website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
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
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin