Reminiscences of a Raconteur, Between the '40s and the '20sHam, George H. (George Henry)
History
Reminiscences of a Raconteur, Between the '40s and the '20s
Ham, George H. (George Henry)
Canada; Ham, George H. (George Henry), 1847-1926; Journalists -- Canada -- Biography
An old-timer was W. H. Kelson, who was general storekeeper from 1882 to
1904, and Jimmy Callaghan, who was with the company from 1886 to his
death in 1912, and L. A. Genest, general storekeeper at Winnipeg, have
departed this life. Geo. W. Henry was in the treasurer’s department for
many years. His father was one of the officers who guarded Napoleon
during his captivity at Elba.
Bob Morris, the general baggage agent at Montreal, Joe Heffernan, of
Guelph; Joe Milward, of the freight department, who was killed in a
bicycle accident at Boston, were connected with the Company for years.
George Duncan, of Ottawa, who came with the company when a boy,
represented the C.P.R. at Ottawa for many years until his death. We all
remember Major Lydon, who formed the famed Highland Cadets, and who
still insisted on working after being pensioned.
* * * * *
Memory also recalls Wm. Harder, of Winnipeg; John H. McTavish, the first
land commissioner, and Alex. Begg, his assistant, W. Skead, and R. G.
Barnwell, of the tie department, J. D. Farrell, now president of the
Oregon Railway and Navigation Co., and Dan O’Leary, who constructed
bridges, Supt. Con. Shields and Wm. Brown, brother of Davy, John Niblock
and J. R. Cameron, T. J. Lynskey, the first one, Al. Percival and Jack
Landers, old-time conductors, and of engineer Dick Smith, Allan McNab,
one of the pioneer locomotive engineers of the mountains, Jim Brownlee
and Jim Stewart, who ran old “69.”
* * * * *
Conductor Harry Hall, after many years of conducting trains, became the
representative of the labor interests at Ottawa. Peter Stewart passed
away after many years of service, and so did Dad Clarke, who switched at
the Toronto terminals. Another Dad Clarke—its wonderful how long they
were affectionately called “Dad”—was for a long time in the purchasing
department and died as the result of an accident at Ottawa several years
ago.
* * * * *
Conductors James Ferris, John Forrester, A. St. Germain and Ed. Barnes,
all veterans, have passed away.
* * * * *
And who can ever forget Charlie Panzer, the roadmaster; old Gideon
Swain, who bossed the Winnipeg station for years; Hampton, of the
Windsor Station, who used words as big as the side of a house, and that
dear old friend of everybody—Constable Richards, now guarding the
pearly gates in the other world?
Officials Honored by King.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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