The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-29
STATE OF VERMONT
FIXEODAYSWOR
At IS HOURS
Samuel Wright Has Been on the
lob 81 Years
FLAGMAN AT SOUTH POWNAL
Special Act of Legislature Created
His Position During Session
of 1873

II is not generally known outside
of the immediate vicinity but there
is living in the town of Pownal one
man whose hours of labor are def.
nitely fixed by special act of the
Vermont legislature The special
legislation was enacted in 1878 and
it is particularly remarkable that the
first man who assumed the duties of
the position in December, 1879, is
still on the job today. Samuel
Wright. the nagman, at the Boston
and Maine railroad crossing in the
village of South Pownal, ii he lives
until the goth day of next December,
will have been carrying out for 81
continuous years the provisions of a
special act of the Vermont legislat
ure which provided that the particu-
lar crossig over which he presides
should be guarded every day in the
year from Z o'clock in the morning
until O'Clock at night, just twice
! the number of hours which the Uni
/ ted States government specifies thar
/ its employees shall labor to secure a
days pay.
The creation Of Wright's position
was brought about by the building
through the town Of Pownal In 1873
OK the Boston and Hoosao Tunnel
railroad. The Fitchburg road had al.
ready been in operation for a number
OF years and when the survey for the
new line was laid out so that the
two tracks We're TO pass the main
highway side by side the danger Ia
the public that would be created by
the additional traffic lead to the in
PRODUCTION in the legislature of 1875
by Abram s. Parker, representative
from the town Of Pownal of the bill
creating the flagman's position. The
/ bill provided that the two rairoao
companies should be jointly subject
to fine of $50 for every day thai
the crossing was left unguarded
Wright who is a native of Pownal
now 81 years of age, had worked OF
the Boston and IoOsac Tunnel roat
as a laborer during the summer o
1879 and when the new line went In
TO operation he was given the pos
as flagman. He takes not it'll,
Z HAAHN III tAA' HANAuuNA III MNAiN ne INl
performed his duties, for the only liy
ing thing that was ever killed on IN,
crossing during the hours that he Il
supposed TO be on guard is a horse
The animal was a runaway which ha,
thrown out its driver and crashed In
to train which had already blocke,
the highway He has counted a
many as so trains in n single da
passing over the two tracks whlcI
are now both a part Of the Bosto
and Maine system.
During the first few months tina
Wright held the flag at the crossin
he experienced some de'ay In recei,
ing his salary. Each road held a
his pay presumably waiting for IN
other 10 come forward. At first h
received his months wages ON
. month from one company and IN
next from the other. then each roa
paid half and the latter plan prevail
ed until the roads became n mart r
the Boston and Maine system.
The Bostan and Maine compan
maintains one other nagman in IN
y state of Vermont. at the crossing ,
!. North Pownal, but as his hours an
q. not established by the state he ha
; a much shorter day After 6 ocloc
., IN the evening his time is his own.
K Wright lives In small cottage iui
h across the tracks from his flag 50
+ ton. The premises include suficlel
{ ground for a good sized garden whic
ne works In the early morning du
+ ing the summer. He has been twi,
e married and his wife. in case he
l. absent for a brief period, guards n
crossing.