Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-02-07
NOTABLE CAREER OF
VETERAN ENGINEER
Milton COlburn Served so Years
With "0ld Road"
STARIED SHOE WORK in IS63.
Vividly Recalls War Days When He
Fired Engine Carrying Stores to
TroOps.


devoted TO engineering of steam
trains, and virtually in the employ Of
one corporation, and in all that time
losing only about two months by rea-
son of accident or sickness, such has
been the career of Mr.. Milton Col.
burn, well-known resident of the
western section of the city.
Mr.. Colburn is 65 years old, and
is still doing active duty. He is en-
ployed with the Warrington, KaIti-
more and Annapolis Electric Railway
Company as crossing watchman at
the West street terminal Of the line.
Ii was fifty years ago Wednesday,
February s, that Mr. Colburn first
began work with the old Annapolis
and Elkridge ste am railroad, and he
vividly recalls incidents in connection
| with his notable career together with
the many changes that have been
wrought in local ralroading facili-
ties. During his earlier years ne
was regarded as one Of the most COM
pent men at the throttle. MIR. Col
burn prides himself over the half
century's record Of employment.
"'lt was on February S, 1868, that
first went to work with the road, +"
Mr.. Colburn very proudly tells bis
friends. His employer was the late
George Wells, father Of DR.. Gtor ye
Wells, then president of the Farmere'
National Bank, and who controlled
the old Annapolis and Elkridge road.
His first bit of work was done in the
aks,a eLlv, Cf
merly stood at the old West street
station. He began there as an ap-
prentice, then only little more
than Is years old.
But he spent only four days in
the shop, when be was shifted to
one Of the engines as fireman. He
dred for four years That was dur
ing the war days, and Mr.. Colburn
wildly recalls the dinIy engine that
was engaged ih hauling stores for
the commissary through the streets
of the city down to the landing of
the old river ferry, known as Hay
den's Ferry.
In 1867, Mr.. Cclburn became an en-
gineer and he served in that capacity
continuously during the various
changes in ownerships and manage
ment of the road even to the time of
its consolidation, when the banking
firm of Alexander Brown & Sons se-
cured control of it and it ceased oper-
ations. However, Mr.. Colburn con-
tinued as an engineer on the Short
Line during the Intervening years.
When the Cleveland capitalists ac-
quired control of the old Annapolis,
Washington and Baltimore road, now
the present owners of the Electric
Line, Mr.. Colburn returned to work
with his s'old love.
But the conversion of the old steam
road into a modern trolley li1e, and
one OF the finest transportation lines
# its kind in the country, wrought
decided change of service on the
part of Mr.. Colburn. However, he
started in to learn the work of motor
man, but was not employed in that
capacity for long. In fact it was
while doing an apprenticeship that
Mr.. Colburn was one of the first vic
Tins of the first accident that mark
ed the operation of the trolley line
That was the collision between two
cars near Brownsville Station, in
April, 1908. He sustained a broken
arm and was cut and bruised about
the body. As result he was laid up
for couple OF months.
The only other accident of serious
consequence in which MIR. Colburn
figured was that back in the early
part of 1867. VIII IN yet employed as
a fireman. His uncle, an engineer
and another man were killed in
wreck. He also was in another
wreck in 1884. After his injury in
1908 Mr.. Colburn did not resume
work to become a motorman. In
stead he was placed in charge of the
crossing at Pumphrey's Station, on
the Baltimore branch of the line.
There he remained for three years
until the service of a watchman was
no longer required. Then he was
transferred to this city and is regu-
Iarly on the job at the crossing at
West str set station. Mr.. Colburn
comes Of a family of railroad men.
His father was an engineer, also a
brother and an uncle. He is the
/ father of IL children and four of his
sons are now employed in railroad
work, here, either in the shops or as
motorman on trolley cars Of the local
lines. The veteran engineer was SIS
| years old in September last