I can't forget the People Dad dealt with out on the Greenwood Line. At Cooperative Services in Greenwood was Ed Sloniker, the Feed Mill Manager. Ed had a Sense of Humor, although you wouldn't have taken him that way at first glance. Ed used to have a mischievous Twinkle in his eye. I liked stopping at Cooperative Services just because Ed always had a sense of humor no matter what the situation. (And they had a Coke Machine that Dispensed BOTTLES---COLD Bottles!!!...at 15 cents!!) Ed is now the Mayor of Greenwood, and from what I read in the Paper it sounds as though he has LOST that razor-sharp sense of laughter.

At one period, Ed ended up Managing ALL THREE Midland Coop operations in Greenwood for a time, Feed Mill, Fertz Plant and the Gas Station. Ed named the Greenwood Line Local, "The Hooterville Cannonball". In a way, it fit.

Dad pulled up to Cooperative Services' Greenwood Feed Mill one day in 1973 to find Ed & his Crew out trying, with great difficulty, to extract the Load out of an AIRSLIDE Covered Hopper that had come in loaded with Bulk Feed. The Crew working on this, including Ed, had, by the time Dad arrived, ALL the Roof Hatches open, BOTH Unloading Hatches on the Hoppers underneath open, and were POUNDING on the sides of the car with SLEDGEHAMMERS, thinking the load was stuck. Dad walked over and asked, "Ed, what in the name of God do you think you're doing!??" Ed explained that the load in the car was stuck and they were trying to get it out. Dad explained, very carefully, "Do you see these fittings under here by each hopper? Those are Air Fittings. This is an Airslide Car, you apply air through those fittings and it helps unload the car. All you're doing right now is a wasted effort!"

"Well!", Ed commented, "that explains why we can't get anything but a dribble out of this car." Ed went on saying that now he had to try to figure out how to get an Air Hose connected to get the load out of the car. As Dad was leaving, Ed said,"See, Neil! We need you around to help us Farm Boys with Cow S**t between our ears to understand this New Fangled Stuff! We ain't too modern out here in the boonies!" Ed, by the way, cobbled up what he needed from the Gas Station Cooperative Services owned and got that car unloaded Post Haste. It was, unfortnuately, one of the last cars of Bulk Feed Cooperative Services got in at Greenwood. I've never understood why the load was shipped in an Airslide car. Bulk Feed had always come in in a "plain" gravity feed Covered Hopper Car.

Down the Road from Cooperative Services was Clark Electric. Dad did business here with a younger fellow that thought he was in a position of authority, whose name escapes me. (for some reason I recall this young fellow's name to be Herman) He treated Dad like crap. I never liked him because of that. The other fellow whom I took to be the Head Manger of the Clark Electric Retail Store/Offices was an older Gentleman, whom was quite a nice guy. I much preferred Dad deal with him, versus the Young Guy there, but such is not the way of life. Dad, finally, had enough of the Younger fellow's Attitude and, as Dad explained it to me, "I explained Life to him." Whatever it was Dad "explained", certainly had an effect on how the Young Fellow treated Dad afterwards! He almost acted as though he were Afraid of Dad! That elicited a wry smile from the Manager complete with a Twinkle of humor in his eye. "Older" heads like Dad--and, to a certain extent, the Manager of Clark Electric---had seen enough of Younger Fellows like the Gentleman in question over their careers that "Setting Them Straight" when their air of arrogance became too much was a fairly straight-forward task. You especially didn't treat Dad as this Young Fellow did, Dad had enough years under his belt, was trying his best to placate the Customers as best he could on the Greenwood Line, had dealt with Passengers on a 1-on-1 basis, Surly Station Agents, Cranky Trainmen, etc., that he simply wouldn't put up with too much, esp. someone that "Thought" they had a Position with authority.

Out at Grassland Butter, Dad dealt with a Fellow named "Herman". I never liked him, either, because of the way Herman treated Dad. I realize there are S.O.B's in every Job, but this character's Arrogance really rubbed me the wrong way. I mentioned that to Dad; Dad admitted that he, too, didn't care for it, but if Dad dealt directly with John Weuthrich, then Herman was insulted and would be even harder to deal with. John Weuthrich, the Owner of Grassland Butter, was a really nice guy, as were all the personell that inhabited the Office. Herman was located in the Factory itself; we didn't go in the Office very much. To reach Herman's office, you had to go through the Compressor Room, where a bank of some 8 or 12 Ammonia Compressors chug-chugged away. The whole room STUNK of Ammonia.

Grassland's Butter Business was HAND-LOADED from Semi Trailer into the Mechanical Reefer they were loading, a time-consuming, back-breaking task at best. Usually two men handled this job, but I had seen but ONE do it all by himself. Soo supplied Grassland with either their own Mechanical Reefers of the 10000 to 10018 series or Fruit Growers Express Mechanicals that resembled the Athearn HO Scale 50' Rib-sided Mechanical Reefer model.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Mr. Stewart at Stewart's Redville Dairy in Greenwood. A very personable man, who would not hesitate to cut off a hunk of Sharp Cheddar for me as I stood gazing hungrily at the Cheese Counter next to his desk. Cheese that, literally, melted in your mouth.

Nothing, though, drove home the point that many Railroad Customers, such as Stewarts, had their Business attuned to the Size of the Freight Cars Railroads once Rostered. Stewarts Relied very heavily on Iced Refrigerator cars of the 40-ft., 35-to-40 ton variety. Stewarts TRUSTED the old, tried-and-true method of Ice to Chill a load, and were quite suspcious of Mechanical Refrigeration even though they used it in their own Factory. A load of Cheese from Stewarts as loaded in a 40' Iced Reefer came up to you knees when the car was fully loaded. In a Mechanical Refrigerator, it barely came up past your ankles. Maybe our Railroads, Soo Line included, thought Larger Cubic Feet Freight Cars were THE way to go, but it certainly lost many of the smaller Companies like Stewarts that only shipped a car a week or less. Soo was actually stunned by Stewarts leaving the Railroad, and MInneapolis pestered both Stewarts & Dad about trying to retain that traffic. After all, Stewarts Product, Provolone Cheese, made a nice Long Haul trip to Upper New York State. Dad told the Car Disposition Agent over the phone the only way Stewarts was going to remain a Soo Line customer was to provide Stewart with Iced Refrigerator Cars.

"We both know THAT is IMPOSSIBLE!" the Dispo Agent snapped and hung up the phone in Dad's ear. That exchange had Dad talking to himself for a Looooooonnnnnnngggggg time afterwards, esp. after Dad had consumed the right amount of Potent Potables.

I remember the Soo supplying mostly Steel Ice Reefers to Stewart, of the MDT, URTX-Milwaukee Road and ART variety, although I did get to see what had to be one of the last URTX/Soo Wooden Ice Reefers sitting in Stewarts Dock loading with an ART Steel car, once. Stewart's Dock was much fore-shortened from the days when the building they were in was still Greenwood Foods. Two cars to be loaded in that dock was a STRETCH! Stewarts got the cars loaded, although I'm not sure how. Stewarts was serviced off of a Switch-back off of the UBC Spur; when there were cars to be Switched in to Stewarts the Train Crew complained loudly because of the extra move to get the car or cars on the right end of the Locomotive. There was one night the Local had to WAIT to have a car loaded at Stewarts....I don't recall the reasoning for that, just that the car HAD to go and the Train HAD to sit and wait while Stewarts loaded it. As I recall, it was a Railway Express Agency car being used in regular service.

O.W. Trindals had it's share of Characters as well. Before Bill Trindal took the reins of the Company, Trindals was being run by an older Gentleman whose name escapes me. A really nice guy. Out in the Office was Leo, a Fat-ish individual, whom I liked. Dad, though, years later, told me Leo was a Hard guy to get along with, prone to selfish acts, childish spits of anger. This was echoed by others I have come to know over the years that had worked for Trindal's during the time Dad was Traveling Agent on the Greenwood Line.

Elmer, another who's last name I cannot recall, was the Truck Dispatcher/Warehouse Manager at Trindals in 1971-1973. A young-ish guy with wavy hair that wore Dickies Work Clothes, Elmer was the gent Dad would get the Instruction from for Spotting what specific Carloads of specific product at which Doors. .

And I knew Bill Trindal who inherited the Business in 1973. Quiet, almost Distant, at first, Bill took a liking to Dad, and, years afterwards as Bill bounced from one job to the next after losing the Feed Mill to Bankruptcy, if Dad perchance bumped in to Bill on the street, Bill acted as though he was running in to an Old Friend. Bill was completely changed after losing Trindals. Don't laugh...Bill became a "regular" guy.

I used to enjoy stopping at Trindals and the resultant walk through the Warehouse & Feed Mill; I still love the Smells associated with a Feed Mill. Trindal's always gad a Sweet aroma to it, due to the amounts of Kane-Lass brand feed, a concoction of Molassass, Corn, Alfalfa, etc. Trindal's sold a lot of that stuff. But, nothing smelled as BAD as a Carload of Bone Meal being unloaded. Peeee--YOOOUU!!!

It's amazing how many of the Truck Drivers that worked for Trindals remember Dad. I'm always shaken by that. None recall Bob Goldamer, but they DO remember Dad. I have often heard, "Your Old Man was the only one that gave a Damn about the Greenwood Line". ' Tis true.

There was a time when Trindal's had a carload that they requested be left to the end of a Cut of cars spotted there. I remember it being another carload of Midds, in another Illinois Central box car. Comes the night of the Train, this car was supposed to be pulled out, intermingled with new cars coming in, and respotted at Door 7, which was underneath the Covered Loading Dock. When Dad went out to Loyal & Greenwood the next morning, the IC car was STILL in the same place it had been the day before! WHEW! Dad was *NOT* Happy when he found that, and climbed all over the Conductor & Head Brakeman about that when he got back to the Marshfield Depot later on!

I can't go on without telling this one: Forever, it seemed, Trindals turned Damage Claims on car loads of Block Salt---the Salt used for Salt Licks for Cattle. I can tell you some lurid tales of what I witnessed First Hand inside a car for damage. I will also attest it was well above anything "Normal" or "Acceptable". Enter Jack Staege, the Marshfield Station Agent, who, forever, had his attentions on the Greenwood Line, even though it didn't concern him. Jack would complain to Dad about the Damage Claims coming from Trindal's as being "Excessive", among other things. He would whine about such things until you couldn't stand to listen to it. In the end, the Soo Line would claim the Car was mis-handled by the Chesapeake & Ohio, who, in turn, blamed Morton Salt of Port Huron, Mich., for improperly blocking the load in the Car. Green Bay & Western became suspect in this, as well, because much of the Salt Trindals got in rode the Car Ferries across Lake Michigan.

Morton Salt tried Car Ferries, then tried the all-rail route around the lake through Chicago, with the same results each time: When a carload of Block Salt arrived at Loyal, it was mostly smashed inside the car. Morton then resorted to really fancy ways to block the loads in the cars, with the same results.

So, Morton Salt took it upon themselves to do a little Investigating to find out WHY these cars had so much Damage.

A car was loaded at Port Huron. The load was blocked in as tight as allowed. Photographs were taken of the load prior to releasing the car from Morton salt. The car was routed C&O to Chicago, Soo to Loyal.

At Flint, Mich., the car was stopped & opened up; the Load was inspected, and found to be 100% in good shape. Photographs were taken, and the car headed for Chicago.

At Schiller Park on the Soo after the C&O handed the car over to the Soo at Barr Yard, the car as opened up & inspected. The load STILL hadn't moved and was in good condition. Photographs were taken again, and the car released to the Soo.

At Stevens Point, the same routine; the car was opened up, the Load Inspected, found to be in good Condition, and the Car sent off to Loyal.

At Loyal, the car arrived at O.W, Trindal's. Since this was during One Day Per Week service by this time, the Car got to sit in Marshfield for about one week. The Car was opened up at Trindal's, with Dad there, two Soo Representitives from the Claims Department, and two Representatives from Morton Salt.

The ENTIRE LOAD WAS SMASHED. The Blocking used was literally ripped out of the flooring. The two Soo Rep's immediately blamed the C&O. Nope, said the Rep's from Morton, this IS the Soo Line's Fault, and proceeded to produce the photographic evidence that proved their case. The two Gentlemen from the Claims Department immediately spun on their heels and left, post-haste!!!

It turned out to the deteriment of the Soo Line that the Yard Crews in Marshfield were switching out cars in the Yard at too high a rate of speed. Or, as Dad said, "Those ^$%$$%$%# !!! are using Greenwood Line cars as Bumping Posts!!!" Nothing, though, really came out of this, even though this cost the Soo a PILE of money in Damage Claims. I believe all the Switchmen got out of it was having a memo posted on the Wall in the Marshfield Depot listing safe switching speeds, that was it. I doubt anyone even looked at it!

Someone made the disparaging remark it had to be the Condition of the Greenwood Line's trackage that had caused all that Damage in those aforementioned Cars of Block Salt. Well, even THAT excuse couldn't explain the damage. Dad's assessment of it was closer to the truth.

Next Door to Trindals was Bordens, run in the 1971-1974 period by Heinie Nuemann. Heinie was a nice guy. He is still alive, as I recall. After Heinie retired, he was replaced by Harvey Degenhardt. Harvey was the complete opposite of Heinie, and I was witness to Harvey almost losing his Index Finger one day as the Crew Harvey directed had the Interior Load Divider taken partially apart becuase it was stuck and wouldn't move; Harvey stuck his finger in the opening in the side of the Load Divider where the mechanism to trip the locking devices in the floor of the car bolted in to, just as someone let go/or the spring that held the device locked downward let go, trapping Harvey's finger. My God, how he yelled! I got the sickening feeling Harvey was going to be a digit short. Thank heavens all Harvey got was a sore finger!

During the Winter of 1973-' 74, we caught a usual Wisconsin "Dumping" one night. I rode along with Dad the next day, a Cold day where the HIGH Temperature was -15 degrees BELOW zero. This kind of weather was NOT condusive to keeping a Mechanical Referigerator car running in sub-sub-zero Temps----and you found out fairly quickly which Railroad's ran in "Fair Weather" by the Difficulty one had in TRYING to keep a Mechanical Reefer Running---or getting it to START. In the Glove Box of the Soo Line Auto, Dad had a SEA of little Ether Cannisters that looked exactly like the CO2 cartrages used in CO2 pistols. There was a "Port" into which these cannisters could be discharged into to get the Ether in the Engine to effect start up. Sounds easy as 1, 2, 3, but, it wasn't.

On the Cold Day in Question, a Loaded Santa Fe SFRC Mechanical sitting out behind Bordens had stopped running in the Cold. Unfortunately, the Car was Snowed In and had to be gotten at on foot, which Dad had to do to get the car running again. The snow Dad had to trudge through was Knee-deep; there was a Stiff Northwest Wind that day, luckily the Engine Compartment was close in to the building. Dad struggled through the snow with 7 or 8 Ether Cannisters in his coat pocket, and used up all but ONE getting that car to Start. He got it running, came back to the Car, sat half in-half out and pulled off his golashes to dump out the snow inside them. What made us both look up at the SFRC car at the same exact moment I do not know, but we both watched the car QUIT after it had run for 5 minutes!!! Dad finished dumping out his boots, put them back on, grabbed another handful of Ether Cannisters and went back to do battle with that car. He got it running, and it stayed running until the Train picked it up the next night.

Soo & Milwaukee Road's Mechanical Reefers would start in just about all-weather. Soo & Milwaukee winterized their cars, but Santa Fe, Pacific Fruit Express & Western Fruit Express cars were Hard Starters, and hardly exceptional runners in Cold, Cold weather like we have in Wisconsin. Fruit Growers Express cars were Good in sub-zero cold, as well.

Because one got to see the Interiors of some Nice Equipment in the Box Car Department, I formed the Opinion years ago which Railroad, to me, had the Nicest Equipment on the Rails, Hands Down. It isn't the Soo Line, although I rank the Soo a close second, but the Santa Fe. Santa Fe's cars were always well appointed inside, and Santa Fe added some great features inside their cars the Soo later copied into their later RBL-type insulated Box Cars built by the Soo at North Fond du Lac, such as adjustable Side Filler Panels, one-piece load dividers, and Air Bag cushioning inside. Some of the Santa Fe's Mechanical Reefer cars were equipped with Start Buttons, versus everyone else having a pull-cord, like your Lawn Mower. Starting a Mechanical was a back-breaking task at best!

The Loyal UBC was a kind of place that harkened back to an earlier time, before a "Menards" or a "Fleet Farm", back, even, before "True Value" or "Hardware Hank". The fellow that Managed the place was an older fellow, who spoke slowly, or seldomly smiled, as I recall, having an unassuming look on his face most of the time. He had two older gents working for him that unloaded all the cars that came in for the Loyal UBC. Their COLLECTIVE age was around the 140 year mark! I shouldn't make fun; those two elderly Gents simply kept after unloading the car all day, and were, actually, faster then met the eye! That was a lot of work for both of them; since the UBC's NEVER got Lumber in on Flatcar in those days, it all came in Box Cars, there was a lot of see-sawing boards out of the cars.

Then, there was Doc Lee at Loyal Canning Company. I don't recall "Doc's" real first name. Everyone called him "Doc", as he had been a Veternarian of some repute before marrying in to the Starr Family that owned the Loyal Canning Co. Doc became the Manager, and, later, outright owner of, The Loyal Canning Co. As such, Doc was NOT a nice guy. I never liked him, but I still admire the man's Work Ethic. Doc would work 26 hours of a 24 hour day. He was right in beside his workers in the Canning Season, working Elbow-to-Elbow where applicable. He was as much as Slave Driver to himself as he was to anyone else. Some I have talked with that knew Doc insist Doc worked like that to "Maximize Profits" because that was one person he wouldn't have to pay wages to! Doc ran Loyal Canning Co. on a Shoestring, basically, not that the Company wasn't profitable, but because Doc was "Maximizing Profits". Doc was sharp in that respect; that obsession with "Maximizing Profit" was why the Loyal Canning Co. used the Soo Line, for darn near everything, incoming or out going. Dealing with Doc was, at times, not unlike trying to feed a Fire-breathing Dragon, I am NOT kidding! Dad told me more than once, "Doc can be a tough Customer", and Dad didn't mean Rail Customer, either!

Doc's Canned Products had a Market Niche: Doc operated one of the Last Canning Operations that produced Gallon Cans of Vegetables. These were bought en masse by State Institutions--Prisons. Texas, New Jersey, New York...just a few examples of where Doc sent his Canned Goods to feed Prisoners. In addition, Doc, like Marshfield Canning Co., canned for "Brokerage", i.e., he would fill his Warehouse FULL (And, sometime the rafters in the Canning Building as well) and then sit on his wares until he found a Broker to sell his canned goods to at a "fair" price. It wasn't unusual for Doc to be getting fairly Nervous about March when he was still sitting on his stock from the just-previous Canning Season waiting for a decent price---and he was looking at Canstock to begin arriving for the next canning season! Loyal Canning Co. also canned for Contract, for such companies as Freshlike, Libby's, Del Monte and Green Giant. Often times, much of what Doc sold through the Broker ended up being labeled for the aforementioned conglomerates. Doc did little labeling at Loyal Canning Co. It was Bare Cans in cardboard shipping cases.

In the Canning Season, Loyal Canning Co. was a-twitter hub-bub of Activity. At Marshfield Canning Co. in the Canning Season the folks employed there could be seen sitting outside at picnic tables, eating, smoking or shooting the breeze; at Loyal Canning Company, everyone was WORKING, constantly, at what seemed to be a Frenetic Pace. Just as suddenly as the Canning Season seemed to Start (Early June---Peas) it ended. You'll never believe how PACKED that Warehouse at Loyal Canning Co. was after all was said & Done. Then, Doc would run the Canning Co. by Himself for the most part until June of the Next Canning Season, calling in help if he needed it to Load Freight Cars.

Doc did not endear himself to Dad. Their first Clash came shortly after Dad assumed the Traveling Agent's job on the Greenwood Line. Eddie Kraemer, the gentleman that had the Traveling Agency before Dad, used to have extra cars left at Loyal for Loyal Canning Co. to load, but not spotted on the Canning Company spur. This practice is/was known as "Hiding Cars", a reason the ICC used to audit a Railroad's Books at least twice a year, because the Empty Cars in Question could be made to "Disappear" on paper. This was an age-old practice dating ' waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy back in time, one of the reasons the ICC stepped in to assure Car Supply to be carried out fairly, i.e., no one got preferential Treatment. I don't know if such a practice still contiinues today, but years ago if an ICC Inspector/Auditor caught an Employee "Hiding Cars", it led to that person's dismissal! Soo Line even audited itself three or four times a year to keep the Employees on their toes. Still, more Employees got away with hiding cars right up to the Milwaukee Road take-over by the Soo in 1985 than I care to recount on these pages. There are always loopholes, somewhere. The trick is to find them, use them judiciously, and not get caught in the act.

Such was the case at Loyal Canning Co. Eddie Kraemer had played, "Hide The Boxcar--Where Is The Boxcar" for Loyal Canning---a practice that both pleased and Satisfied Doc Lee, who, apparently, had gotten "Stiffed" when he needed an Empty Car once or twice. One way around such troubles was by Hiding Cars. Doc nailed Dad about Car Supply, once--and Once ONLY. As I recall the way the Conversation went, Doc had asked Dad, "Are you going to be able to keep Empties on hand out here for us? Eddie always had cars out here for us", at which point Dad sternly told Doc, "I don't Hide Cars." Doc didn't like hearing that, and this little, seemingly insignificant brush, caused a quite a bit of Friction. Doc, though, always had Empties to load---Dad made sure of that, with the help of Charlie Valcheck, the Chief Billing Clerk here in Marshfield. Charlie was a "Sharpie", that is, Charlie could Read Between The Lines in many rules, figure out what leeway there was that was Legal in holding Empty cars, and keep a few cars---any type---on hand in Marshfield to cover any need that may arise. Charlie kept Empties on hand for Weyerhaeuser in Marshfield, mostly, but, also for the Paper Mills in Wisconsin Rapids, Port Edwards & Nekoosa, or for whatever lineside industry that may have a need for an extra empty, such as Land O' Lakes in Spencer, or Packaging Corporation in Colby. It was done in accordance within the Rules. No one ever was left hanging, Thanks to Charlie. Doc Lee at Loyal Canning Co. was a beneficary of Charlie's diligence with Rules on Cars. Doc never was want for an Empty Car. Doc was impressed, and Doc Lee was not an easy man to impress, believe me.

The Second incident that did nothing to endear Doc Lee to Dad: Dad stepped out on one of the Loading Platforms, to affix a Car Seal on a load one day, that stood between the old Rahm Brothers Warehouse the Canning Co. had purchased years before for use as their own Warehouse, and the Canning Co. spur, and proceeded to FALL THROUGH the rotted Decking on that Platform! The lacerations to Dad's legs were awful; Mother really tore in to Dad when he came home for Lunch with his Trouser Legs all ripped to shreds where the Broken timbers had clawed at his legs as he fell through to his waist!!! Dad carried the scars of that incident on his legs right to the day he died. Doc worried for quite some time that Dad would sue the Canning Co. for that....Dad never bothered to go to the Doctor, and he had some deep cuts in his legs. Doc insisted that he had loaded a Soo Line Insulated Box Car with a Fork Truck over that same Platform; if it couldn't support Dad, who, at the time, weighed probably about 210, one cannot understand HOW that platform could have supported a 2,100 lb. Fork Truck. Dad later heard rumor that Doc had done some hasty shoring-up of that Platform before he would load a Freight Car off of it. Like Steel Plates that could be dragged off later on.

The Third Incident that did nothing to Endear Doc to Dad: It happens I was along this time to see this! Dad and I were starting our way home from Loyal to Marshfield, our last Stop being at the Canning Co. before heading to Marshfield. We had stopped at Trindal's, Bordens, and K&M Builders and were turning east on Highay 98 to head towards Spencer. As we passed the Loyal Roundy's Store, across their Parking Lot you were afforded a CLEAR view of the Canning Co. On this occasion, Doc had loaded a pair of Soo Line XML cars, of the 17000 variety. (The Brown 50' Plug Door Cars of 1973) We came past the Roundys Grocery Store, the FIRST THING we both saw was the Cars at the Canning Co. were WELL TOO CLOSE to the Canning Co. spur switch. The Section Gang was there, scratching their heads, so it didn't look too good, even from a Distance. Dad made one comment, "Crist, I hope those cars didn't Split the Switch".

They Had.

Doc, for whatever reason, now lost to the Gods, had decided these two cars were "In His Way". He moved them, using a wooden Post of some Girth, and one of the old Canning Co. 5-ton Stake Trucks to push the cars towards the switch. The cars started rolling away from Doc, too fast for him to apply the Handbrakes. They stopped after they had Split the Switch.

Now, Dad didn't say much, esp. after we had pulled up in the Soo Line Auto and got out to look the Situation over with the Section Crew. We stood there throwing about ideas about how to move those cars clear so the Section Crew could effect repair on the Switch. I'll tell you the Truth, I knew Dad was unhappy, I just didn't know HOW unhappy.

Doc came running---more or less--down from the Canning Company office. His first words to Dad were, in a Brusque Tone, "I guess you had an accident."

Dad turned on Doc, asking him, firmly, "Just what in the Hell did you think you were doing?" Doc replied, "Those cars were in the way and I moved them."

Dad, giving competition to Mount Saint Helens, Blew Up.

I don't recall the entire Conversation---mostly one-sided, Dad--but Dad fell in to a Tirade that Started Out: "THEY WERE IN YOUR WAY!??? HOW!??" and it simply degenerated from there. Dad was sooooooooooooooo mad, his tirade even made the SECTION MEN UNCOMFORTABLE. One Section Hand was squirming listening to Dad read Doc off, the Section Hand looked at me and asked, "You're old man has a quite a Temper!"

"That's why I take Care not to Tick him off," I replied. I meant it, too! Dad delivered such a Fusillade into Doc's face, I think it would have made Al Capone uncomfortable. Doc simply Shrank---he literally could not believe being dressed down so Loudly in Public---and took the SEVERE tongue-lashing Dad gave him. He had it coming; Doc knew it. I don't think he expected what he got, however.

Pardon me, but I ENJOYED seeing Dad tell Doc off. I never cared for the way he treated Dad, I didn't think too highly of Doc as a person, and, to this day, I still glean a happy memory from that day. I know it's not right. This is one time I consider Justice to have been "Served". In spades.

After Dad finished with Doc, he turned his attention to what to do about those two cars, fouling the Greenwood Line Main Line, and asked the Section Hands what they thought could be done. Somehow, someone, thought of getting the City Of Loyal's Endloader over to push the two cars across Highway 98 in the clear. Dad & I then ran all over Loyal looking for that Endloader; we found it on some Street Project. Dad spoke with a fellow that passed as the Foreman or Supervisor on the job; Dad described what he needed, what had happened, and this Gentleman agreed to come over to the Canning Company to give the two cars a push. About a half-hour after this all took place, the Section Crew was repairing the Canning Co. switch, the two cars were standing west of Highway 98. Dad and I headed back to Marshfield. Dad felt rotten by that time for dressing Doc down like he had, which is why he went looking for that Endloader.

Dad never told anyone else off like that again. And Dad, forever, felt bad he had lost his cool. Doc became rather distant from Dad afterwards. Not that Doc & Dad were all that close to begin with.

That just about covers everything. I hope you all enjoyed this little insight on the Greenwood Line as much as I enjoyed Writing it. And---Mr. Wundrock, I am saving it all as you suggested.

Keith Meacham