Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1921-09-22
NEWS LETTER.


Crops are in fair condition, taking
an average Of the territory served BY
the Illinois Genital lines, accoding to q
survey in the September Illinois Gem
trial Magazine. Realizing that PROS
perity depends largely on crops and
deeming the situation Of the Illinois
Central System, in fourteen states of
the Mississippi Valley. Of considerable
Importance, the magazine took poll
Of the division superintendent re-
garding conditions in their territories.
Corn, geneally speaking, is in fine
condition and promises record yield,
cotton is in good condition, although
the acreage has been reduced; wheat
turned out about as we'll as usual;
oats suffered; tobacco acreage was
smaller; fruit was damaged severely
by spring frosts; truck gardening has
been very successful; rice acreage has
decreased in favor Of sugar cane in the
South; livestock farming is finding
increasing favor.
Every officer and employee on the
Illinois Central system is making spe-
| cial efforts this month to assist in the
conservation of coal. The road hopes
to consume 20 per cent less coal per
unit of service in September than in
| any other September in its history
What this will mean, if accomplished,
may be understood when it is realized
that the coal bill is the biggest item
of railway expenses, next to the pay
roll. The Illinois Central Magazine
for September gives a summary of
views on coal saving from a vice.
president, a general superintendent of
motive power, a fireman and stenOg
rapher, with stories of individual ex-
amples and directions outlined for
employees of all classifications.
| One example quoted is that of Will
| liam Stark, fireman on the Illinois
division, who not only is coal saver,
but has yet to draw his first scoop
from the storehouse. When he en-
tered the service more than four years
ago, he obtained SCOOP from the
engineer with whom he was assigned
to duty. The army took him away
from the railway service and when he
returned he found his scoop in the
place where he had cached it. It's a
small one, and he is said to use it
sparingly.
The Minnesota division of the Illi-
nois Central system, with headquar-
tiers at Dubuque, Iowa, is believed to
have group of the oldest employees
still in active service on the system.
"reminiscences of five of them are
printed in the September issue of the
Illinois Central Magazine. R. O..
Pease. yatchman at Waterloo, Iowa,
heads the list with Sc years and
month of service. He is believed to
hold the record for the system. Fol-
lowing him are: j. H. Quinlan, con-
ductor, Dubuque, 81 years 8 months;
William Adrian, boilermaker. Water
loo, 81 years 2 months; T. j. Quin-
Ian, conductor, Dubuque, 48 years 8
months. and Fred H. Spohr, section
foreman, Waverly, Iowa. Al years 4
months. The Quinlans are brothers.
The railroads of the country use far
more water, by volume, than any other
one commodity, according to C. R.
Knowles, superintendent of water
service on the Illinois Central System,
in an article in the Illinois Central
Magazine for September. In 1920 the
Illinois Central System used $780,
$4,000 gallons. More than 12,000,-
000,0O gallons were for locomotive
purposes. This water must be sup
piled at 1924 points on more than 5000
miles of line.
/ Four section foremen of the Spring
field division have been in the sew