINO had built up the great Southern
Pacific system. Although you are not
row actively IN the service You are
still members Of the Southern Pacific
family" declared he.
BOX CAR CAUSES THRILL
Al the conclusion Of the luncheon Ju-
llus kruttschnitt. vice president and
director Of maintenance and operation,
spoke for q few minutes. He compli-
melted those N attendance. saying
that on the veterans Of the service rest
cd tae credit Of bringing the company
70 its present prominent position.
When ! see q box car on the tracks
n another railroad with the initials
= p il thrills me. on several occa-
sions ] have taken off my hat TO those
cars The Southern Pacific stands sec
ond 20 no line in the country in per-
s0nnel and IL is because Of the inter-
est taken by you in your work that il
IS such road TODAY"
After the remarks by Kruttschnitf
he and other officials left the room and
proceeded across the bay where they
inspected the terminals and the electric
lines on the Alameda side.
STORIES OF OLD PAY CAR
master. followed Kruttschnitt, and his
stories of how the men followed the
pay car and what a welcome man he
had been all along the line awoke sym
pathetic recoliections IN the minds of
many OF the pensioners. A. H. Mac
Donald presided end General T. H
Goodman Officiated as toastunaster E
Black Ryan was to have served in that
capacity. but he left for Japan Tues
day afternoon. Among the others who
spoke were:
A F. Hess, George W. Carroll. J. L.
Willcutt Benjamin Welch, G B Gould.
H Z. Platt, Joseph Mott J. II. Young
H J. Small Captain E. Fouraft- p
Mcguire and A. L. Shaw. The luncheon
closed with the singing OF AUD Lang
Syne"
The Southern Pacific company estab-
Ashed its pension department july !.
1893, on practically the same lines as
those IN vogue on the Pennsylya nia
and other large roads in the east It's
provisions were applicable TO its am
ployes Of every class. who qualified
in the required 20 years continuous
service.
PROVISION FOR OLD AGE
The pension allowance authorized is
upon the following basis: For each
year OF service an allowance of l per
cent OF the average regular monthly
pay received for the 10 years preced-
ing retirement. Thus. if an employe
has been in the service for 40 wears
and his average salary or wages for
the last 10 years was SIS a month. his
pension allowance would be 20 per
cent Of $50 OF s3z
Since the establishment of the de-
partment 526 applications for honor
aoIe retirement have been approved.
Of this number 373 pensioners are liv-
Ing and drawing benefit. During the
period, amounting 10 a little less than
seven years that the department has
been in existence, benefit to the amount
OF S650.000 has been disbursed Tbs
percentage Of pensioners average
yearly salary TO the yearly paw Of reg
uiar employees OF all classes was as per
cent the last fiscal year. The avera xe
age Of pensioners at the close of the
last fiscal year was 90 years and eight
months. Two hundred and twenty
eight persons have been retired on age
pension, being OF the age OF 20 wears
and over. The rest have been retfred
on account Of disa bility.
some IS or more railroads in the
United States have established pension
departments for the retirement Of those
whose lives have been devoted to the
advancement. the betterment and the
ultimate success of the vast interests
they looked out for.
Luncheon for Merchants
r. S. Lovett. president of the South
ern Pacific, and J. c. Stubbs, director
OF traffic. were hosts at luncheon
given yesterday at the Palace to q
number OF merchants of this city. The
men present represented nearly all the
large commercial organiza tions
Among the guests were:
James R0ph Jr r. r. Rossi
7. Cary Friedlander Andrew Carrigan
NJ J.. Gerstle Robert !. Bentley
A. A. Watkins r. s. Ioveft
Arthur r. Briggs ]. {. Stubbs
& K Mcintosh iC. & Stfllman
Z n King Robert C,oaiaf