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16

The Monson Blog / The 6th Maine Regiment Rides the Monson

« on: March 29, 2012, 11:47:39 AM »

   Most of the two foot railroads in Maine held special excursions from time to time. On August 9, and 10, 1905 the 6th Maine Veterans met in Monson for their Association meeting. 
   Before we go on let’s look at a very brief history of the 6th Maine Infantry.  Many of you I’m sure are better versed in the history of the 6th Maine, and can add some here. It was mustered into service in Portland on July 15, 1861 and mustered out on August 15, 1864, completing their three year enlistment.  They saw service in most of the battles of the civil War up to the time they were mustered out.  They were most notable in their action at Maryes Heights at Fredricksburg.  The 6th Maine was at Gettysburg and played a prominent roll on day one. A monument commerating their action states that the 6th Maine  “Held this position (west of Gettysburg?)?July 3, 1863.?In afternoon moved to support of centre, then to Big Round Top.”  They then distinguished themselves at Rappahannock Station Virginia on November 7, 1863 where they were very prominent in that fight.  Many of the veterans were mustered out in 1864 but some were transferred to the 1st Maine Veteran Regt. and the 7th Maine.
   Back to the excursion…..The new superintendent, Harold Morrill, organized a warm reception for them in Monson Railroad style.  A flatcar with seats and railing installed was coupled in front of the engine followed by the coach coupled behind it.  Morrill stated that “that should be enough room for them.”  This was an early glimpse of future operations when the Monson engines were in the middle of the train. (see September 22, 2011 blog)
   The veterans were then taken for a tour of the railroad with an hour stop over at the slate company’s shops to see the operations there.  It must have been a grand time!  But this wasn’t all for free.  A special excursion rate of 40 cents was charged the veterans.
   Maybe someone would know, but I wonder why the 6th Maine chose Monson for their meeting?  I know the 20th Maine Company B (I think) had a lot of Piscataquis County boys in it.  Was it that way with the 6th Maine also?  Anyway, everyone must have had a good time.  Considering the average age of combatants in 1861 might be around 20 years old, the veterans in 1905 were an aging group and the bench seats on the flatcar combined with the freight springs in the trucks must have been a little uncomfortable!

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The Monson Blog / Re: Treasurers Come and Treasurers Go

« on: March 29, 2012, 07:19:30 AM »

Thanks for your input Glen!   Any chance your work is available?  I had several relatives who lived in Monson at one time or another.....

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The Monson Blog / Treasurers Come and Treasurers Go

« on: March 22, 2012, 01:33:01 PM »

   In all corporations, senior officers come and go.  In the Monson’s case it seemed that they just kept rotating through the various key positions. Effective July 31, 1905, J.S. Whiting resigned as Treasurer and General Manager (GM) of the Monson.  Lets look at some of the events which preceded this…..
   Back in 1882 one of the original officers of the railroad then just forming was Harvey A. Whiting of Wilton NH.  He was fortunate and influential enough to have locomotive No. 2 named after him, however he wasn’t mentioned in the original corporate paper work.  But later he was listed as President. 
        G.S. Cushing one of the original board members was Treasurer and  GM for at least first few years, and was lucky enough to have locomotive No.1 named after him.  That was in the days when locomotives had names not numbers. He was succeeded by George Matthews as GM and John Kimbal as Treasurer, both original board members.
         In 1904 board member George Kimball was elected Vice President.
However in 1904 a J.S Whiting became Treasurer and General Manager.  Was J.S. a son or brother to HA Whiting?
On June 13, 1905, JS Whiting asked Morrill for an inventory “for the sale of the railroad.” Morrill stated they had 32 tons of coal and 43 cords of wood on hand (one of the Hinckleys was probably still burning wood).  They “had nothing else in any quantity in hand.”
   By July 24, 1905 Morrill stated that he was advised by George Barnard, board member, to “not make any announcements of the new officers ……until after the first meeting of the executive committee which occurs on August 5th.”  Was the railroad “sold” then?  Why the hush hush?  The slate company officially acquired the majority stock in 1908 so what happened in those three years between 1905 and 1908?
   J.S. Whiting must have had a falling out with the board as two days later on July 26, Mr. Morrill states in a letter to J.S. Whiting that “It is with feeling of regret that I am obliged to close my business correspondence with you.  Our relations have always been pleasant and I am sorry that you have severed your connection with the railroad company.”  Whiting was well liked, but obviously someone didn’t like him.
   A new treasurer for the Monson in the person of Charles J. Wier of Lowell Mass was either elected or appointed.
   Tracking the corporate officer history for the Monson is pretty problematic, as there is some conflicting evidence of who did what and when. I’ll do some more digging!

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The Monson Blog / Monson Railroad In The News

« on: March 16, 2012, 09:55:15 AM »

   The Piscataquis Observer has been and still is the main newspaper serving Piscataquis County.  If you want to spend the time, you can find little tidbits of  information concerning the Monson Railroad in the archives.
   January 4, 1917……”Stanley Stevens finished work Saturday night as engineer on the Monson Railroad after about fourteen years of service.  Mr. Stevens was a faithful employee and will be greatly missed both by the railroad company and patrons.  He expects to go into the employ of the Monson Maine Slate Company at present.  Fireman Julius Carlberg will succeed to the engineer’s seat and Lawrence Sanborn will go as fireman.”  By this time, the slate company owned the Monson, so it was probably just a simple job transfer.  The quarry finishing sheds had a steam plant, so maybe he was transferred there as a stationary engineer.
   February 15, 1917…”Train service has been anything but on schedule time this past week.  Several night’s no mail was distributed owing to the late arrival of the train, Saturday nights’ mail being put out Sunday Morning”  Imagine that!  Mail on Saturday night!!!  It goes on to say “The Monson Railroad however is not to blame for the delays, it is the “big roads” that are bothered by heavy snow.”
   Just a glimpse into the everyday life of the Monson Railroad!

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The Monson Blog / What’s Going to Happen Next??!! Bad Month on the Monson

« on: March 08, 2012, 01:26:37 PM »

   We’ve had an unusually mild winter this year and its easy to forget how rugged the Maine winters used to be. A hundred years ago mild winters in Maine were pretty rare and lots of snow was the norm. In Monson they didn’t plow the roads, they rolled them compressing down the snow.  Made for good sledding.  You can see this huge  roller in the Monson Museum today!
   January 1905……newly appointed Supt. Harold Morrill states in a letter to the Monson’s Treasurer that January “was an unusually hard one for us.”
   It started out with a series of severe snowstorms which hampered operations. At that time the only snow fighting equipment the Monson had was pony plow-type affairs bolted to the front of the engines. (This will be in a future blog) The Monson was the northern-most of the Maine two-footers and was in the snow belt of Maine where snow was measured in feet not inches! You would have thought they would have started out with a real plow back in 1883 when the road was built! 
         January 23, 1905, the afternoon train got stuck in the snow near Day’s crossing.  The passengers had to stay at the Pullen Farm. Who knows when that got shoveled out! Mr. Morrill states that “you will notice by the payroll that we have been shoveling snow most all the time.” Wonder how much they were paid?   
         Then the fire boxes on both Hinckleys started to leak.  They had to hire a boiler maker from Bangor to put two patches in the firebox of No.1 and one patch in No.2.  But their troubles weren’t over yet! It wasn’t long after that that the patches in No.1’s firebox started leaking again!  Another call to Bangor…
   And then a tube let go….“We were obliged to cancel the trains last Saturday forenoon because a tube in No. 1 suddenly began to leak so badly that it put the fire out.”  No. 2 was still being repaired and was not ready for service.  So the Monson found itself with no motive power!  A team was sent to the Junction with passengers and the mail “so that no one was much disturbed.”
   Mr. Morrill continues…..”The engines are working very hard and as they are getting old too, I suppose we must expect them to break down occasionally.  We are having all we can do and cannot give them care as fast as they need it.”  Sounds like the Monson brass wasn’t investing too much in repairs! 
The Hinckleys were rapidly wearing out.  After the management had had enough, No. 1 was sent to the Portland Company for a rebuild in 1908. But it was another 5 years before they bought a new locomotive from Vulcan in February of 1913. 
   So next time we’re having a lot of snow, think of the Monson in January of 1905!


   

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The Monson Blog / My Achin’ Back!!! Freight Transfer At The Junction

« on: March 01, 2012, 02:43:35 PM »

   One inherent problem that all the Maine Two-Footers had in common was freight transfer.  Since two foot gauge cars were about a quarter the size of standard gauge cars and less than half the gauge width, interchange of cars were not possible.  So the narrow gauge cars had to be spotted beside the standard gauge cars and every bit if freight had to be transferred by hand.
   The Jones book and Gary Kohler’s new pictoral shows many pictures of the freight transfer facilities at Monson Junction.  The Monson transfer track had a slight incline so that when spotted, the Monson car decks would be brought up to the same level as the standard gauge.  This was mentioned in an earlier blog concerning the side ladders on the boxcars.
   The Monson hired locals (who else?) to do the freight transferring. George Fogg, brother of  B&A station agent Giles Fogg, was employed in this capacity in 1919.  When there wasn’t enough “work for him at the Junction” he was transferred to car repair in the Monson shops.  Also there is evidence that later on, Paul Jackson was also employed. There had to have been a lot of others but their names have not surfaced. In later years, the train crew did all the transferring as well as coaling the locomotives by hand from a B&A gondola. It must have been hard work to keep the schedule! Imagine running the second or third train of the day to the Junction and when you got there, you looked at 12 ton of polishing sand to shovel onto a narrow gauge flat to bring back to Monson! There was never any mechanical means of transferring any of this freight except the use of shovels and hand trucks. This is where “my achin’ back” must have come in!
   Incoming bulk freight would be in the form of polishing sand for the finishing sheds and coal for the slate company’s HRT boilers, as well as express and other lcl shipments for the slate industry and townspeople. Outgoing would mainly be slate products, lumber, and pulpwood.
   The Junction freight shed was originally roughly 30x100 feet, running from the switch of the B&A transfer track very near the station on the north end a hundred feet south to the end of the Monson transfer track. The original north end of the building was cut down to approximately half its length sometime after the turn of the century and before 1913. The Jones book shows a nice picture of the original shed on page 12. Curiously I can’t find any mention of this major rebuild in the records….yet anyway. The shed was used to store freight that wasn’t immediately transferred to or from the B&A.
         There are several pictures published showing large blocks of slate being lowered onto Monson flats.  This was not to be transferred at the Junction but for the convenience of the slate company in getting the rough quarried slate from the bottom of the quarries by derrick to the finishing sheds nearby.  By 1908 the Monson Maine Slate Company owned the Monson, so their equipment was used in various duties around the plant. Most of these pictures were taken there which is now the site of the former Moosehead Mfg. Company. The only slate that went to the Junction was finished products in the form of shingles, electric switch boards, sinks and the like.
   Looking at the Junction yard track layout and the size of the original freight shed, the Monson brass must have been anticipating a huge volume of traffic when the yard was built.  There were two 700 foot sidings on the west side of the B&A main and an 1100 foot siding on the east side which was the B&A transfer track.   

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The Monson Blog / Motor Cars on the Monson

« on: February 23, 2012, 12:43:11 PM »

   After the War-to-End-All-Wars was over in November of 1918,  the automobile began to really put a dent in the Monson’s passenger revenue.  Like the other Maine two footers, the Monson was looking for ways to cut their expenses in the form of motorized railroad vehicles. At about this time, Sam Sewall, supt. of the WW&F bought a 1917 Model T for conversion to a motor car.  Some of the other roads also tinkered with this idea soon after in the ‘20’s, most of which ended up using a factory built chassis and a home built body.
   In a letter dated May 23, 1919 to the Laconia Car Company, Supt.Morrill states that “We are considering the advisibility of using a small motor (gasoline) car for use on our road to haul passengers and mail. We do not have more than 12 to 15 passengers as a rule on any of our trains and a motor car that could be handled by one man would be much cheaper for us to operate than a locomotive and a car which takes three men.”  He enquired if they knew of the address of any “parties who would build such equipment.”
   Similar letters were sent out to Buyers Index Company, Railway Storage Battery Car Company, Harvey Motor Truck Company, Fairmont Gas Engine and Railway Motor Car Company and Northwestern Motor Company.
   Just a few days later on May 28th, Morrill advised Mr. Wier, treasurer of the Monson, that the Unity Car Company is “building a unit car operated by kerosene,” and that the Laconia Car Company is building six bodies for them.
   The next several weeks saw correspondence with Unity and Laconia through treasurer Weir.  Dimensions of Monson’s Combine No. 3 were shared with the idea of building a motor car similar to the combine. Unity’s plan was to “have an engine and boiler like the Stanley Steamer attached to the truck frame.”  However Morrill goes on to say that “I would not think it a very practical idea, but it would do no harm to look into it.”
   Evidently the Monson brass looked into it and decided against a motor car, as no further mention of it is in the letter press files. Monson never had any motorized car except the work car home-built by Elwin French (a future blog).
   However it is a little intriguing to imagine a combine like the Monson’s with a Stanley Steamer type of drive!

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The Monson Blog / Side Ladders On Monson Boxcars: Labor Saving Device?

« on: February 16, 2012, 12:05:44 PM »

   The Monson is known for doing things a little different.  Take their boxcars for instance.  The Monson boxcars are distinctive in that they have ladders mounted to the left of their sliding doors as well as the usual grab irons on the ends of the boxcars. The side ladders on Monson boxcars seem to be fairly unique in the Maine two-foot gauge practice. There are numerous photos of these on pages 119-123 in the Jones book.
   The original Boxcars No’s 1 and 2 were built by Laconia.  Fairly early on, No’s 3 and 4 were converted from flatcars and eventually No’s 5,6,7 and 8 were converted from flatcars to boxcars by the Monson Shops. Boxcar 2 was unique in that it had a ladder on the “A” end.  My Monson book published in 1988 has quite a bit of boxcar detail data.
   The earliest boxcar photos show the side ladder on at least one of them.  Maybe they were original to the first two built by Laconia, and the Monson Shops followed suit with their rebuilds.  But there had to be a practical reason.  Looking carefully at the photos, curiously, there are no stirrups under each ladder. Some of the first rungs are about a foot above the deck, others are even with the deck. That would be way too high for a trainman to mount from the ground.   
        So this begs the question….why were ladders bolted on the side of the cars?
        A theory….when Monson rolling stock were switched to the transfer track at Monson Junction, they were on a slight grade.  The incline was so the Monson car doors would come up to the level of the standard gauge car doors, making it easier to transfer freight.  The Monson car brakes were set and the cars were left for the transfer crews.                 After one car’s contents were transferred to a standard gauge car, was it more convienient for a transfer crew member to swing out the door, grab the ladder and climb up the ladder to the roof? He could then release the brakes and let the cars roll down so the next car could transfer to a standard gauge boxcar.  No need for motive power.  It would eliminate having to get down on the ground (in deep snow), go around to the end of the car and climb up on the roof using the conventional grab irons, then down the same way.
       Maybe….. maybe not……lets hear from you folks!

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The Monson Blog / Government Control of the Monson: The USRA

« on: February 09, 2012, 12:28:57 PM »

         In a letter from Supt. Morrill to Charles Wier, treasurer of the Monson Railroad whose corporate offices were in Lowell Mass, Morrill indicates that a letter from the USRA “relinguishes this road from government control”.  This letter was dated July 3, 1918.  Lets take a brief look at what was the USRA.
         The United States Railroad Administration (USRA) was the name of the nationalized railroad system of the United States between 1917 and 1920. It was a huge experiment with nationalization of an industry, and was deemed necessary because of  the looming World War.
         On April 6, 1917 the United States entered World War One.  It quickly became apparent that there were a lot of inadequacies in terminals, trackage and rolling stock all across the nation.  In December of 1917 the Interstate Commerce Commission recommended federal control of the railroads to ensure efficient operations in the transportation of war material and on December 26, 1917, President Wilson issued the order for nationalization.
         Huge changes came quickly. Terminals were shared, costly passenger services were cut back, assets were pooled and even ticketing was standardized. On March 21, 1918 the Railway Administration Act became law, and Wilson's 1917 nationalization order was affirmed. The act provided that control of the former owners would be reinstated within 21 months after the peace signing (which in this case was November 11, 1918). The USRA's authority ended on March 1, 1920.
         So how did the government takeover effect the Monson in the six months under USRA control?  Probably not much.  There is very little reference to this in the letterpress correspondence.  Notice that control was relinguished five months before the armistice in November of 1918…I wonder why.  According to correspondence, the ICC seemed to try to exert a much greater control over a longer period of time than the USRA ever did.

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The Monson Blog / Re: I have a piece of slate under my coffee cup

« on: February 02, 2012, 04:41:48 PM »

Thank You Glenn for this informantion!!!!  I've looked at the topos for years and always wondered about Williamsburg siding. This is exactly why I'm doing this blog....all kinds of interesting things are coming to light from the collective resources of hundreds of people!  I still haven't heard of slaves in the Monson Quarries.  If I remember right, here is a strong connection with the Merrill Quarries in Brownville and the 20th Maine regiment which fought at Little Roundtop.  I've got it in a book somewhere.  I bet my cousin Wayne Bennett would know of this.  His knowledge of Piscataquis history is phenominal!

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The Monson Blog / Harold Morrill: Real Estate Agent?

« on: February 02, 2012, 12:11:23 PM »

   Most students of the Monson know that from 1905 on, Superintendent Morrill wore a great many hats in the company as well as in his community.  However it turns out he was a bit of a real estate agent as well.
   On March 26, 1906, Morrill responds to Mr. C.C. Brown, GP & TA of the B&A Railroad.  Mr. Brown wanted to know if any cottages were for rent in Monson.  Morrill’s reply was YES!  H.E. Pullen had 5 sleeping rooms; Mrs. Marion Crosby,3; Mrs. Harriet Crafts, 2; Mrs. Frank Towne, 1; B.B. Stewart, 2; R.T. Thomas, 2; A. W. Rarrar, 2 and H. E. Smith, 1.  Morrill goes on to say that “I should be glad to have all of these occupied the coming season if possible.”  Sounds like he had a vested interest in having these occupied.
   Lets go on to February 14, 1914, this time a reply to George Houghton P.T.M. of the B&A Railroad.  A B&A customer wanted to buy land on Lake Hebron.  Morrill states that Mrs. Sybil Smith owns a farm which borders on the lake and is willing to sell lots.  Also another cottage belonging to C.A. Emerson is for sale on the opposite side of the lake. Morrill goes on to state that “I will be glad to assist your party in any way possible if he should come here to look these properties over.”
   Then on May 16, 1919,  he responds from a request, again from Mr. Houghton (B&A), that the Pullen cottage situated on Lake Hebron is available from mid-July to mid-August. The cottage has a large living room with a fireplace, kitchen and four sleeping rooms. All bedding except sheets is furnished.  Wood, ice and one boat go with the cottage but canoes were extra.  The price of the cottage was one dollar per day!
   The interesting thing here is this was all recorded in the Monson Railroad letterpress, not Harold Morrill, Real Estate Agent Inc.  At this time the B&A was very much involved with bringing folks from away to the north woods as evidenced by their publishing of In The Maine Woods, a magazine which promoted hunting fishing and other forms of outdoor recreation and is a collectable today.
   So Mr. Morrill certainly had his hand in the local real estate scene. Maybe the Monson took a lesson from the B&A and promoted their own little piece in paradise!   

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The Monson Blog / Neither Snow Nor Rain…Monson Railroad Carries the Mail

« on: January 26, 2012, 12:09:44 PM »

          “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” This inscription is on the James A. Farley Post Office Building which is the main post office building in New York City. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing this inscription.  However these moving words were an invention of the architects, and never was or is the official motto of the US Post Office Dept.
           What’s this got to do with the Monson? On September 26, 1918, Supt. Morrill wrote a letter to the Second Assistant Postmaster in Washington DC and he wasn’t pleased. The Monson had the government contract to carry the mail from the Junction to Monson Station for $24.58 a month.  But it seems the government expected the railroad to convey it from the Station to the PO on the Monson’s tab. Evidently the Monson had an agreement with someone local to carry it from the station to the PO.
           But the locals smelled a lucrative government contract. It is unknown how much the Monson was paying someone to carry the mail from the station to the PO, but whoever it was, they wanted a raise.  The carrier wanted $35 a month to carry the mail one quarter of a mile from the station to the PO after the Monson carried it 6.16 miles from the Junction for $24.58  a month. Morrill states that they “were unable to get a lower bid”. So the Monson would be in the hole $10.42 every month for the privilege of carrying the mail.
          Morrill goes on to say “It just seems unjust to ask us to lose money in this way.  We will haul the mail to and from Monson Jct. for the sum of twenty four and 58/100 dollars per month, but feel that the government should attend to the delivery to the post office.” He ends the letter with “We make the above as a definite proposition and await your reply to same.” 
          I wonder what the reply was?  It may be buried in the Monson archives.  I’ll keep looking!
          The Monson did pretty well living up to the second, third and fourth obstacles mentioned in the inspiring words on the Farley building. However at times they had trouble with the first one: snow.  I’ll address that later this winter.
          Back in the late ‘80’s a good friend of mine and I had a chance to buy the last known mail bag the Monson had.  My friend’s father was the owner of what was left of the Monson after 1945 and he remembered that mail bag hanging in the station.  He refused to buy it as he thought the bag may have been removed from the station somewhat suspiciously.  I still wish we had bought it though as it would be back with one of us where it belonged. I still kick myself!

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The Monson Blog / Re: Monson Railroad Lanterns: Shedding Some Light

« on: January 20, 2012, 10:48:28 AM »

Thank you all for the replies!  Very interesting!
There's a Sherburne & Co. letter head on e-bay right now which is a contract to supply the Sandy River, Phillips & Rangeley and Kennebec Central all their locomotive and truck driving tire needs.  Eric is right they were a Boston firm located at 53 Oliver St, Boston.  Also there is a website at
http://www.tagtown.net/sherburn.html

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The Monson Blog / Monson Railroad Lanterns: Shedding Some Light

« on: January 19, 2012, 12:05:41 PM »

   Ever wonder what the Monson used for railroad lanterns?  On October 16, 1911 Morrill sent a letter to the Sherburne Company returning two DOZEN lantern globes which the company had sent to the Monson.  Morrill explains very curtly that “we ordered “vesta” globes and the ones you sent us are the common railroad lantern globes.”
   Morrill went on to say that “our order was very plain” and assumes that the company (Sherburne) didn’t have them in stock but sent the wrong ones anyway.  Kinda sounds like today’s mail order!  Anyway he told them that he was “ordering direct from the manufacturers.”  So much for that business relationship!
   But the real little nugget in the whole letter is that evidently the Monson used Vesta lanterns made by R.E. Dietz Company.
        The "Vesta" was a popular line of brakeman's lantern manufactured by the R.E. Dietz Company over a period of many decades.  The name "Vesta" was applied by Dietz to a long series of lanterns. The original version was introduced in 1896 and by 1907 there were at least two different versions: some in the “hi-top” version, some in the “lo-top” version. However the vestas all had a very similar look.  I wonder what the Monson had before 1896…whale oil?  My father collected railroad lanterns and he had several whale oil railroad lanterns. Other major manufacturers of railroad lanterns were Dressel and Adlake.
        I seriously doubt if the Monson had their lanterns stamped “MRR”, knowing the thriftyness of the company.  And “2 dozen globes”?  Were the train crews hard on their lanterns?  If anyone has a bonifide Monson Railroad lantern, it’s sure a rarity! Some of you collectors out there I’m sure can shed more light on this subject!

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The Monson Blog / Re: Light Rail and Cedar Ties

« on: January 13, 2012, 01:11:23 PM »

Stewart, to my knowledge I don't believe the Monson ever used date nails.  I never heard of anyone ever having one.  Since the Monson was a poor road, and  Harold Morrill knew how to pinch pennies, I doubt he would of ever spent money on such an item.
Wayne, an adze man who really knew how to use one was a sight to behold.  I can understand why you gave hell to your crew....a sharp adze is a dangerous tool, but a dull one adze to the danger of using this tool several fold.
Bill, that fill north of the Willimantic Road (Steven's Crossing) was a trestle when the railroad was first built.  See the Monson Railroad forum above this blog.  Cliff Olson talks about it.  Also there are some nice pictures of it in Gary Kohler's new book on the Monson.  It was eventually filled in with waste slate.  In it's day, I believe the Monson was the only railroad in the state which had stone (slate) ballast it's entire length.  That's one reason why you can still see right where the ROW went.  And yes, there's still spikes to be found along the row.