Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1949-06-24
DARLISON GETS MORE KONORS
DURING new YORK CITY VISIT

They made a movie when Mr..
Smith went to Washington, and
another when Mr. Deeds went to
town.
Probably nothing so dramatic
will come Of the fact that Thomas
DarliSon, of Port Clinton, went to
New York City. But Mr.. Darli-
son, who will be 90 years old next
month, has brought back from his
trip memories that no camera
could ever have registered just
right on film.
Mr.. Darlison, a retired railroad
employee who's lived in Port Clin-
ton for rs years, made the local
headlines in April, when it be-
came known that he'd exceeded the
life span covered by the mortality
table. He'd become the benefici-
airy of his own life insurance poll
cies and was entitled to collect
the proceeds of two contracts he
owned in The Mutual Life Insur-
ance Company of New York.
Tom Darlison had been railroad
ing in and around Port Clinton for
half a century until he retired in
1923. But he'd found time for
at least one visit to New York
City. That was 40 years ago,
however. Seemed about time to
make another call, Mr.. Darlison
thought, especially since he had
a bright looking Gold Pass issued
to him by the New York Central
Railroad, his former employer,
upon his retirement. The pass
entities him to transportation any
where in the country.
Making the trip East with Mr..
Darlison were his grandson and
his wife, Mr.. and Mrs. George
Wolf. Mr.. Wolf is research
chemist in Wyandotte, Mich, and
he and his wife were headed for
New York on combination bust
ness and pleasure trip.
When Mr.. Darlison flashed his
pass to the New York Central
conductor, word got around that
the old timer was aboard and pas
sengers soon gathered around to
serenade him with when You
We're Sweet Sixteen" and sother
nostalgia tunes of days gone by.
The veteran railroad man took
the trip in stride, the VOLTS re-
ported, although even they were
bit startled when Mr.. Darlison
suggested spryly he'd just as soon
prefer the upper berth to the low
Ell. &.
Mr.. Darlison arrived in New
York in time for q special event.
Halt a mile away from the Com
modore Hotel where he and the
VOLTS were staying, a new 25-
story building was under construc-
tion. 1t was the new home office
for Mr.. Darlison's insurance COM
pany, The Mutual Life of New
York. The site was on Broadway
a; 55th Street.
Ground was broken last Octo-
Der. The excavating, ranging
from 20 to 40 feet deep, was COM
pleted and tho foundation laid.
Mr.. Darlison was just in time to
see the first steel column rise. He
watched some of the proceedings
through portfolio on 55th Street.
one of the 45 observation posts set
into the special fence the company
has built around the site to ac-
commodate sidewalk superintend-
ents. Mr.. Darlison noted there
were even special portfolios d cozy
foot or so above the sidewalk
for curious canines," and others
for cats only" He took note
also of the friendly invitations
around this fence for passersby to
"come and take look" and to
watch us work. Mr.. Darlison
accepted the invitation eagerly,
even ventured inside the fence to
a ledge where he could get
better look at what was happen
ing in the pit below.
So it was that Mr.. Darlison be-
came the newest addition to the
Mutual Life's Sidewalk Superin-
tendents Club and its oldest re-
corded member. He was promptly
titled "Chief Superintendent En-
eritus."
Following his Broadway sight
seeing, Mr.. Darlison TAXED down.
town where he and Mrs. Wolf
were luncheon guests at the insur-
ance company's present quarters
at 81 Nassau Street, a 68-year-oid
building just two blocks off Wal!
Street. Playing hosts at the lun-
cheon were several Of the COM
pany's officers, including Leigh
Cruess, vice president and chief
actuary, and Willard T. Johns,
secretary. Mr.. Johns joined The
Mutual Life in 1909, the year that
Mr.. Darlison purchased his first
policy with the company. During
the luncheon, Louis w. Dawson,
executive vice president and the
company's chief executive officer,
and Clifford B. Reeves, vice presi-
dent in charge of public relations.
dropped in to meet the nonagenar-
ioy, fro,o Dox-+ Tl:-4a