This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
George
W. Webb
1852 - 1934
1923
(Picture George W. Webb)
GEORGE W. WEBB Passed That Mark
With the Chicago, Milwaukee &
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS in Watertown
Forty-eight years
continuous railway service with the Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad is a record in which Station Agent George
W. Webb takes much pride. It is a record
of service equaled by few if any men now in the employee of this company and
from Mr. Webb’s appearance today there is little doubt but that he will
continue for several years to come as he’s as hale and hearty as he was
thirty-four years ago, when he succeeded the late Jonas
Sleeper as agent at Watertown and Watertown Junction, with supervision as
well over freight and switching yards.
It was on
It was through A.
J. Earling, until recently president of the road, then train dispatcher of the
division, that Mr. Webb got his first connection with the road. He was put at work “learning the key” and it
was not long until he had mastered it, and was a full fledged operator. For a couple of years Mr. Webb worked at
various stations along the line, as far east as Milwaukee and as far west as La
Crosse, finally being assigned to a regular “trick” at Watertown Junction. At
that time the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad was well named. The map of the road of that period trims down
the big 10,000 mile system one-tenth.
“North to Minneapolis, west to Glencoe on the H. and D. division and to
Algoma on the Prairie du Chien. That’s about all to the north. And south, nothing but the Chicago division,
just built. Never counted it up, but
surely not more than a thousand miles,” says Mr. Webb.
Of all those who
were in active service of the company when Mr. Webb began his railroad career,
but few remain, among them, John J. Moulding, who previous to Mr. Webb’s entry
held the position of clerk to Superintendent C. H. Prior, who at that time
resided in Watertown and the business was done in the same building now used as
a freight office. A. J. Earling, the late president and general manager of the
road had previous to that time resided in Watertown and it was through his
influence that later Mr. Webb entered the local office to learn telegraphy,
which he mastered in four months, when he was assigned as night operator at
Reeseville, going from there to Sparta and La Crosse. He was the first operator stationed at Bridge
Switch after the completion of the new iron bridge across the Mississippi
river. He was then transferred to the
Milwaukee stockyards and then to Watertown Junction. At that time the late Joseph McCabe, a
Watertown boy, was then day operator at the depot. Later he was made night operator at the depot
when the late D. C. Cheney passed, afterwards superintendent, had the day
“trick”. From that position he was
appointed chief clerk under the late Jonas Sleeper and upon the latter’s death
was appointed agent on July 18, 1888, and his long years of service in that
position shows that his capability was recognized by the higher officials.
When Mr. Webb
entered the service the wood burning locomotive was still in use and was named
instead of being numbered. In speaking
of that time Mr. Webb said:
“Of course we had
no air brakes. When the train approached
a station, the whistle blew and brakeman and conductor turned out to set the
hand brakes. The old pin and link system
of coupling was used. It was almost an
everyday occurrence for me to hold some brakie’s hand while the doctor trimmed
up a smashed finger or two.”
“The old wooden
coaches, too. Sure they were funny. But we thought they were fine, and we were
mighty glad to have them. We only wished we had more. When we made up a train
for a Sunday school excursion there were always as many box cars with board
benches for seats as there were coaches.
And the box cars weren’t like those we haul now. A ten-ton car was a big one. Twenty thousand pounds was the top load. Now these big steel gondolas and steel
trussed box cars that carry from 80,000 to 100,000 pounds, even 110,000 pounds
if we load ten per cent over nominal capacity as we are allowed to do, carry as
much, as half a dozen of those cars of the ‘70’s.”
Came Here a Baby
Mr. Webb came to
Watertown as a baby two years old with his parents. He was born in Conesius, Livingston County,
New York,
Mr. Webb was
united in marriage with Lillian L. Gibbs, of Eldora, Iowa,
In speaking of
former days, Mr. Webb recalls that when a boy horses were so scarce that when a
new team reached the city there was a rush to see the animals. Oxen were the methods employed to do the farm
work and for transportation, a great change to the automobile of the present
day. He also recalls that when horses
became more plentiful after the Civil war that a half mile track was built on
what is known now as Duffy’s pasture across the way from St. Mary’s hospital,
where races were held at intervals. But
few of the present day can recall these events and live over again the life and
conditions of that period.
Is buried
in Oak Hill Cemetery
Webb,
George W., b. 1852, d. 1934, Sec 19
