The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-10-17
MONTPELIER
Safety First Meeting Was Held by
Railroad Employees.

| ohAoou AHiPiOJSs'
A safety first" meeting was held in
Montpelier last evening which was at
| tended by about 80 men employed on
the Central Vermont and Montpelier &
| Wells River railroads and after talks by
S. 5. Russell, G. w. Groom, John Wah-
len, Asst. Supt. kidder and other officials
of the roads, matters were brought up
by the different employees of the two
| companies. Probably as important as
any was tlrat called to the attention of
| those present by Mr. Carr, agent at
Barre, who told of conditions in connec-
ton with some of the stonesheds in that
city, where the lives of men are placed in
jeopardy by the carelessness of the gran
tie manufacturers. One of the things he
wanted information on was how to stop
the trespassers stealing rides on the
shifting engines in Barre yards when at
noon time these men endanger them
selves by getting on the trains. He was
advised that after warning to keep off
has been given legal action could
take place Mr. Wahlen told of the can
! vass that is being made in Barre, some
! 81 sheds having been visited and the
conditions are being improved about
these. They found some where the grout
| is not back far enough for it to be safe
| for the trainmen; other places where
chips of the larger sizes are allowed to
| fall where a man might slip on them
and 90 under a train He said the over
head part of the dangerous conditions
has, for the most part, been removed
and that in one instance the owner of a
| shed is widening his entrance to make
| it safe. These are on the Wells River
| railroad, and the Central Vermont is
soon to make a similar canvass. Several
of the placards that will be posted for
| the safety first" campaign which will
| be operated from Oct Is TO 20 were
shown to the men. G. w Groom spoke
relative to the safety first committee,
showing that of the l52 complaints
lodged with it over 100 have been rem
edied, removing dangerous conditions,
and some Is are under consideration
now Station Agent j. p Galleher of
Montpelier gave some interesting figures
showing that in the last Is years more
trespassers were killed on railroads in
this country than all our boys in the
war 1t averaged about 5000 killed and
a like number injured each year. These
are trespassers and exclude tramps al
most entirely from the comparison.
Seventy per cent of the accidents are
due to careIessness. He also showed
that automobile drivers take little warn
ing against trains in approaching cross
ings Other speakers were William
Kidd H. A. Penniman, John Farrell, one
of the oldest employees of the Central
Vermont, Charles Dolloff, Charles Sim
mons. Fred s. Pease, the factory in
spector of Vermont, spoke briefly, stat !
ing that the safety first campaign APP
plies as well to persons walking along
the street as to trainmen and persons
about trains. He urged everybody, from |
his experience, which showed that most |
Of the accidents are due TO carelessness, |
to follow the safety first program.
Local members of the Modern Wood |
men of America have received state |
ment of the amount of money that the |
society paid out in death elaims to the
benehciaries Of boys who fought in the
world war. total Of 1862 ,250 of which /
Vermont received S35 500 Nevada re-
ceived the smallest amount paid, $1,000, /
or one person killed; Illinois, the largest |
amount, S443, 250. Delaware, which has |
a good-sized membership, did not lose
member.
Mrs. Guy Bailey of Essex Junction
visited Mrs f. r. Deavitt and other
friends in the city to-day.
The indications to-day in Mont |
peler were that there would be large
number Of the members OF Mt. Sinai |
temple, Mobiles Of the Mystic Shrine 60
tomorrow to Sherbrooke. r. O., where |
they will be the guests until Sunday of
Karnak temple Of Montreal II is ex
pected that class of candidates will |
receive the degree OF the hosting temple. |
Three coaches will leave Montpelier at
7 o'clock Saturday morning in special
train over the Montpelier & Wells River /
railroad. There will be 30 members of
the Arab patrol and some "a members /
of the Shrine and the officers Of the !
temple, probably almost enough to fill |
the cars leaving Montpelier. A request |
has been made for another car to be at /,