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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
