The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-02-11
LAST or THE OLD CONDUCTORS
interesting sketch Of the Late SAN
uoldsn az the VI. q Mass, Road

M CIaadall contributes . shssfh Il, w
s,.H lloidan. the veteran iai'l"a'
~ .,1r a. ths ulange LhlefpIi.e aiN
,'',,'.i t,,,n ahifh are taken the l"''""
~ -. s,, aauk Rsoi siorirs TOM % ms
Al x,i,,,n la,t unr quite a. Fuod q. ...s
n, .',,n,iin,r. told himself u Nas ne ~
'',,,,fi,nfr a. : conductor ll' va 80
l,st,tnan ga miAei train lot pi'''''''.,
a t,toui 4. corner tht conductor va
i.li,I 10 leave. aud :, deNoNtd ~ ~" ~
head brakeman 90 fuh Tue Ia'. ~ ,,,,
t,t,-snheL. lhetu Nss 40 t,iho
-. clad ia iumiri ana ms'iaii.' 49, III
.ttaw bat lirl ou Ailh sassuh s' ~ nm,
-, ,.ndtrtor Arhi through the vh'
.,,,b and took az HI. tickets. 10 ~ nv
I'M, ,,,,,ds this va. the ssnsalleh' NV
~ l.li morr ashamed ia NY me-
~ .nrl 4 long railroad carver y h'sh' ~
.,'',.,.,,i III man must have b"rn ~ mahy
.u,a,huIa. Certainly 40 man eah lp,'""
M. rail many Year. without srlths nv
az Nf Holden had hls experience
M, "a. never ia hut one sever" ae''a'h'l
~, tn,,.n a. Koyalsl0n bridge, This Ma
Inn. nj ls5O aud Was caused by s'IlAihs
!, hand rar In a wooden bridge HE ttaih
w.nt through the structure into the tiN'I'
md n 1 remember correctly three men NJ
lill.1 aud several people injured hl
Holden. while bruised aud iaihvd' N"s'1 ~,
si,r up till everything had irsn done y
"a. p1..ible lot HIM 70 10, hrt' w
originally ~ or mote wooden hilHsSs ."
tween laldwiuyllle aud '"ronl :, lsu a
lra,t have been cat oai by isbsi,nlhs W
,r,,l. az turning the oouTsc Of Millefs nv
y, .YJ her. /. no bridge now where I'M,
,,,,i.nt oecufred uur 81 the men klllc'i
"a. "pop.rofH" johnson, a. he was known
Mr. Johnson lived ia ftichburg ana -
came populaf on the trains ~ a POP corn
ycndcr. i'll
The Vermont and Massachusetts railroal
A. originally designed Wa from flchbuis
4, Brattl,bor1, VT. wa Gfout NothrI
now called Millers Falls. Il Wa soon IT.
r,y,.r,,l that Greenfield would be- the better
terminal and the y miles from 6ront :
north became known a. the Braitlehof"
branch of the road subsequently TINS
branch wa, leased to the New LONDON
Northern. aud later oE that road was le''se1
10 tho Central Vermont.
Among the papets oil the late c, W,
moore 81 Athnl wa found \. a VI. time
table dated April :, ls5l, about the time
Mr. Holden began train service. u. :.
,Jone. was superintendent and following the
train schedule appears al the rules Of the
road. Framed il i l0x2 INCHES, " ma!
be- surmi-ed that the day OF numbering
trains had not dawued There were two
passenger trains each way week days, desig
mated as First passenger tram and Sec.
ond passenger train. The First east and
west met at Orange al 1859 a. m. The sec
ord train east left here at g. and west at
525 u. m. There was one freight each way
and Saturday nights special went west
leaving here at 757. The road could not
have done a very prosperous business, a.
it, slO0 share. were sold at one time Tor
about ~. Today they are worth sl5o
with a guaranteed six per cent dividend.
Railroading was in it, infancy. The loco
motives were babies beside those now IN
use. were wood burners, and the whole
train equally crude. The ears were smaller.
the rails lighter and there were none OF
the safety devices OF the present day. The
time between Greenfield and Fitch
burg was about two hours and 30 minutes.
Such was the beginning of Mr.. Holden's
train service and he continued IN active
service till June last, gradually falling into
the improved methods and increased sery-
ice He became a freight conductor, and
then succeeded L. G. Everett as a regular
passenger conductor. Everett was the man
who said Athol and Orange would 60 TO
H if they could 90 for hall fare. This |
remark was made one time when the road !
had put tickets at half price for an eXcur- |
sion and large number OF people had |
availed themselves OF the low rates.
There were then three passenger con
iuctors: Jake Bangs. as he was called. |
loratio Miller and ). \. Holden. Mr.. |
Iiolden's death takes the last OF this old |
Vermont and Massachusetts trio.