The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-26
Anniversary of First Passenger
Train Run October 10.
Plan Imposing Events at Chi-
eago Headquarters of Road.
PENSIONERS TO Be GUESTS
Old Employees of the Road Hon.
0red at a Formal Luncheon.
Local Club WIN observe the
Day at Meeting.

celebrated by the ROCK ISfanu fah-
road system on october 10. the
SEVENTEEN Anniversary Of the oper-
alton of its first passenger train.
which ran from Chicago to Joliet,
then the terminus of the railroad, on
October TO- 7s52.
The principal observance Of the day
will take place at Chicago, but local
celebrations win be staged in all the
principal cities. on the ROCK Island
lines. with events OF mors than local
Importance at several points. The
committee on arrangements. APP
pointed by the general staff in
Chicago, consists of L. NJ. Allen, vice
president and passenger traffic
manager Hal s. Ray, assistant to the
president; and w. e. BabB, associate
editor of the Rock Island magazine.
The event around which the SYSTEM
wide celebration will center will be
the ''Roek Island Night radio
program, to be broadcasted from
Chicago over the Westinghouse send
ing station in the Commonwealth
Edison Building This program will
be featured by addresses by Charles
Hayden, chairman of the board of
directors, ana J. z. German, president
of the road, and by several musical
numbers. Employees clubs, and COM
mercial associations in the various
cities on the system will meet on that
evening, equipped with radio receiv-
ing sets, and tune in" for the
program. 1t is expected that the
attendance at t-lese meetings will total
many thousands. Carl Nyquist, vice
president. secretary and treasurer of
the Rock Island Lines, is in charge
of this feature OF the celebration.
To Re-enact First Passenger Run.
ChiRa on rnn of NnAHfal
features are on the program for the
day. The first will be a re-enact-
ment OF the first run of the original
PASSENGER train to Joliet, which left
Anniversary run" will be represented
by the Rocky Mountain Limited,
which will leave at 10 A. M on
October 10, and make the run to
Joliet, where a special stop will be
made for the occasion. Chairman
Hayden will be at the throttle Of the
engine when the train pulls out of
Chicago.
A luncheon will be- given to the
members of the Rock Island Roll
of Honor and their wives at noon
of the same day. The luncheon will
be preceded by an automobile parade
around the loop, headed by band
and escort of mounted police. In
the automobiles will be- all the prin-
cipal officers of the railroad who are
able to be in Chicago that day, and
pensioned employees in the order
of their years of service. President
German ana other officials will speak
at the luncheon and a representative
of the retired employees will respond.
At Joliet a monument to 8. B. Reed,
who surveyed the line for the Rock
Island into Chicago. will be unveiled.
Another similar celebration will be
held at Rock Island, where the United
States government will place q bronze
tablet on pier OF the first railroad
bridge built across the Mississippi
River. The bridge has long since
viving pier was forgotten until dis
covered q few years ago by Charles
Davis, the first Rock Island engineer
to run train in Iowa. He was the
first pensioner of the railroad, and in
his ranbles about Rock Island after
his retirement located the old pier.
It was restored by army officers at
the arsenal, on whose grounds it
stands.
Memorial trees will be planted al
seventy points of historic interest on
the road. Tablets commemorating
the particular. incident of Importance
of these points will also be erected.
This program has the cooperation of
the American Forestry association and
various agricultural colleges in the
several states which the road traverses.
Cleaning Up the Road
A general cleanup campaign" IS
now under way all over the Rock
Island System, with the idea of hav-
and span on the anniversary day as
is possible to make 1t. "A ''No-Ac-
cident No-Ffre" Day is also being
arranged.
articles and photographs dealing with
the development of the railroad
from a short forty-1nile stretch be-
tween Joliet and Chicago to its pres
ent mileage of S,24O will be installed
in the LaSal1e Street Station on
October 10. Officers and employees
of the road have already furnished
the celebration committee with hum
dreds OF photographs, many or which
date back almost seventy years, and
these are now being classified.
All passenger engines will be dec
GRATED with American flags on the !
day, and a special en- |
blem is also being prepared which |
and other company buildings. The
dining car menus and other 1ftera-
ture will also make special mention /
OF the observance.
The local Rock Island club, made |
up of employees of the system at /
this point, is making tentative plans |
for the observance of the day. The |
dining room at the Chamber of Com 1
merce has been engaged for a meeting /
Of the club on the night Of October /
10.
A definite program for the eele- I
bration of the Topeka club has not |
yet been completed, however. There /
are several pensioners OF the system L
in Topeka, some Of whom may attend |
the luncheon and celebration in Chi
cago.
L A. Whittemore Of Salina, who /
has been retired on pension from the !
service OF the company for the past
several years, will be one Kansas
- - f.t i