MONDAY, JUNE 7th.
Getting up this morning about six o’clock, I find we are in Illinois, having crossed the Mississippi River during the night at Burlington, where a change of engines was made. We now have C. B. & Q. engine 511, handled by Engineer D. Sullivan and fired by J. Watson. Conductor W. L. Boydston, a member of Galesburg Division No. 83, has charge of our train, whose brakemen are J. M. Forsythe and T. G. White. This engine and crew will run us to Chicago, a distance of 206 miles. Illinois is a rich agricultural State, whose well-cultivated farms and fine buildings exhibit a high degree of prosperity and thrift. Arriving in Chicago at 8.45 our people scatter to take in the sights of the city as best suit their individual inclinations. I have no knowledge as to where they went or what they saw, but the inference is that everybody was busy, for it is a physical impossibility for a person to remain still in this town; such hustling, aggressive activity I never saw before. If you attempt to saunter or stop to look you are the victim of a hundred bumps a minute; you’ve got to get in the race and keep going, or climb a tree.
On our arrival Mrs. S. and I were met by Mrs. Ray Melchor, Mrs. Shaw’s sister, a resident of the city, who took charge of us, and I am glad she assumed the responsibility, for I never felt more in need of a guardian in my life than I did when in the heart of this mighty metropolis with its great sky-scraping buildings and tearing cyclone of humanity. Mrs. Melchor proved an excellent guide, and showed us more of this wonderful town than one would think possible in the few hours allotted us, besides giving us a delightful carriage ride along the lake front and through Jackson and Washington Parks. We also visited Lincoln Park and saw the famous Ferris Wheel. Mrs. Melchor returned with us to the train and accompanied us as far as the suburban station of Englewood, where the train was stopped to allow her to alight. We left Chicago at 5.40 P. M. on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Line, with P. Ft. W. & C. engine 147, Engineer Frank Higgins, Fireman Robt. Giffin, Conductor M. J. Prindiville, Brakeman H. B. Walton, and Flagman Geo. Roberts, who take us to Ft. Wayne, 148 miles. Near Whiting, a short distance beyond the limits of Chicago, we cross the line and enter Indiana, which also has the appearance of being a rich agricultural State.
In the evening an interesting meeting is held in the smoking car, and presided over by Brother Geo. Brown, for the purpose of effecting a permanent club, to be composed of the members of the Pennsylvania Railroad conductors’ excursion party. Selecting a name leads to considerable discussion, until Brother Denniston suggests the “Golden Gate Club,” which is unanimously adopted. The following brothers are elected officers of the club: President, C. E. Wyman; vice-president, L. E. Sheppard; secretary and treasurer, W. J. Maxwell. Pullman conductors Suter and McDonald are admitted as honorary members. The meeting, which lasted from 8.30 to 9.20 P. M., is succeeded by the admission to the car of a delegation of the ladies, led by Sister Reilly, who introduces an entertaining game called “The California Pets,” or “Dead Hand,” which consists of an outstretched sheet, around which sit as many as can conveniently do so, with their hands beneath the sheet, and guess the names of articles that they cannot see, which are passed from one to the other. The game continues for some time and produces a great deal of merriment, until an article is passed to Miss Ella that causes her to shriek with fright. She quickly passes it to Brother Reagan, who turns pale and shudders as though he had seen a ghost; he in turn tosses it to Brother Williams, who is thrown into a spasm when he grasps the nasty thing, and flings it into Brother McCarty’s lap, who clutches it, drops it, exclaims “Hell!” jumps up, all at the same time, and makes a break for the door. It was only a kid glove that Mrs. Reilly had filled with sand and soaked in ice water, that felt to the touch like the cold and clammy hand of a corpse.
The rear car “Orchis” was christened “Hogan’s Alley” in the early stages of our trip, because of the spirit of fun and frolic that at times ran rampant there. To-day, while Brother Houston was visiting his brother in Chicago, who is connected with a publishing house, he procured a number of large cards with “Hogan’s Alley” printed upon them, and hung them up through the car. There were also two swinging from the rear platform when the train left Chicago, much to the amusement of the people who were gathered at the station to see us off.
We reach Ft. Wayne at 9.30 P. M., and after a delay of a few minutes changing engines, start on our way again with P. Ft. W. & C. engine 272, Engineer M. Shea, Fireman E. Blanchard, Conductor T. J. Kanaga, Brakemen W. B. Kelley and A. C. Kyle, who take us to Crestline, Ohio, 132 miles. At the little station of Dixon, 20 miles east of Ft. Wayne, we cross the State line and enter Ohio. We are drawing nearer home and all feel very glad, although it will be like the breaking up of a large and happy family for us to separate. We expect to reach Pittsburgh early in the morning, and Brothers Haas and Schuler are saying goodbye, for Haas leaves us at Allegheny City and Schuler at Pittsburgh. It is approaching midnight, and as we skim across the State of Ohio we retire to our little beds and are soon fast asleep, lulled into repose by the soothing hum and motion of the train, that we have learned to regard as a great help to pleasant dreams and unbroken slumber.