Connecticut western news., 1911-07-20
GOLD BY GUY p"
The Oldest and Most conscientiou.

The Oldest and Most Conscientious
 Conductor on the Old Housatonic
 A thousand anecdotes might be re- lated of the late Charles Emmons, who, at the time of his death, some ten years ago, was, in years of actual service, the oldest employe of the old Housatonic railroad, the present Berkshire division of the New York, New Haven 6 Hart ford system, and for years was known as the "Old. Reliable" of the whole division,
 He went into railroading in the early part of 1850, on the Housatonic. when railroading was virtually in it's infancy, and not only witnessed the development of the science of railroading, but took part in it, and was a part of that development. He recalled the days of his early experience as conductor of a freight train, when the locomotives the wood-burners, with balloon stacks as large us the boilers-were of primitive design, weighing from thirteen to twenty tons, and put to their severest test when required to haul six loaded cars, with which they frequently got stuck on heavy grades and short curves.
 MT. Emmons was an earnest profess ing Christian, from boyhood, and consistently religious and scrupulously upright all his life. It was practically impossible to make him lose his temper, even under the most exasperating circumstance, and from the fact that his most vehement swear-word was ''by guy p he came to be familiarly and affectionately known, all along the line, by the nickname, "Old By Guy !"
 He was famous for the fervency of his applications, in prayer meetings, and almost invariably raised his voice, as his prayer proceeded, until, when it had arrived at it's highest pitch, he would stop abruptly, and the Amen" was uttered almost in whisper.
 Although invariably and at all times prudent and careful in thes handling of his trains. and taking no unnecessary chances, Conductor Emmons was astonishlngly expert in every detail of freight railroading, and could swing himself on board swiftly moving car with the utmost dexterity. He never required his brakemen to take any chances that he would not take. him. self Many time his engineer, in a spirit of mischief, attempted to run away from him, on the morning start, when the train stayed over night in Canaan. MT, Emmons would appear at the Main street crossing at the proper time for aphernalia-sometimes consisting of pair of rubt CT boots, overcoat, dinner pail, extra glazed cap, etc.; give. the starting signal, and wait for the caboose Gin those days called the "buggy') to come along. The engineer would ttthrow her wide open" and by the time the buggy got to where the conductor stood the train would be under almost full headway. But it never left him. He invariably swung aboard, apparently without an effort-rubber boots, dinner pail, overcoat, cap and all excess bag. gage.
 After many years as freight conductor, MT. Emmons was given a passenger train. where he proved equally reliable and no less conscientious. It was re- lated of him that on a certain trip when he had an unusually crowded through excursion train, he went through the cars two or three times to make sure he had missed none of the tickets, and finally, to make assurance doubly sure, stood up in the forward end of the most crowded car and exclaimed: "If there is anybody in this car who hasn't given me his ticket, won t you please hold up your handp'