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
