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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1913)
Sunday PART TWO EDITORIAL PAGES ONE TO TEN PART TWO SOCIETY PAGES ONE TO TEN The Bee VOL. XL11-XU. OMAHA, SUNDAY MOKNJNO, JAN'UAHY 11)11. SINGIJ3 COPY FEVE CENTS. Retired LiSt a Roll of Honor for Many Omaha Men i ii ..I HEN Theodore N. Vail recently an nounced the establishment of a pen sion system for .the American Tele phone and Telegraph company, which includes the Western Union and 13oll telephone employes, some interest was aroused as to how Omaha employes of this nnrl othfir crnat comorntionH hail fjirnil undpr Mm i varying pension plans that have been adopted. It Is known that a number of well known residents of the city have been put on the retired list after many years of faithful service by one or another of tho big concerns that maintain pension rolls. The pension roll Is a roll of honor; it means that the- individual whoso name is kept theroon has been faithful in his employment, efficient in his service and in all ways worthy of the distinction of honorable retirement,!! his days of old age. Some have argued that the', pension roll is a tacit recognition of tho principle that the employe by reason of long and faithful service acquires a nested right In tho business of the concern and that the pension is but the payment due under this interest. Nor-are tha big corporations the only ones who make provision for superannuated. The trades unions have taken up the plan, and at least one, the International Typographical Union, has made provision for members who have reached an age when activity is restricted, providing a pension to be paid to all who have reached the age of 60, and who are unable to continue In remunerative employment at the trade. The Union Paclflo Railroad company furnishes an Illustration of what corporations have come to , regard as a business in the matter of furnishing assistance to the loyal and faithful employes. This railroad company was the first In the west and among the first in the country to pension employes and at this time is carrying upon the payrolls more than 200 men and women, some seventy-five of whom are residing in this city. The others are scattered over the country from ocean to ocean and from Canada down into Mexico. All of them have seen long years 'of service with the "Over land" system and the pension, or reward for ef ficient services, as It is better known, aggregates at this time $7,000 per month and Is constantly Increasing, for Father Time Is constantly astir and bringing the employes up to the line of retirement. With the Union Pacific there is no partiality or preference shown. Upon reaching the age for retirement an ironclad rule Is applied 'and it Is ap plied to each and all. It bears upon presidents and vice presidents the same as upon the man out on the section, though, of course, the amount of tho salary during the years of active employment regulates the monthly pension, or reward for tervluas. October 30, 1902, the board of directors, at their meeting in New York, decided upon u pension plan tc- aid employes who had, or might, reach an age v here they would no longer bo able d till the posi tions held. The plan went Into effect January 1, 1903 aud since then 200 or more i.crsous have beeu Tahricls. A.T Gates benefited thereunder. The pension board Is made up of the officers of the road, tho personnel being: Charles Ware, vice president and general manager of the Union Pacific, chairman. Then there are II. J, Stirling, auditor; N. II. Loomls, general solicitor; R. L. Huntley, chief engineer; C. E. Ful ler, superintendent of motlvo power, and Dr. A. F. Jonas, chief surgeon, the other members. F. C. Bullock, a chief clerk in the auditor's office, is the secretary. The administration of the affairs of the pension department is entirely in the hands of tho members of this board. This board is given power to make rules, determine the eligibility of employes to ro celve pensions, fix the amount of the allowances and prescribe the conditions under which such al lowances may Inure. However, everything done by the board Is subject to the approval of the president of the road, A. L. Mohler. There is no pension for the young man or woman, unless he or she becomes Incapacitated while In the discharge of duty, but when officers or em ployes reach the age of 70 years, regardless of sex, they shall be retired and such of them as have been with the company twenty years, shall be retired on a liberal percentage of their full pay so long as tboy live, for the pension runs until death. With men In the operating department, there is a slight exception mado and the engineers, fire men, bridgemen and roadmusters may bo retired upon reaching the age of 65 years. Regardless of age, male employes who have, been continuously with the company twenty-five or more years and females who have had twenty or more years of employment and have become disabled, may be retired on pension. In order to be retired a physical examination Is required where the person is under 70 years of age. The report on the examination and the recommen dation of the physician goes to the board and there the merits of the case are considered. The monthly allowance on retirement is equal to 40 per cent of the average monthly salary for jhe last ten years of employment. Thus, if an employe had been In the service of the company for forty years and the average wages had been $J5 per month for the last ten years, the pension al lotted would be 40 per cent of J75, or $30 per month, this ratio maintaining no matter whether tho salary be $50 or $1,000 per month. When tho pension plan was conceived, $100,000 was set aside and provisions made for appropriating more if needed to meet the demands. Retired employes are paid in the same manner as those who are at their work dally. The roll Is mado out each month -and sent to the auditor, who malls checks to all who live out of the city, or who do not desire to call at the offices. Going on the retired list does not prevent, or work a bar On U. P. Retired List Union Pacific people who reside In Omaha and who are on the retired list follow, tho figures indi cating the number of years they were in the company employ continuously; Carr Axford 21 Gyrua Axford , 21 William Darnlck 27 Michael Durns 33 Peter Digger 29 Thomas Bennett 40 Ulchard H. Drown 35 Frank Drunk 28 Edwin C. Connor 45 John J. Curt! 20 John F. Carlson.... 33 William D. Crawford.... 34 John II. Dahloerg 23 Jacob David 23 John R. Dolan 32, Elijah Dunn 40 Wallace V. Doollttle.... 32 Patrick 1.. Dore.w 28 Henry DrefoId..r,7 30 Duncan Flnlayaon. 25 Joseph Frerxer. .... 41 Hugh Flannagan S3 Wllhelm Qernandt 21 J, W. Griffith 40 Olat Hansen... 34 Albert P. Jlouck 22 John P. Henley 33 John Hart 39 Kugene D. Huentla. ...... 20 John Isaacson.. 28 Henry Jackson 24 Andrew P. Johnson...... 33 Frederick Kiev 28 Patrick Kelly.... 3a U 11. Korty ii r George H. Lavldge , Nils It. Larson Margaret I.. McChcane John H. Manchester David McKIIIlp John McArdle Michael Mlllett Patrick 'McAndrews ... John Muckley Louis Metz John W. McCune Janies M., Muynard Patrick O'Donnell Hetiry J. Ostrom ....... Andrew Peacock Peter Peterson Andrew P.'Quarnstrora.... Itobert A. Ileed , John Itegan , Charles H. Koblnaon Tufre P. Soderholm , Andrew Smith , John J. Sullivan Kobert Sketchley Mary A. Sllven Oliver II. Swlngley , Edward Spellman John Tholen Andrew Tray nor George I. Trumbull James Vickery Henry Van Deusen. ...... John A. White Brantus Young.,,...'....,,. 22 30 S5 1 33 33 2S 3S 43 33 31 30 20 S3 to 43 39 22 St 41 31 2S 26 22 SO 31 43 40 34 42 3i 27 to engaging in business, or working olsowhero, but If one quits the employment of tho company beforo tho retirement period arrives, no pension accrues. Each year thoro will bo now applicants on the Union Pacific's retirement list, but after the old timers are gono, there will be a short period when they will not bo so numerous, perhaps, as now, or when the pension was introduced. During early years on tho Union Pacific, persons were taken onto tho pay; rolls, regardless of ago, providing they could perform tho work laid out, but now it Is different. In the employment of men and women now and ever slnco the introduc tion of the pension system, thoro haB been an age limit. No person Inexperienced in railroad work who has reached the age of 35 yoars and no person over the age of 45 years, evon experienced in rail " road work will be taken Into the servlco, all of which results in the people taken on since 1903 being reasonably young. There is one exception to the rulo heretofore mentioned. That exception Is wholly In tho dis cretion of tho president. If ho sees fit, ho mny employ persons for a period of six months, regard less of their age and then he may oxtend the six months in order that they may complete the work undertaken. There is another exception to tho iule and If the board grants Us approval, persons, Irrespective of age, may b employed for an Indefinite period where the services to be ren dered roqulre professional or other special quali fications. Among the Union Pacific men who have gone upon the retired list there are nono more interest ing than John R. Dolan, one of tho oldest living engineers on the "Overland" system. Ho com menced at the throttle of a Union Pacific englfie In 1867, and with the exception of two years, from 1871 to 1873, when ho was over on tho Southern Pacific, he was with the company continuously until six years ago, when he retired. When Mr. Dolan Joined the Union Pacific forces the road was comploted to North Platte, which then was out on the frontier. During his employ he pulled trains over every division of the Pacific road, from Truckee, 209 miles east of 8an Fran cisco to Council Bluffs and during all those years be never had a serious accident or a bad wreck, though ho had many narrow escapes. During Mr. Dolan'B railroad career ho pulled many noted personages ovor tho Union Pacific, as he ran pas senger trains much of tho tlino. Ho remombera having pulled President Grant, Japanese and Chinese noblomon without number, Quoon Lil oC the Hawaiian Islands and all tho Union Paclflo presidents from Durunt down to I3urt. Many times during tho '60s tho trains he was pulling word flagged by Indiana In tho western part of this stata and frequently shots wore fired lntc the engines ho rode. Mr, Dolan came from the Illinois Central and on that road ho was running an englno beforo he wad 20 yoars of ago. He lives in a comfortable horns on South Eleventh streot and enjoys recounting his experiences of years ago when the country west ot Omaha was narly all a wilderness. John Regan cast his lot with tho Union Paclflo In 1871, going into the shops, where he remained five years. Then ho was sent to tho transfer on tho east Bide of tho river and remained there for) thirty-six years, most of tho time holding the posi tion of check clerk. During his service, goods and merchandise of the valuo of millions and millions1 of dollars passed through his office and so far as ho can recall an error never crept in. Tho Axford brothers, Carr and Cyrus, born in England, whore they learned tho cabinetmakers' trade aud learned it well, have practically spent all their lives in Omaha and most of tho time In the Union Pacific shops. They were among tho early employes and retired a few yoars ago. Tho Axfords came to tho United Stiitoa along about 1861 or '02. In 1864 Cyrus was In the employ of tho government nt Nashville, Tenn. He re members tho battlo fought there and for a number; of days worked constantly helping to bury tho dead. Ho entcrod tho employ of tho Union Paclflo In 1867 and remained continuously until he retired. Carr Axford soon after coming to tho United Stntes sought and found employment in the rail road car shops at Jefferson City, Ind-, where lis remained until 1867, when ho camo to Omaha, en tered tho employ ot tho Union Pacific, remaining forty years. In tho homes of these two men are some of tho most beautiful chairs, desks and tables, ull their handiwork, showing that they are ex perts in their line. W. D. Crawford rounded out more than forty years with the Union Pacific, retiring from tho position of chief clerk in tho land department a numbor of years ago. He went with tho Union Pacific when about all that it had was a name, Continued on Page Five.) 6