The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 8, 1903
Hard Work For Railroad Boys
Operating Trains in Heavy Winds is Not Child’s Play
Must Endure Hardships
Storm of Tuesday Night Said by Railroad Men to Be One of the Worst on Record.
The severe weather during the past few days and nights had made the lot of a railroad man one not to be envied. Trainmen say that Tuesay night’s storm was one or (sic) the severest on record. The wind was terrific and running a train in such a gale is almost as hard as navigating a ship on a storm tossed sea. It costs much more to operate a train in stormy weather, as the tonnage must be greatly reduced. On Tuesday night the tonnage was reduced from 25 to 33 per cent on many trains and even then few trains were able to arrive on time. Telegraph communication is usually bad in such storm weather and this also adds to the railroad man’s woes.
Hurrying along the top of a slippery box car is a dangerous as well as unpleasant job, yet this work must be done by the trainmen, rain or shine. Running an engine when the wind is blowing forty miles and with a blinding snow storm in his face is something that engineers do these days.
The lot of the railroad boys at times such as this is not to be envied, and the men who work uncomplainingly under the most unfavorable conditions to bring their trains in on time, or as nearly so as possible, are entitled to the credit justly due them for their brave ght (sic – should be fight?) against odds.
Tags: 1903
The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 8, 1903
Family Trouble Up in Court
Herman Schmidt Blames His Father-in-Law
Mayor Sides With Herman
Curtain Falls upon a Watery scene. Human Baracade (sic) at Wolf’s Barber Shop.
Herman Schmidt, with tears in his eyes, declared to Mayor Bennett this this (sic) morning, that he is a barber by trade and that he had never been in jail before. He laid the blame for his being in jail at all upon his father-in-law, who, he said, had stirred up discord between himself and wife. Schmidt was arrested on Wednesday night for being drunk and disorderly, the more specific charge being that he was abusing his family. His Honor was impressed with the apparent honesty of his story and discharged him, at the same time warning his father-in-law to let Schmidt and his wife alone.
A little tailor whose name did not appear on the police docket, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon, while forming a human barriacde (sic) at the front door of Fred Wolf’s barber shop. He had fallen across the door in such a manner that those inside could not open it, and he himself was quite beyond moving. Marshal Larson picked him up and cared for him till he was able to navigate, and then set him at liberty, retaining, however, a large fat bottle of good old forty-rod whisky (sic), which he found on his person.
Tags: 1903, Bennett, Larson, Schmidt, wolf
