The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-20
lopez SRAIL ROAD
LINN c. Al

ing their pay checks at the joints and
our committee on management de-
cided to try and get one of the banks
to come to our building on pay day
and cash the employees checks. After
two years hard work we arranged
with the Topeka State Savings bank to
do this for us. In the four years we
have cashed more than 10000 checks.
have made deposits with the bank
during that time. We endeavor to get
the men to save so as to become per-
manent citizens.
Educational Work.
A few years ago we were doing
more educational work than we are
at the present time. The Santa F'e,
seeing the advantage of educated me-
chanics, appropriated $4,000 per
year to instruct their own apprentices
in the shops on company time, and
they believe it is a paying proposition.
We have classes in electricity, pen
manship, spelling, arithmetic, mechan-
ical drawing, elementary, advanced
and machine design, gas engine, pub
lie speaking and orchestra work.
We started to teach telegraphy and
a number of our students are holding
good positions. The Santa Fe, feeling
the need of operators started school
to teach men telegraphy and station
practice. A large number of our stu
dents are holding extraordinary po-
sitiOns; for instance, one is general SUI
perintendent for the Mexican Central
Railroad company; another general
foreman; another man who came to
our elementary mechanical drawing
class was receiving 5 cents per hour.
He passed the examination, the next
year passed the advanced mechanical
drawing examination, and the third
year was the only man who took the
examination in locomo-
tive and car design and passed. To-
day he is getting "a cents per hour
and is one of the foremen in our ma
chine shops. 1t would take too much
time to tell of each individual case but
we are proud of the work accom-
plished in our educational depart
ment.
The Social Feature.
Another one of the great features
of our association is the social life
1900 games were
played on our pool and billiard tables.
The chess, checkers, table croquet and
bowling alleys are we'll patronized. We
believe in giving our men and boys
clean recreation. We also arrange
free for our members an entertain
ment every Friday evening for the
fall winter and spring months.
These entertainments are of a high
outside talent. Last year we had "a
with an attendance of 1923, and if
our hall were larger we would have a
still greater attendance. We had 70
receptions, lectures, practical
talks, and entertainments, with total
of 12,556 persons
Our gymnasium, tennis courts and
baseball field are we'll used. We Wis
tied 125 sick persons, gave 2,43S mag
azines away; assisted and found en-
ployment for 126 men, and loaned
1 ,166 books from our library.
Use Two Tons of Soap.
Some one has said, Cleanliness is
next to Goodness We encourage
our men to take baths. Last year we
gave 1914 baths, using almost two
tons of soap. In this, Topeka ranks
second in railroad associations of the
world.
We made during the year 1869
beds for tired men. We rent our
rooms for 81 to So each per month
and sell transient beds to association
members for 20 cents; to other rail-
road men for 25 cents each per night.
Third in Religious Work.
We rank third in the religious work
of the railroad associations of the
country. We held last year $50 gospel
meetings in the shops and in the as
ISOLATION building with so men at
We held 207 Bible class sessions in
he shops, yards and building, with
,,034 men attending. We had en-
oiled in all our Bible classes AL
men; 80 men requested prayer and