Leo and list
One story always shakes another one loose somewhere...In this case it was
Leo's reference to his GRIP.
I maintain that you can determine a railroader's vintage...approximately
when he hired out by how he refers to the vessel he uses to transport his
impedementia...(That's his "stuff" for you non military types)....ie his change
of
underwear (in some cases), Timetable, a jacket perhaps and in Leo's case
(by his own admission) a copy of THE SCHEDULE, shaving equipment and soap (in
some cases) and various and sundry other items.
Up until about 1960 or perhaps a bit later it was always THE GRIP....I don't
know exactly when things changed, but as I occasionally observe train and
engine crews boarding and de boarding the Armadillo Vans here in Lincoln I
don't
recall seeing a single GRIP in recent years...It's usually a duffle bag or
canvas type suitcase...even, on occasion...horror of horrors a plastic grocery
bag.
"Back in the Days" a railroader always carried some form of what I would
call a Gladstone Bag..kind of what today would be called a "carry on
bag"...fairly,small and which opened with its "mouth' full length the long way
across
the top. When opened all of the contents were available through the mouth
(with a certain amount of "rummaging" to get to the bottom).
I think, based on my own memories, and observation that most "traveling men"
in days gone by would refer to their luggage as a grip. I offer as an
example President Harry S Truman, contemporary (just three years younger and
cut
from the same bolt of cloth as my Grandfather).
Shortly after Mr. Truman completed his presidency and returned to his home
in Independence, MO he was being interviewed by a reporter from one of the
Kansas City newspapers. In the usual fashion of newspaper reporters, then and
now, to ask the most inane and meaningless questions they could think of, the
reporter posed this question to the former president of the United States.
Mr. President, what was the first thing you did when you returned home to
Independence? Mr. Truman replied, strictly in character...." I carried the
GRIPS up to the attic"....This material was taken from one of the president's
biographies....Perhaps the best one, in my opinion TRUMAN by David
McCullough..before someone descends on me for historical inaccuracy it may have
been
another of the several I've read.
In relating this same incident another biographer reported Mr. Truman as
saying...."I carried the SUITCASES up to the attic....What do you think he
REALLY said? Probably the writer didn't know what a GRIP was and, as usual,
applied his own interpretation.
Some of us TRAINEES in the early 1960's on the Rock Island...Used to joke
about the full complement of equipment for the railroad officer being...Hat
(fedora type), flashlight, pad of "clip", BTW...who knows what "Clip" was??
(let's have some answers), Timetable, Cigar and GRIP....When you had these
items
you were ready to "ride a train", expedite the mail, make tests or whatever
else the mission was.
Let's hear from some of you on CLIP.
Pete
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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