The Lincoln Railfan's Monthly Newsletter carries a FIFTY YEARS AGO column.
Here's a portion of it: "The March 2nd Star (now Lincoln Journal Star..daily
paper) reported another shuffling of Burlington Officialdom. L.L. Smith,
General Superintendent in Lincoln, announced G.L. Griggs (Jr) assistant
Superintendent in Wymore since 1952 would become assistant superintendent in
Lincoln, succeeding J.E.Hamer, who took a similar post in Centrailia, Ill.
H.A. Benedetto, assistant to the general manager in Omaha, would become
superintendent of the St. Joseph Division, succeeding A.R. Harris, who'd be
the new superintendent at Alliance. A.E. Way, assistant superintendent at
Centralia, would become assistant to the general manager in Omaha. E.R.
Shrader, Alliance and Sterling Divisions superintendent, would lead the
Hdannibal Division."
You know you are really getting "past prime" when you know every name in the
fifty year ago columns and none in current news.
G.L. Griggs (Jr) was Asst. Supt. for the Lincoln Division when I hired out
here summer 1956....My grandfather knew both him and his father G.L. Griggs
Sr. (See photo at bottom of page 36, BB 35 showing both men...G.L. Jr. was a
Roadmaster and G.L. Sr was Division Supt...no rule against nepotism in those
days...)..My GF took me to the Supt's office here in Lincoln, introduced me
to G.L. Jr and arranged for me to be hired as a brakeman that summer. G.L.
(Jr.) retired on disability (I heard that there was a little more to it than
that) about a year later. I last saw him in Alliance NE summer 1957 when my
GF and I were making a trip to Sheridan WY. Jr. was living with his father in
law...Fred Harris, who was a banker of some note in Alliance.
L.L. (Silent) Smith was also a friend of my GF....I never met him, but heard
lots of stories about him. J.E. Hamer is a very familiar name...H. A.
Benedetto (mentioned by Leo in some of his BRT tales) was Supt. at St. Joe
summer 1953 when No. 72 rear ended local extra at Corning, MO. I have color
movies of Henry strolling around the wreck scene complete with official
attire of the day.....white shirt, hat and cigar...he also possessed the ever
present protruding stomach of most operating officials. A.R. Harris, A.E.
Way and E.R. Shrader were all Supts at St. Joe during my growing up years....
John M...did you know Griggs, Sr. or Jr.???
Also in perusing BB 35, and the section on the Coal Traffic Department....I
see some familiar names, but I don't see R.B. Battey, who, seems to me was
Coal Traffic Manager at some time within my memory....I remember once being
in Chicago with my GF and Battey taking us to lunch in one of the Union
Station Restaurants...He was a very "portly" man as I recall...His brother
C.Wheaton Battey was president of one of the banks here in Lincoln at one
time.
Pete
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