|
Better be careful with the timebooks and calendars...You could let a gang of ugly facts get in the way of a good story.
I think it was Mark Twain who said..."Points for verity don't count as much as points for style"...I've always tried to follow that adage.
For many years we had a Professor of Classics from the University of Nebraska in our local Lincoln Railfans Club..In fact he was a member when I was a member at the time I was at the U in the mid 50's.
One evening he cornered me and said something to the effect that he enjoyed the writing I did for our local newsletter.
He commented.."You must have a really good memory to remember all those things"...I said yes I do, but if I can't remember something "I just make it up"...
HIs reply...'I suspected that, but that's the mark of a good writer"....I took that as the highest of praise coming from someone with his credentials.
Pete
-----Original Message----- From: qutlx1 <qutlx1@aol.com> To: cbq <cbq@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tue, Jan 29, 2013 3:36 pm Subject: [CBQ] Story Posts-My Bell Louis,
I have a Q bell that came directly through the GOB at 547 W Jackson in Chicago or from 14th st. Here's the true facts of how I came to possess my bell in the same condition that it came off the loco.and some history about the orginal owner after the Q. Unfortunately I do not know the # of the locomotive it came from.
My great uncle Bill had a 1943 seniority date as a trainman so he worked for years with steam. By the mid to late 50s he had enough seniority to hold baggage runs and the dinkies as a collector. He preferred these over frt. Some on the list,with Chicago roots, will remember Bill as the winter swimmer featured in the Chicago Tribune for his trips to Lake Michigan where he would break the ice and go swimming. Actually he went swimming in the lake every day he had a layover in CUS. Bill was a muscle builder and very health conscious. He had immigrated from Germany where he had been a body builder and gym instructor. That's what he did for a living upon arrival here and worked at Mt Morris travelling back and forth to Aurora on the Q. That's how he told me he decided to go RRing. He thought the passenger trainman had a pretty good thing.
So as steam was being scrapped,Bill had a number of company G.O. office employees on his morning and evening runs. One of whom worked in the stores/purchasing dept., Bill pestered the poor guy, you have to picture this muscle bound German,with his deep accent,standing over a guy in his seat, repeating over and over how badly he wanted a bell day in and day out . He insisted on paying for it,those who knew Bill remember he would have it no other way. So one night after backing in from 14th street yard and opening the doors; Bill was greeted by the purchasing dept fellow carrying a bell which he presented to him. The man suprisingly refused to accept payment. Bill proudly took his bell home. Living in the country on some acres he mounted the bell on a post surrounding his patio. My aunt rang the bell at lunch and dinner to call Bill into the house.
Bill dutifully took the bell down each winter when they went to Mexico and TX and put it back up each spring.
When he passed the bell stayed until my aunt passed and then the executor sold it to me for the princely sum of $300. None of my siblings had the least interest. I want to use it in the same manner Bill did but my better half will not allow "that ugly thing" on our patio so it sits securely tucked away.
It is mounted on a farm dinner bell type swinger rather than the correct hanger and pedestal. If anyone can help me secure the correct attachments please contact me off list.
Oh, one last true historical side bar............. As WWII dragged on Bill decided he had,had enough anti German comments directed at him. His surname was Wohlschanslaglel(not sure I have the spelling correct) so he decided to legally change his name to Wohl. After doing so in the legal system he notfied the Aurora BRT lodge of the change and that's when the trouble started. A few younger guys maintained that since his name had changed Bill should have a new fresh seniority date. It was put to a vote and defeated by cooler heads in the lodge. Talk about characters !
When I made my first passenger trip on 9/27/74 I wore one of his unifrom jackets with full Burlington hardware and hat. I must have been a site for a couple weeks until my uniform was ready ! I have a matched set of Q "airline pilot" Condr and trainman hats that will never be seen on my swap table at the meets that Bill gave me.
Yes, I just found all my old timebooks and yearly note calendars in the attic over the weekend. All these years I've been going from memory on this list,now I have reference material.
Leo
__._,_.___
Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe __,_._,___ |