The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-03-07

MCLduSHllH anu uOduMdSLeT JOG MIC
(, Cauley. ,s.5qe.7.s
: Every year since the park branch
was first opened to traffic these men
have piloted snow plow expeditions,
fighting as few railroad officials sit
I ting at mahogany desks with private
secretaries, know how to fight.
Superintendent Armstrong, before
he was endowed with the title, was
chief engineer of construction on the
park branch from Marysville on to
the western park edge. He knows ev-
cry crook and turn in the line, knows
every rail joint and fish plate, every
gradient and bench mark
The writer has been over bit of
the world in his day. He has seen
some wonderful scenery along Ameri-
can railroads. He has examined
some very wonderful engineering
feats. But for sheer grandeur. for
wonderful colorings, for scenery that
leaps within the space of two mile
posts from craggy magnificence to
rural simplicity, from heaven graz
ing peaks jutting above the timber
line to marvellous natural parks, with
sward as velvety and as soft as ever
graced tropic lawn, the line from
Ashton on the western gateway to
Natures Wonderland has them all
beat.
Tourists from the east, headed for
the Yellowstone country by way of
the western gate, traverse this fav-
ored region through Warm River
canyon, up the winding stream of
that name and through the gorgeous
Island Park country, in the night
time; they awake at dawn in Yellow
stone. This is not as it should be.
There should be daylight train
through that wonderful region, also
through the wonderful upper valley
of the Snake, which is more fertile
far than the tabled valley of the
Nile-and through the pea fields
and beet fields and illimitable grain
fields that stretch from Pocatello
north to Ashton. 1t is said the
Short Line passenger department is
working on daylight schedule, and
it may be installed next year, but not
this year. ...
And not only is the park branch a
wonderful piece of railroad engin-
eering,-an example Of prompt obey
ance of an order to build, but it is
also a splendid example of engineer
ing skill. It's cost was tremendous,
but it would have been terrific had
the location of the line been in other
hands than those of Carl Stradley,
now chief engineer of the Short
Line, and had the construction en-
gineering department been in less
capable hands than those of w. R..
Armstrong, who is now division
superintendent.
When the late Division Superin-
tendent George Olmstead (may he
sit at the right hand of the angels)
passed away and left uncountable
Borrowing friends, Engineer Arm
strong was promoted to the superin
tendency AT first his friends doubt
ed his ability to fill his job, he was
construction and maintenance man,
not an operating man, they doubt
fully said. But there isn't a man on
the division who will today say that
Armstrong hasn't
made good. He has-in every de-
partment. He made good because
he is one of the most tireless work.
ers on the road. He travels most of
the time in the 1.-TWO Spot" dim
inutive privite car, built for the late
Brigham Young when the Mormon
church owned the old Utah and
Northern, now part of the Short
Line. That service car is about
half the length of an average car.
but it is contradiction about
men. Even so, travelling in a com
private car, Armstrong is
seldom comfortable, except when
Two years ago, when he headed
he rotary expedition, the writer
saw him roll up in his blankets after
IS hours Of the hardest kind of work
md arise before the sun The writ
n has seen him grab shovel from
/ lazy Jap and work for an hour
lnder high pressure just to set an
We have seen him spell"
engineer Baker at the throttle of
he rotary during the noon hour. and
handle the machine with consummate
skill. He has seen him man the
steam hose when the rotary wheel
became frozen, or stalled in deep