The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-04-14
PLANT MEMORIAL
TREES IS PLANNED
ROCK ISLAND LINES TO
CELEBRATE BIRTHDAY
Seventy Fifth Anniversary Run
ming First Train From Chicago
To Joliet Will Be Observed
Days of Early Railroading In
the West Will Be Recalled.

Chicago, April 10.-Day of west
ern railroading when the west was
young will be marked by memorial
tree planting this year by the Rock
Island Lines during a celebration of
the SEVENTEEN anniversary of the
running of the first train from Chi
cago to Joliet. That was in October,
1852, and things in a transportation
way have changed since the day
when the passengers gladly got out
and helped the crew load new sup
ply of coal or wood.
Plans worked out by the Agricul-
tural Department of the railroad and
provides for the planting of these
memorial trees in connection with
the town and station Identification
campaign the road has inaugurated.
The anniversary celebration by
the Rock Island will be inaugurated
with the planting OF memorial trees
first at the division points such as
Chicago, Little Rock, Ell Reno, Dav-
export, Des Moines, Omaha. Denver,
st. Paul, Kansas City and Mime
apolis There will be seventy trees
planted at Chicago to typify the
number of years the road has been
in operation in Illinois. At Ell Reno,
Okla, thirty three trees will be
planted because of the years the
road has been in operation in that
state. There will be thirty four
trees on the Kansas division; six
ty- nine trees on the Iowa division;
and fifty trees on the Missouri di-
- .-sN NJ a
smaller tow ms will take up the work
will register the trees on its nation
al honor roll.
The Old Silver Engine
"Old timers" who remember III"
America" the old silver engine.
No. 100, have been asked to notify
the Rock Island Lines for there will
be a place for them in the celebra-
ton program. Little Mary Quad,
the first woman passenger on the
Rock Island who saw the division to
Joliet completed in 1852, would have
had the place of honor but she died
a short time ago. AS a girl she car
lied lunch to her brother. construc-
ton foreman. and played along the
tracks when the line was built. On
the day the first train moved out OF
Chicago. PRECEDENT Farman lifted her
up beside him and she made the trip
as the first woman passenger" AT
Joliet where the big dinner was
served she sat next to the n~egident
of the road. Tho Cuai1s hid moved
from Kenosha. Wis. so that her
brother could do the construction
work.
No. 1C9 hid u"iq''" hi-tory.
- I . i,y,,
Works ut Patar+n1. N " = boiler
steam chest. dare and s-'n' = "'t,.N
were covered wit a thin :'''0et o.
German silver NJ. 100 80.
hibited at the Worlds Fair in Paris
in 1867. John F. Lacey, onor Inal
and engineer of Chicago, now retir-
ed, orce helped to polish old 109 as
one Of his first duties with the road
Lacey is the engineer, who in fifty
two years of service travelled more
than ninety five times the distance
around the world and never had an
accident. He is one of the seven
who planted a tree in the Honor
Row at Midlothian, ILL.,, each having
been in the service fifty years or
more.
When the silver engine was
brought to Chicago it was sensa
ton. The engine arrived in May
1869 at the La Sale Street station
the second structure to be built al
La Sale and Van Buren, streets. On
the Fourth of July of that year be-
decked with ribbons and polished
until she glistened, No. 10S pulled
out of the station with special
train Of seven cars headed for Coun.
Gil Bluffs, the road to which had
just been completed.
Guests Crowded Train
Officials and their guests crowd.
ed the train and thousands lined the
right of way to see "the silver en-
CINE" that had been to Paris. +
every town of any size there were
brass bands, parades and speecI
making. At Colona, ILL.,, the fue
gave out so President Tracy, with
members OF the board of directors
aided by townspeople turned in and
loaded the tender with wood. The
fire boxes in those days were made
to burn eithe rwood or coal. There
was a stopover of one night at Dav.
, export for two reasons One was tc
let the passengers get little rest
from the continual celebration and
the other was to give night force
an opportunity to polish the engine
again, for thousands OF hands hao
ruined the lustre on 100, so anxious
were the owners of the hands to see
if it was german silver.
After several years of service 10s
found its way to the junk man after
pumping water for florist for some
years and helping to heat his green
house. Old 100 is gone but hel
story will be told anew in the sew
entieth anniversary celebration of the
pioneer days of railroading.