The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-01

the Santa Fe men in the yards are
going to line them up side by side
and take photograph-the old and
the new. The men have promised
that this photograph will be given to
the State Journal and q comparative
story on ring out the old. ring in the
new will be prepared. The two loco
motives are representative of the as
founding growth Of the great Santa Fe
system.
His Old Ffremen Lives in Topeka.
Well, back to the story again
Dad Griffith was practically given
this locomotive. He and his trusty
f1remen, "Bill'' Rain, who is now an
engineer and lives at 521 Lake street
Topeka, took care of it and held 1t
for special purposes only. If the gen.
eral manager wanted to take a trip
to New Mexico he notified dad" Grif-
fifth and the two men would get out
their steamer and while half the en-
ployes would lay off to watch her go
1882 he kept Engineer Griffith busy
NJ. and his attaches.
William B. Strong was general man
ager at this time and from 1879 until
1882 he kept Engineer Griffiths busy
hauling him from one end of the
Santa Fe to the other. Brassy. shiny,
glary Fifteen was the sign of the &c.
M."-and Dad" Griffith.
When Mr.. Strong was promoted
and the special car and special work
was taken off from the Santa Fe,
Dad" Griffith was a sad man. He
saw that he would have to go back
to the regular passenger work and
with reluctancy he allowed his name
to go back on the board" However,
the officials saw this sad blow which
had been inflicted on their prize engi-
neer and after conference it was
decided that for the rest of his ac-
tive life Dad" Griffith should be
a good
one of the preferable passenger runs
on the system.
Conductor for Past Thirty Years.
Engineer Griffith had fallen in love
with Topeka and as a result the new
branch passenger from Topeka to st.
Joe was given him. He ook it and
for almost thirty years he had made
himself acquainted with the passen-
gers over this line. He is known by
everyone by his kind actions and kind
words.
Another feather in the cap of the
old engineer is his experiences with
the Kansas Mfdland-a branch of the
Santa Fe to Lawrence. Dad Grif-
fifth was the first engineer on this
line and he was also superintendent.
When the bad men" would get rid
of the rest of the crew Dad" would
have to attend to the whole train.
1t was a common thing in those days
for a bunch of farmers to, come out
stop the train and declare that the road
owed them money for material Then
the farmers and the sheriff would de-
mand that the bill be paid. Instead
Superintendent Griffith would switch a
fiat or a box car off from his train and
turn it over to the farmer. 1t would be
chained to the track and held until the
bill was paid.
Member of Hospital Board.
Conductor Griffith is now member
of the Santa F'e hospital board. This
board consists of an engineer, a con-
ductor. the General manager and the
chief surgeon of the system To be
chosen as the member of this board
from the railroad men is a great honor
and J. H. Griffith has held the position
for many years.
Every railroad man on the Santa TIE
and every old employe has a good word
to say for DAD Griffith. The officials
all over the system know him person
ally and whenever he makes an ac-
quaintance he makes a friend.
No one seems to know when he was
first called Dad" There is nothing
about him that would show his age. He
has thick coal black hair and a black
mustache. He has always been an
mentally A well known engineer on
the Santa Fe. when asked about the
origin of the name Dad said:
81 first went to work for the Santa
Fre in 1871 and at that time everyone
knew Griffith as Dad"
]. H. Griffith is Sc years old and lives
at 900 Madison. in this city. Mrs. Grit
fifth lives with him at this location He
could have retired from active life and
lived On a pension long ago, but pre-
ferred to remain on deck.
Dad Griffith is IN example of a man
who has so much faifh.in the efficiency
and the care Of a competent man that
he has never believed there was such
thing as an accident" Going
through 40 wears of the-most strenuous
railroading and never having an acct
dent or q wreck tells the story of
man who believes in doing his work
WELL.
De Broke-A penny for your thoughts.