The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-05-04
Quits THE SERVICE
after LONG LABOR
MICHAEL ENGLISH GETS PEN
SION FROM Northwestern
Had Been In Employ of Company For
Thirb-Seyen Years; Pulled Freight
And Passenger Trains; Engineer Who
Is WeII-Known Along Line; Will Go
To California For Rest; Has Lived
In Mankato Number of Years

GAINESVILLE Argus: A record that re-
fleets great credit upon his services
and the railroad company was brought
to the attention of the writer last
week when it was disclosed that Mr.
Michael English, one of the loyal and
faithful employees of the Northwest
ern Railroad company, had retired on
a handsome pension, sufficient to
keep him in ease and comfort during
the balance of his life.
Mr.. English will be remembered by
many of our citizens, in fact he is
quite intimately known to some if
not many of them. For many years
his well rounded physique and al
ways smiling countenance was fami-
liar to those of our people who were
wont to haunt the depot platform.
Regularly for years and years his
engire would glide into the station
and invariably his reception would be
a hearty welcome. Always his face,
Wreathed in perpetual smiles with a
chuckling laugh, would bring forth
simultaneous salutes from the crowd
and all would join in the hearty laugh
that spontaneously burst forth from
his ready and witty responses to
their salutation. Was it this good
nature and kindly disposition that
guarded and guide him all along
his course through the multi
form trials and hardships that came
to him in proving himself a loyal en-
ployee and that kept him as we'll in
the brighter paths that came to him
as he performed his duties? Partially,
perhaps, but beneath all this was his
knowledge that he could know only
the good; that he was not in the keep
ing of a providence that belches
forth in the thunder, or roars in a
hurricane or mangles people in a
frightful catastrophe; and knowing
only the good he passed through
thirty-seven years of guiding his
trains at the throttle without ever
having his engine off the track, with
out having a wreck of any descrip-
ton, without even maring the paint of
a car and without injuring passen-
ger. Added to this was his unsWerv-
ing loyalty to his company and his
splendid fidelity to his duties, charac-
teristics Of his career that won for
him the high regard of the people,
the admiration of his employers and
the love of his associates. With this
record it is small wonder that the
company retires him upon a hand
some pension. 1t is due to say that
Mr.. English might have served for
nearly a decade yet. But upon His
merits as an employe, based upon the
performance of his uties, he was en-
titled to retirement and the pension.
And he wisely took it. Had he not
been indisposed for several weeks
during the winter the retirement
probably would have been deferred.
For the last fourteen years Mr.. Eng
lish has had a passenger run on this
division, some of the time but more
recently on the Watertown division.
His home is in Mankato, but he was
for many years a resident of Wa
SEGA.
Mr. English left on Sunday last for
San Bernardino, California, where he
will take a rest for two months, his
wife already preceding him. Upon
his return he will retire to his modest
home in Mankato where he will con-
tinue to enjoy life and where he will
shed abroad the sublime and benign
spirit of good will and good cheer to
bless all those with whom he comes
in contact. His many friends here
wish him continued good health, pros
perity and a long and happy life.