The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-03-13
FAITHFUL TO THE VERY LAST

The Times-Union pays the following
tribute to Edward L. Ditto, who was
laid to his last rest in Evergreen Gene
terry in Jacksonville. Wednesday after
noon:
All that is mortal of Edward l. Ditto,
veteran telegraph operator, man who
has seen every side of the service in
railroad circles and last to surrender
before adversaries, was laid to rest yes
terday afternoon in Evergreen ceme-
terry at o'clock. Paralysis was the
only enemy that Ed. Ditto ever knew.
1t tried to make him flee from a tele-
graph key but no fear came even to
the last day of surrender.
Once upon a time, a decade ago,
railway train was running along. The
little instrument before the old hero
was clicking off orders for the train.
stealthiiy then paralysis came into
the little office at Fort Lauderdale and
seized him. He fell back but held
tenacious1y to his consciousness. With
a last bound, he caught the signalling
lever and gave the train crew "the
red light"
Nobody came forward with the orders
when the train stopped and the train
men wondered who about the place
happened to be so slow. In the tele-
graph office a member Of the crew
found Ed. Ditto. partially conscious,
his right hand dead but the train
orders in place before him.
Piled Key Twenty-One Years
Over twenty-one years ne piled the
key. When his right side was paralyz-
ed. he learned how to operate key
with his left hand. Again paralysis
came his way but he battled and insist
ed that he be allowed to work again.
He worked in the face of it all after
partially recovering and when the last
stroke came Thursday, half conscious
and half unconscious he boarded a
train 400 miles down the East Coast
and travelled to ST. Augustine.
A nurse in the Florida East Coast
railway hospital saw an i'll man seat
ed in the reception room Saturday
morning. She reported the case to DR..
Gaines Worley, the veteran head of
that institution. He went into the re-
ception room and recognized Edward
Ditto, his old patient of decade be-
fore. II have treaed him, not as a
patient, but as a friend" said the VEN
cradle doctor when he looked upon
the mute form Monday night at II
Worked I'm Tampa
The career of Edward L. Ditto begun
in 1892 and later in Florida with job
on the old Plant System in 1901 at
Mcintosh. In the congestion near
Tampa during the Spanish American
war, when transports and supplies
were being hurried to Cuba, Ditto was
sent to that part OF the state SO aid in
handling the dispatching end of the
railroads part of the war.
He was for many years relief man.
with the Florida East Coast Railway. A
common remark passed here and there
was that Ditto had no enemies At one
time he was assistant dispatcher in
Jacksonville. After paralysis affic-
tions came he was placed in charge of
Installing new offices for the Florida
East railway system. Then he was
given the telephone part of the work.
Railway officials often criticized him
for not letting up on work and going
to his home in Ocala, where another
pursuit could be followed. He found
moro satisfaction with railroading,
however and this was his last work.
His wife and two sons, his mother,
Mrs. L. A. Ditto. sister, Mrs. George
Driver of Birmingham, and three
brothers, F. w. Ditto of Ocala, S. L
and r. w. Ditto of Jacksonville, were
gathered about his bedside when the
end came in st. Augustine Monday
night at IL o'clock.
Funeral services were held at 4
o'clock yesterday afternoon from the
parlors OF Marcus Conant, the Rev.
J. W. Carpenter, of the First Methodist
church, officiating. The interment was
in the family lot in Evergreen ceme-
terry.