Newspapers / Hot Off the Hoover … / May 1, 1943, edition 1 / Page 15
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'flililiE OF THE "LC1'IG-TEjIEE?S" thr.t served together for rarjny yonrs vrere ZcUy Riviere, engineer from I903 to 1917 j "STICIC" ELLIOTT novv retired, hc.ving vrorkod for 3A yer.rs ctpxting out cs brrJceman, later became firomrji rxid' somotimos served as rui extra engineorj also JOHJI lATTBdORE, the train conductor, who started with the road about 1903 and retired in the early part of the last deca.de, TSie tales of "Uncle Johnnj'- Lattimore" \vould fill a book the length of "Gone ^7ith the ?/ind"—^he took great de lict in e^ressing his contempt for such things a music, ball grjnes, and automobiles, and we know, if he ;yero here' today, it ivould be of great interest (to men only) to hear him express his unqutilfied disapproval of the discontinuation of the train in favor of those "dnmn motor trucks.” "Uncle Johnny" had many pet dislikes, but among some of the few things he loved were hio corn-cob pipe nnd his beloved little train, Vi/hen the "three musketeers," above-mentioned, were young in service, it becfune necessary to replace the tvjo v/ood-burner engines with a heavier locomotive, and after some dickerin'. No, 1 aiid No, 2 were traded in for the THREE SPOT-~a second-hand. Camel bad: tj-pe, v;ith a six v/heel drive; that was the road»s first coal-4)urner, but it was unsatisfactory because of its daily habit of jumping the track. This brought about the purchase of two spanldn' ne\v engines, built by the Vulcan Locomotive Works, replete with ei^t-whuol drivers, airbrakes end all the latest fixings, and knovm as No. 4 nnd 5. MAJOR SCHIiiNCK v/as on hand when No, A rj*rived in Shelby on two flat cars, her engine on one car rnd her tender on mother. He expressed his satis faction and pride, by exclaiming, "Dog-thundcr, but isn’t she a monster?" SEMI-ANNUALLY, an excursion train was made up to accommodate the crowds from Lavm- dale and Upper Cleveland ivho wished to attend the "Hoey contest" and take in the annual circus. Piedmont high school, which was then a boarding school, always drew capacity crovjds too on the little train when they had commencement exercies, which always lasted a full week. At times like those, when the coaches and summer cars ;vore- filled, the problem of taking care of the "over-flov?" was solved by hooking on several empty box-cars with improvised scats of cross-ties, and everybody was com pletely and gloriously happy. MANY PBDPLE CAME TO LAV/MDALS to see their first train and ifere not fazed by its dwarf-liko proportions, but on the other hand v/oro greatly inpressed by its "immense" size. The story gous, that in themrly days an overg own lad from the vicinity of "Three Corners," who had hover traveled beyond a three milo radius of his home, crjne vdth his father to Lawndale and was so impressed with the trrdn that he couldn't re sist the opportunity of malcing the trip to Lawndale, an historical event in his lifej ho bought a round-trip ticket to Shelby raid as he alighted from the train that srune evening, with an nmazed expression on his face, his father was heard to ask, "Y/ell son, v/hat all did you see?" The travel v/eary boy replied, "Well, pap, if the vrorld’s as big up towards Morganton v;ay, as it is down yonder to Shelby—she sho* is a whopper, ZOLLY RIVIERE gave up the job as engineer about 1917 rnd v;as replaced by B.B. TOLSON who operated the train until his death in 19A1. B.B, as' he v?as affectionately knov/n by his countless friends was succeeded by ODIS ROYSTER who made the last run on April 30th. THE DAYS ARE GCflE when the engineers of the little road vd.ll be subjected to humilat- ing and be-littling comments by interested onlookers and v;ould-be hecklersj even the youngsters often made their faces turn red, like the time v;hen the little freckle faced kid at the Seaboard junction sidled up to B.B TJJIBON, and asked, "Mister, when you get through with that thing, can I play with it av;hile, can I please?" THE TRAIN CREW of the Seaboard railivay also enjoyed taking an occasional "crack" at our little train. One day the "Junior-Mi:^" vfas stnnding by at the junction, waiting a pass-order from the Seaborj^d freight, so she could continue her run into Shelby on main-track, made possible by a third rail. The Big Freight did not have orders to stop, but she pulled up-cny^/ay, the ongineor leaned out of the window of his cab end 3’-el.led to ZoUy Riviere, "Hoy, I haven't got all day, so if you want that thing to 'suck', bring her alongside and b€ quick about it," THEH THERE IS THE STORY of the old codgcr from "tother" side of Ben's Knob who walked up to the train crew one day and pushing his hat on the back of his head, »lovred as how, "I've alius heo»rd of Schenck's Dummy, but never seed it before"; then calmly placing his "chmv ter-backer" where his jaw teeth should have been, he proceeded to •t_on next nnbe^
Hot Off the Hoover Rail
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May 1, 1943, edition 1
15
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