Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-04-02
SMOKER TENDE RE D.
RAILROAD MEN IS
GREATLY ENJOYED
Pleasant Evening Spent at the
Chamber Of Commerce by
Visitors in City, Duke City
Turns Out Many Officials,

Railroad officials and employees
part of them, at least-who are here
attending the sernl-annuaI over, short
and damage meeting of the system,
laid aside their cares last night and
made merry at a smoker given them
by the Chamber of Commerce.
A meeting Of general superintend-
ents, division superintendents, train
masters and road foremen of engines
had been arranged for beforehand, at
the same hour set for the smoker to
begin, and it could not be postponed,
consequently the attendance at the
Chamber of Commerce was somewhat
less than would otherwise have been
the case. Nevertheless. there We're
about a hundred and fifty present and
everybody had most delightful time.
Ellis orchestra, which was stationed
in the lobby, added much to the en-
joyment of the evening by the rendi-
ton of several numbers Miss Hor-
tense Switzer and Bill Mcdonald in
solos and duets captiVated the crowd,
and Miss Irene Partch played a couple
of very much enjoyed violin solos,
Aside from the music, no set pro-
gram had been arranged. Several Of
the visitors made speeches interposed
with more or less humof, while
Charles Raitt, a former resident of Al
buquerque, now master mechanic at
Needles recited a pathetic poem deal
ing with a boy who, because of his
youth, was not in the draft, but de-
cided to go to war His father called
him a fool, but was filled with re-
morse whom several months later he
received word from overseas that his
son had paid the supreme sacrifice
and now sleeps ain Flanders fields,
where peoples grow" The poem,
Mr.. Raitt said, depicted his own ex
perienCe.
Emmett Gregg of the Chicago divis-
ion, didn't make much of speech,
but he literally brought down the
house when he finished telling a
story illustrating his situation.
A visitor was going through an in
sane asylum, he said with the keeper,
one of the inmates asked the keeper
for piece of toast. No attention was
paid to his plea and he repeated the
request. not once, but twice. each
time in a little sterner tone of voice,
what do YOU want with a piece of
toaet?' dueried the keeper.
"Tm a poached egg and want to
sit down" replied the nut"
Charles Swanson. foreman of the
car shorS at Topeka, paid nice tr'b-
uto to Albuquerque when he said this
CITY had turned out probably more
railroad officials than 9ny other point
or the system.
In this connection an effort was
made to ascertain how many railroad
officials in attendance Mt the o. s, e
ID, meeting had bean their career. or
at least received their early training
in the Duke City. The following
shows the result so far as could be
ascertained;. ... ..........-.. ....-..
John Pullar Is perhans the oldest
empioye in point of service. lie is
now master mechanic at San Bernar-
dino Calf, Mr.. Pullar landed here
in 1856.
Y. w. Walker Superintendent of the
Valley division with headquarters at
Fresno, Calf, was agent in Alhuquer-
que in 1892.
John r, Hitchcock, division super-
intendent at San Bernardino. began
Us call boy at San MarciaI. but that
hardly counts as he came to Albu-
querque shortly thereafter and has