The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-17
C. ]. esquire" Nee Is Cinein-
natus of Kansas Legislature.
Lett Golden State Throttle to
Fight Court Bill.
SCION OF A SPEED KING
Father Drove Fastest LOcOmo-
tive-SOn Made State Record.
Century as Engineers Brings r..
r. Prominence to Family.

For a century either the hand of
father or son has been on the throttle
of a passenger locomotive.
That IS the proud record of c. J.
(Squire) Nee Of Herington. a locomo-
tive engineer for fifty years. whose IA
Their was an engineer for a like num-
Der of years
1t was Cincinnatus in the days of
old who left his pillow and led his peo-
pie in their fights for existence. 1t is
Squire Nee in these modern days in
Kansas Who takes his hand from the
throttle of the Golden State Limited
engine at each legislative session and
PAGES up and down legislative halls
the Brotherhood OF Railway Engi-
neers, whom he has represented as a
lobbyist for many years.
Since 1879. Squire Nee has been a
locomotive engineer in Kansas. He
first ran a passenger engine for the
Santa Fe between Topeka and Nicker-
son. But the greater part of that
time he has run between Harrington
and Kansas City on the Golden State
Limited
Speed His Passion
Speed has been the passion in the
life of Nee and his father. who in the
early days ran the fastest engine in
the United States on a Vermont line.
That was in 1852. Squire Nee hates
a slow engine like a Kentuckian hates
a pillow horse
The squire in 1907 established his
record as the locomotive speed bug
OF Kansas when he gave Charles NJ.
Schwab. the steel magnate, the fastest
railroad trip in Kansas chronicled at
that time. Schwab was forced to
make a flying trip to the west and the
best engineers in the country were
called to run engines taking the mil
Iionaire steel magnate from his home
in the east TO his destination in the
west
The squire was chosen to take
Schwab from Kansas City to Herring
ton He promised to make the trip.
q distance of $50 miles. in one hour
and fifty minutes. The squire pulled
the steel n1agnate into Harrington ex-
actly one hour and forty-seven min
utes after he left Kansas City. The
president OF the road commended the
squire at that TING. So did Schwab.
Still Has His Nerve.
Yes. the squire has had accidents
the same as any railroad man. But,
he declared in the senate chamber this
week that he never lost his nerve. and
today. after fifty years, while some
engineers have gone to asyiums and
others are nervous wrecks his hand
is as steady as the day he first pulled
open a throttle.
Missing 'em by the skin Of their
teeth shakes me no more than to hit
en-" said the squire People are
funny creatures. A dozen times I have
exerted every effort to save an auto
mobile party from death. Nearly as
many times my only thanks on look
ing back was to see members of their
party thumbing their nosos in my di-
rectiou."
AS for the squire part Of his name.
It is not because Of his vocabulary.
His voca bulary in moments of stress
is purely that of a rough and ready
raiIroader. 1t was acquired by his
constant fight for the betterment of
members Of his craft
Let the squire look after it." his
fellow engineers used to remark And
now c. j. Nee is just a name in Kan
sas but Squire Nee is a man, known
thruout the length and breadth of the
railroads in Kansas.
The squire probably is the most
prosperous looking lobbyist on the
legislative floor He wears an i'm
mense diamond stud and a big dia-
mOnd ring and clothes worn are per
feet in their sdrtoriaI effect