The Tupelo journal., 1917-06-08

ton for faithful service under Gen.
Johnston, having carried throughout
struments which he used frequently
in tapping wires for the purpose of
gaining information for the use of
his commander. He also frequently
strung wires for military service and
was prepared when doing 81 to form
a ground connection and operate
his terminal for the purpose of COM
munication with strategic points.
While in this service he was fire.
quently in exposed positions during
engagements and then as ever
since, he never lost his perfect poise.
1t is a matter of common knowledge
that no one eve saw Mr.. st John
excited or angry and his genial smile
has greeted hundreds of railroad Of
ficials, thousands of railroad employ
ees and tens of thousands of patrons
of the railroad and telegraph com
panies for which he has worked dur
ing the fifty years he has been in
Canton, Missississipp. This fact
may account for that other fact that
his accuracy in receiving and trans
cribing or transmitting telegraphic
messages has been an unbroken rec
ord. Though he has handled train
orders, for thousands of trains, new
err in all the years of his service has
any railroad accident occurred from
an order handled by this very re-
markable man.
One of the most notable evil
dences of fidelity set down to the
credit of this interesting character
was has conduct in eve deserving
his post in time of the several yellow
fever epidemics through which he
has passed. Well does this narrator
recall his conduct during the dread
full scourge of yellow fever which
swept over the South in the year
1878, when, after sending his own
family to the country, Mr.. st John
continued at his post of duty night
and day through all the dreadful ex-
perience of that scourge when panic
reigned supreme from the nine
teenth of August to the middle OF
November. Though hundreds of his
acquaintance and friends died in
the meantime he went day after day
to his office and there kept frlendss
loved ones and the outside world adj
vised as to conditions within the
town which, under a strict quar-
rantine, was kept bottled up until
the first frost of the season came
early in November.
A number of times in past y'enrs
the railroad officials have urged Mr..
St. JOHN to retire upon a pension,
but always heretofore he has per
sistently asked to be allowed to re-
main on the active roll of service
and so highly was his spirit Of true
fidelity been honored by the ,:olnpa-
ny, that in retiring him now en- full
pay they allow him to remain as the
Office manager, but supply operators
t, do all the work.
1t would be objectionable to close
a sketch of such a life of faithful
service without saying what is true,
as to the moral and religious life of
The ran who tnouth Cor nearly tn:ee
score years nc followed g location
which required Of him seven Ga IS If
service each week, has never used
liquor or tobacco, perhaps nove ut
tered ans oath or had impur. thought
Il ran whose . ted was sly. a'd
vi,ose n :,.An was to 10 re his york
and little children. Such is the char
acter and life service of this most IN
teresting and unique man as it is re-
called to this writer by the news
that he has at last come face to face
with the grim fact, that no measure
of fidelity a stay the march of
time which in every case
demands that the place in thu ,ine
must, soon or late be taken by those
who come after. If ever a man Il
entitled to the laurel wreath while
in the flesh or should be assured this
side the grave of the plaudit "well
DONE" Charlie St. John is the man.
D T NJ