The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-10-06
VETERAN ENGINEER DEAD
Patr OK Skane, Forty Years With
Boston and Maine Road.


Boston and Maine Road.
Troy Oct. Elm the death of Pat
rick Skane which occurred Tuesday
morning at his home in Johnsonyille.
after an illness OF several weeks, tins
section lost one of it's best known
veteran railroad men, as for more
than forty years Mr.. Skane lad been
engaged in the service OF TIE Bos.
ton and Maine and its predecessors,
the Fitchburg company and the old
Troy and Boston. Up to the time of
his retirement from active serv ce
about eleven years ago. Mr.. Skane
resided In Troy, and Is Very vel
known here For a great many years
he was in charge of local freight
train No. 210. and was known to
nearly every man. woman and child
between Troy and North Bennington,
the term mails of his run. Upon be-
ing retired and pensioned by the
Boston and Maine company eleven
years ago in recognition OF .'is long
iand faithful service, Mr.. Skane de-
cided to spend the rema nder of his
days on small farm and first went
to Melrose, where he remained eight
years and then took up residence in
the old Cow homestead at Johnson
vile.
Mr.. SHANE was a native of the vii
lage OF Northfeld VI. though his
bcNhood days were spent for the
most part on farm not far from
Winooski Vt. Early in life he be-
came a railroader on the Troy and
Boston, first taking position In
the passenger service and later being
given charge OF train 210, which he
ran continuously up to the time Of
Ais retirement, Mr. Skane was look
ed upon as a thorough railroader
and was one whose advice was fire.
quently sought by officials OF the
road. Back in the days when long
hours made rairoading a hard job,
Mr.. SHANE experienced hardships
such as few men of his time were
called upon to endure and frequent
~ recalled one experience in the dead
of bitter cold winter. With a great
shortage OF men and great amount
OF freight to move he made three
consecutive trips out of Troy, these
being divided by only half hour in
which to have his dinner pail ref J..
Cd. At the end of the third trip he
had finished trick of duty of al
most As consecutive hours. The pay
for that work was about one-third
tie present pay drawn by railroad
men. In the railroad service Con
ductor SHANE formed ard followed
this creed and insisted that all 9th.
ers under him do likewise: Obey
orders: do your work no matter how
Ions t takes; be willing to accom-.
modate; don't drink and do your
sleeping when off duty Living up
u that creed largely accounts for
the success which was his to enjoy
VIII lie ION the road.
Since his retirement Mr.. Skare
took up farming On a small scae
and came to be recognized as an ex-
pert III agricultural work. His gar.
dens at Melrose and Jc7ins0nyille
we're models of perfection and made
so through his relentless warfare on
weeds.
The deceased was member OF st.
Monica's Church OF Johnsonville. He
was also a member of the local
branch CT the Order of Railway Con
ductors. the New York and New Eng
land Association Of Veteran RIA flroaf
Employees and OF Ilium Tent knights
of the Macabees OF Troy His was
aways a CHEEKY dispos ton alic he
was never more .'appy than when
he could aid Others To the men on
the railroad he was known as "Fa-
ther" Skane and every day as scores
OF trains passed his home It was
customary ;or the men on them to
shout a word Of greeting to the Ia
miliar figure OF their former fellow
employe. These greetings we're a.
ways cleerfully responded to by the
veteran IA broader.