The May, 1958 Palimpsest (Official Iowa His. Soc. publication) was devoted
entirely to Harry (born on a farm 5 mi. SW of Kellerton). Well worth buying
@ a flea market or antique shop as has map of Q lines in S. Ia & N. Mo on
back cover and photos of 4 Q depots he worked at as a young "lightning
slinger" (Barrtlett, Kellerton, Leon & Shambaugh) before becoming a
prominent RR author & working for SP/PE. One also learns why one side of
the loop from Giles to Albany was the "dirty side" and the other the
"straight side". Speaking of the loop, the abandonment of one side in "44
was a major national precedent-setting abandonment & was often referred to
byother RR attys when seeking abandonments. In fact some RR histories
point to it as the beginning of the 'modern era' of abandonments.
And of course Harry wasn't the only famous person to start on the Q - there
were also Sears (of Roebuck fame) and Fred Harvey not to mention the
inspiration given poetess Willa Cather (featured on a stamp a yr or 2 back)
who was inspired by the Q for several of her works.
OF course Bulrington fans are not surprised by such happenings via the
Cheaper, Better & Quicker! Gerald Edgar
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