Louis,
Yes, I knew Elsie very well. On my first day as Trainmaster Aurora,
she came to work for me (also her first day in Aurora) as a combination
secretary/personnel clerk. It was a new job established on that day to
give me a hand with all the paperwork involved in hiring new Brakemen, which
we were desperately short of in those years, due to the draft for the Viet Nam
War taking so many people, plus our wages not being competitive at that time
with those paid by the big factories in the area. .
We hired literally dozens of people in a short time.
Elsie was a hard worker, very loyal and conscientious. Her
previous job had been in the office at the Clyde Diesel Shop.
I was transferred out of Aurora in a few months but returned in a year or
so as Asst. Supt. During that time she married Jimmie Morsch, a
Brakeman. I can't remember if he still had his Conductor's rights at
that time, or had given them up so he could work a regular job as a Brakeman
or Collector on the dinkies or other passenger jobs.
Elsie was a fine person, and it is wonderful of her to have taken time to
write these memoirs of her early days on the railroad. I wonder what job
she was working at the time she retired.
Van Nortwick was a classic, old school mechanical officer. After he
set me straight on how he did railroad business, Van and I got along
well. At first, he would not even recognize that people on such
lowly positions as Trainmaster even existed.
Like so many loyal old-timers, Van was not enthralled with the
merger. In the early 1970's an officer of the former GN was sent to
Chicago to be on Van's staff. Van never even spoke to him for the first
six months. At that time, they had a big run-in on some routine
mechanical matter which forced Van to talk to him. even though he had no use
for the GN guy. With that interaction, they came to understand each
other,and they got along well after that. The GN guy (Tom Kotnour)
became the System CMO-Cars in later years.
Thanks for passing this item along.
Earl
From: LZadnichek@aol.com
To:
ejcurrie@comcast.net
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2014 10:24:53
AM
Subject: CB&Q Clerk
February 27, 2014
Earl - Do you remember Elsie Morsch who was hired on in the mid-1960s as
clerk to J.R. VanNortwick, master mechanic, Chicago Division? Good
recollection from her below about Mr. VanNortwick who was good friends with my
Dad. Best Regards - Louis
From: klinerarch@charter.net
To: lzadnichek@aol.com
Sent: 2/26/2014
4:44:51 P.M. Central Standard Time
Subj: CB&Q clerk
Louis, Hope you enjoy this letter from Elsie Morsch
written to her
fellow employees when she retired in November of
2003. I can relate
to this era of railroading as I am sure
you too had a close look at
it. Best Archie
