The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-10
VERMONTER PASSES
4,000,000-MILE POST
: Uncle joe Willet of st. Adams Now
on His 304th Round Trip Across
the Continent

BOSTON. Dee. To- When Joe Will
let, the veteran tourist agent, swung
on the Chicago express at the South
station the other afternoon, he begun
the first lap of his 30fth round trip |
from Boston to Los Angeles and passed |
the 1000, 200 mile post i'll his railroad /
career.
Mr. WilIct will be o. on his next .
birthday, hut he doeSn I seem over 90
and he says he looks forward to many /
years more Of active work. Tie rs
known from coast 10 cost by railroad |
men and travellers. There ism I a city |
or town oil the line Of the railroad from |
Boston to Los Angeles that he hasn {
hosts Of friends in.
" Uncle Joe Willet, as he is called
IN his friends, has been railroadlng
since lie was a voungster of Il. lie is
native Of 81 Adams, VI. and he
still makes that city his home
| Fifty years ago, Mr.. Wllet went to
work as a brakeman on the old Cen
trail Vermont Those were the DAYS Of
/ the old hand brakes, and there was
| plenty Of work for train hands.
/ After serving in that capacity for
| some years, Mr.. Willet for over Is
years was the Pullman conductor OF
the Montreal and Boston express.
He went back to the Central Yer
mont and for number Of years was
passenger conductor on that system;
- years ago hc entered the employ
Of the Burlington road.
Some of the biggest railroad men Of
the country and Canada got their
sshoollng on the old G. y, Uncle Joe
Sass, and all OF them still take a great
interest IN the Little Vermont rail
read on which they cot their start IN
tn" railroad.
Inquired I out not long ago,
sand nele Toe, that i have
Travelled f,oV0,3a' mlteN-dlStanee about
equaI TO sou tIntS around the world.
IfaEeAh& aSF'sS with me. M aN
fresh ~ the end OF a 1000 mlle trip as
~ the starr.
i my aHtH !" iook after the
oid ana Inc Young c~Peylally those VINO
.i' Hol ag,"-toiii'ua 20 lonS filifoad
'''' ny ""''l' u ana N are my
SI'v,i '"t'- nav taAth 'A"uSdhuS
- 'I'"l '''1s7 '"e 'oil 'iil'lit
ny IoHS '"ie'i a. run o",
i'!t nav Sy'H i'auN ehali6'S HI I3ii-
.o'"ihE ana NV "itnIsS9ea me ever
Us I,'asI''E comforts =, ad'ed % 1he lali.
lp"" 'i"Nti' inc Ht.le ora eoaen 81
'i' VA - ou' si"iloI th'ia nag 2iNtli
vs., :" I0AH' louS no'''' On winters, LOT
si'' = ""a' 'he i'io'l'Ih ial'fo'' tFtlA
l'"St gu 'Ny' ur'u III Ia,lloa'
"shcd ~ ,'I"", ll,dh' h1l'
, '''i'o an" hno'h[o on "o"u.
, iI'sN ou. S"0l' We h'eh III =
"T'IKS' oul more hhoGAlhG on wood
Mt AWAY I'"i'a S'd /" escape any
s'flous INJURY.
Ana Vel, always l'tI safer travel
ih@ - " fai!Ioad thah 90 fldlhG ~
an autohohhe rather flde lot
miles on 4 railroad than five in car
: rage or automohlle. guess was born
: a i"lifoad man, never teel al nome
ahlcsS can near me wheels going
around under me
+, itaNtl mas ,bteh heavier the pas
a year than ever before IN my recollee
i tion' ! nave earned more old reopl'
: the FaNt season than ever before-peo
PIE VINO were not used to travelling.
guess 1t must be that people nave beer
making money, and felt that they eoul'
i afford TO take long trips.
:, There 5 something compelling abou
!, hclc Joe Wlllet Nobody has eve
:. Travelled with nm east or west. wh'
does not count nm rs their guide AM
J friend. Little children are frequently
- placed III his charge on long journeys