on. There are enough of us to control the affairs of government if we will only do it. Let us vote for men and not for party. Vote honestly, sincerely, and for the betterment of the human race, regardless of the cheap politician, who does not deserve the respect of the most ignorant and blackest negro on the face of the earth. Let us work for the upbuilding of the B. of L. F., the grandest and noblest labor and insurance order on the face of this great globe. We make mistakes; there are none perfect-no, not one-and if at any time you think the officers or members are not doing just the right thing, stop a moment before condemning them. You have faults; so have they. You are not perfect; neither are they. You may do wrong; so can they. Let us reason together for our own good, and see if we can not improve the Order, not to condemn and find fault. Everyone can do some good if they will only try. Let seniority, brotherly love and affection prevail among us all. Don't try to get the best job, simply because you are too lazy to "hit the ball" as the "other feller" who has a good job. Work until your time for advancement comes. Don't be always trying to get the best thing the next week after you have been made a fireman; then if you don't get it, go up town, stand around and drink something that you ought not to, and "cuss" the local chairman and officers of your lodge. Most of the good jobs are worked for, and not donated. I, for one, am in favor of strict seniority, regardless of the feelings of anyone. DEATH OF BRO. R. W. TRAVERS (Mrs. M. G. Foster, Eureka, Nev.) I write to inform you of the death of my son, Ralph William Travers, who departed this life at Eureka, Nev., March 5, 1903, after an illness of nearly three years, from locomotor ataxia. He was a member of Lodge 98, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, and was employed for nearly four years on the Southern Pacific Railroad as fireman, and came home December 2, 1901, where he remained to the time of his death as stated above. The funeral took place here under the auspices of Beatific Lodge, Knights of Pythias, of which he was a member. He leaves two sisters, Mrs. M. L. Lee and Miss Grace Travers, to mourn his loss. He was a native of Eureka, Nev., and was aged 27 years, 10 months and 25 days. My son was well known to the railroad men between Ogden and San Francisco. LODGE 552-(Member, Tyrone, Pa.) Oh yes! Right here we are again, just as we said in our last communication, that if the brothers got to work and stood side by side you would soon see quite a change in 552. Our last meeting was one of the best meetings we have held for some time, although quite a number of the brothers were prevented from attending the meeting on account of a wreck, which took the wreck crew some time before they could get the track clear so as to allow trains to proceed, and at the same time there was a wreck at the other end of the division, but fortunately no one was hurt. Our athletic goat got several good feeds of shoe pegs and carpet tacks last week, therefore he was in fine trim for the five brothers who undertook to ride astride his back at our last meeting. Bro. J. W. Weaver, the first doomed candidate, says some of the engines are very rough, but as to Mr. Billy Goat's roughness there is nothing his equal. Next came Bro. E. B. Walizer, and as he is somewhat different in stature, and the goat was enraged from his first attack, Bro. Walizer said it was a mighty rough ride. Then came Bros. L. H. Alberts, W. P. Hoffman and G. G. Kinkead, who claim they got their money's worth. Since November 15, 1902, we have initiated thirteen, dropped three, have two ready for initiation, and eight in view. If any lodge can beat this we would like to hear from them. Brothers, the probabilities are that in the near future we may have our First Vice Grand Master, C. A. Wilson, with us, and I assure you it will be to your interest to make an effort to attend the meeting, as Bro. Wilson delivers eloquent lectures and displays fine moving pictures. The Phillipsburg boys are a generous, jolly, good-hearted set. We have naught but good to say of them. In fact, we think them the most benevolent set of "hog" firemen to be found in the employ of the P. R. R. Co. LODGE 301-(Z. J. Blake, Lyndonville, Vt.) We are still doing business, though not at the old stand, and it is on a very small scale. It is not, however, because we are short of material, but is owing to the removal of nearly all the power on our division from Lyndonville to New port, Vt., and we are waiting an answer from Grand Master Hannahan which will allow us to move our lodge and equipment and permanently locate the same at Newport. Grand Master Hannahan has already granted us a dispensation so we can initiate candidates, and we have been taking them in as fast as they came along, but otherwise business has been neglected, as you will readily discover if you follow the course of our Fourth Vice Grand Master, who visited us April 2d. And say, boys! he is all right. Bro. Ball took charge of the meeting and initiated one candidate, and you don't want to come around and try to make any of the members of Lodge 301 believe that the Eighth Biennial Convention made any mistake in the courtesy extended our Canadian brothers in the selection of Bro. Eugene Ball to serve as a Vice Grand Master. Bro. Ball gave us a very interesting talk and some timely advice, and as soon as we get located again we will go to work with renewed courage, so that when our Fourth Vice Grand Master comes again we hope to convince him that his first visit to Lodge 301 was not without results. LODGE 274 (Member, Clifton Forge, Va.). At a regular meeting of Lodge 274, held in Masonic Hall, April 8th, we were visited by our First Vice Grand Master, C. A. Wilson, who was with us two days. He pointed out the weak spots in our lodge and again enlightened our minds with the secret work of our benevolent Order. He spoke of the pleasure it gave him to be with us, and the courtesy shown him by our Master and brothers, also of the delightful walk to the roundhouse with Bro. Mitchell. Bro. Mitchell introduced him to our ways of railroading in this section, made him familiar with our different classes of engines, especially the "G 7," and pointed out to him the beautiful scenery that surrounds our beautiful city of magnificent distances. Bro. Wilson promised to meet with us again in a month or two and give us an entertainment with his magic lantern, with which he gives a reproduction of the life of a railroad man from the cradle to the grave. We live in hopes to have him with us again as soon as it is convenient for him to come. Bro. Wilson is a strong speaker, and a loyal brother to his office. All the brothers who met him while here loved him, and parted with the words, "May we meet again soon." LODGE 153-(Member, Ft. Scott, Kan.) I take pleasure in informing the members that we are a band of brothers who are striving to help the good work along, if we have been silent so long. We are a happy band of about eighty members, who have now to contend with the big Vauclain Compounds which have just come to our territory. The Frisco System, from Springfield to Kansas City, has installed these big ten-wheelers. They take first rate with the boys, considering the mills we have had. It was hard for us to give up our little eight and tenwheelers for these monsters, but the engines changed when the old K. C., F. S. & M. was absorbed by the Frisco System, and now the Rock Island is dealing for the Frisco System. What next? We have some very good meetings and have a flourishing Ladies' Society in connection with our lodge, which is in good working order and has a good membership. Some evenings after lodge, when we start to leave, we find to our astonishment, the ladies in the kitchen-which is in the rear of our lodge room-have prepared a fine lunch for us, and we make the surprise work both ways. When they have their meetings we surprise them also with a lunch. We think the Ladies' Society is a great help to the firemen, especially when they work in harmony with each other as we do here, and the joint meetings are out of sight. Don't you think so? We had a victim at our last meeting, and we made a first class fireman out of him before we got through with him. At least he said he felt as though he ought to be one now, and the boys thought that he could do a "battleship" justice now. We have lost some of our good and most reliable members on account of them going into the Engineers' Brotherhood, but our loss is their gain. Of course, it is our aim to some day be on the right-hand side, and we can't expect to keep them always. We had a sad occurrence to befall a member of our lodge. February 22d, Bro. Ed. Gilbert lost his right arm, and Engineer Fred Ficher was killed on passenger train No. 104. Some one opened a switch on a spur and derailed their engine. Bro. Gilbert had just been promoted to the position of engineer about three weeks prior to this accident. It was claimed that he was the youngest engineer in the State, if not in the West. He was not yet 21 years of age. It was sad indeed to behold him stricken down in the prime of life, and when he had just gained the trophy he had worked for so many years, in such a brutal way by some inhuman creature who would not be fit to associate with the demons in the lower regions. LODGE 314-(C. R. B., San Bernardino, Cal.) Golden State Lodge 103 of the Ladies' Society was organized on April 2d by the ladies of Flower of the Desert Lodge 5. On the morning of April 1st, just as the sun was appearing, in came train No. 7, carrying sisters of Lodge 5, L. S. worthy President, Lennie McClure; Past President, Sister Kellelee, and Sister Lee, to organize our mothers, wives and sisters into a lodge of the Ladies' Society. Well, they must have done an excellent job, and the goat was long winded, as they started in at 10 o'clock a. m., and did not get through until after dark. The L. S. goat must be more difficult to ride than is the B. of L. F's., as several of our wives are hardly able to attend to their household duties. We thank the sisters of Flower of the Desert Lodge for their kindness in coming 180 miles to organize our helpmate, also our Grand President, Sister Sargent, for her kind help and advice. Golden State Lodge 103 has twelve charter members, and has a promising field to work on in the future. Officers were elected and installed as follows: President, Mrs. Lizzie Fabun; Vice-President, Mrs. Edith Jensen; Secretary, Mrs. M. A. Bollen; Collector, Mrs. P. Clark; Treasurer, Mrs. A. Cleveland; Chaplain, Mrs. C. Bond. The afternoon of the day set for the departure of the ladies of Lodge 5, L. S., was spent in a pleasant drive through San Bernardino, Smiley Heights and Redlands. The two brothers who agreed to go with the party acted as coachmen, and completed same with honors to their profession. We can testify that Sisters Jensen and McClure would not make very good enginemen, as they wanted to get out of the carriage every time a street car or motor was passed. Sister Lee had just arrived from the East, when it came to picking flowers on Smiley Heights, but it didn't work, as Mr. Smiley didn't see it that way. We are sure the sisters enjoyed themselves, as they promised to come again during our street fair in May. Lodge 314 has 103 members at the present time, and two more candidates ready for initiation and one to be admitted by transfer card at our next meeting. During the past year we have increased our membership by getting fifty-four new names on our rolls, and still there are a few of the boys who ought to join the Brotherhood, but never mind, we will capture them yet. LODGE 530-(Member, Haileyville, I. T.) Lodge 530 is the oldest lodge on the C. O. & G. R. R., and no lodge has a more faithful set of members. Many difficulties have been met with in our pathway, but perseverance is overcoming them one by one. Things have changed as much here in the past twelve months as on any railroad in the United States. We should thank each and every brother for his faithfulness, and our management for its kindness. Several of the boys have been made responsible for the engine in the last few months, in fact, about all who could pass the examinations, and instead of hearing the boys talk of leaving they talk of staying. Bro. W. W. Burnett is one of our latest promoted engineers, and he can tell some great experiences already, on what he used to do when he was a fireman and how clean he kept his engine, the old 28. “Bill” is O. K., and an honor to any order, but Lodge 530 is full of this kind of material. We have once more had the pleasure of a joint meeting with the L. S. to the B. of L. F., Oak Leaf Lodge 33. It has been several months since we met, on account of moving the lodges from South McAlester to Haileyville, the new division point. There was present the same old faces, with the addition of the new ones. Even Sister Stevens, one of the faithful ones, came all the way from K-a-n-s-a-s to meet with the sisters and brothers once more. There is always a pleasant time for those who are in the company of Sister Stevens. And the same old tables; it is strange the sisters will not forget those tables, always loaded with something that will make a tallow pot smile. All of our brothers are good handy fellows at the tables, except Bro. Martin, our Master, and there is something that takes his appetite at every joint meeting, and he is very timid about eating what he does eat. We hope to let you hear from Lodge 530 again, and to see a Grand Officer some day so that our new members may know what they look like. The Home Account. The following donations were received at the Home for Aged and Disabled Railway Employes for the month of March, 1903: B. of L. F. Lodges-20, $5; 48, O. R. C. Divisions. B. of R. T. Lodges. $110 50 99 75 178 00 201 50 287 51 50 50 78 50 B. of L. E. Divisions. L. A. to O. R. C. Divisions. L. A. to B. of R. T. Lodges... G. I. A. to B. of L. E. Divisions 194 50 Miscellaneous.-L. A. to O. R. C. 154, 14 sheets; 200, 3 sheets; 4, 12 sheets; 168, 10 sheets; 139, 13 sheets, 12 pillow cases and 4 cans fruit: 91, box of fruit; 70, 6 sheets; 98, 6 sheets. G. I. A. to B. of L. E.-167, 12 sheets; 177, 16 sheets; 53, 8 sheets; 233, 12 sheets; 246, 12 sheets; 51, 6 sheets; 274, 12 sheets; 19, 6 sheets; 253, 13 sheets and 21 cans of fruit; 96, 6 sheets; 225, 6 sheets; 194, 1 comfortable; 269, 1 quilt; 35, 12 sheets; 110, 1 quilt. L. A. to B. of R. T.-179, 6 sheets; 128, 12 sheets; 53, 7 sheets and 26 pillow cases; 232, 6 sheets; 164, 4 sheets and 8 pillow cases; 58, 6 sheets; 40, 6 sheets. low cases; 161, 6 sheets; 70, 6 sheets and 12 pillow cases; 96, 8 sheets and 16 pillow cases; 141, 6 sheets; 70, 6 sheets and 6 pillow cases; 38, 8 sheets and 16 pil low cases; 134, 4 sheets and 8 pillow cases; 168, 6 sheets and 8 pillow cases; 125, 12 sheets and 12 pillow cases. No clue.20 sheets; 12 sheets; 40 towels. Mrs. A. Banister, 2 sheets. Note. The 12 sheets credited to Mrs. C. A. Bradley were from L. S. to B. of L. F. Lodge 146. Respectfully submitted, MRS. T. B. WATSON, Sec. and Treas. R. R. M. H. Addresses Wanted. Requests have reached this office to publish notices inquiring for the present addresses, or any information concerning the following persons. Information should be sent to the person specified in notice: William Scammons.-Age about twenty-three years, tall, broad shouldered, dark complexion, and talks with a decided Eastern accent. Formerly fired an engine on the Maine Central Railroad. Any information as to his whereabouts will be thankfully received by P. H. Hurley, 513 S. Twenty-first street, Mattoon, Ill. Harry Hall.-Was, or was said to have been a fireman or engineer running out of Leadville, Col., several years ago. A matter in which he may be interested. Kindly send any information as to present address to E. E. Donnely, Bloomington, Ill. James Willoughby.-Left the service of the New York Central, at Buffalo, last winter. Was a member of Lodge 101, B. of L. F., but did not take a traveling card. Is about five feet eight inches in height, had brown hair, and was about twenty-three years of age. Any information as to his whereabouts will be gladly received by Arthur W. Hill, 176 Keystone street, Buffalo, N. Y. Frank Allen.-Is a member of the B. of L. F. at Trinidad, Col. Was last employed on the Colorado and Southern Railroad out of Trinidad. Was formerly on the Mexican Central Railroad. A matter of extreme importance. Please send any information as to his present address to Tom Wilson, Engineer C. & S. R. R., 3124 W. Twenty-third avenue, Denver, Col. George Stickley.-About 5 feet 10 inches height, light complected, blue eyes and sandy mustache, weight about 100 pounds. Any one knowing his whereabouts will be conferring a favor by telegraphing the undersigned at his expense. Address, D. A. McMillan, East 223 Pacific avenue, Spokane, Wash. C. D. Shook.-Was employed as an engineer on the U. P. R. R., at Denver, Col., until about February, 1902. Was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. Anyone knowing his present address, kindly communicate with H. J. Shook, Indio, Cal. Acknowledgments. The following persons desire to acknowledge receipt of payment of claims, and to express their gratitude to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen as an organization, and to the individual members for kindnesses and courtesies extended: John McCaffery, Jersey City. Mrs. May Goldtrap, McCook, Neb. Mrs. Charlotte M. Pack, Homestead, Pa. Katie McCabe, Fountain City, Wis. Lost Traveling Cards, Etc. of the following traveling cards, receipts, etc., and the request is made that all members be on the lookout for them. Should they be discovered in possession of persons not entitled to them, they should be retained and forwarded to owner or to the Secretary of the lodge which issued same: Receipts of Patrick H. Hurley of Lodge 4.-Pocketbook containing receipts, paid up until June 30, 1903, have been lost. Anyone finding same kindly return to P. H. Hurley, 513 S. Twenty-first street, Mattoon, Ill. Receipt of R. J. Ragland of Lodge 698. -Receipt for the quarter ending March 31, 1903, has been lost. If found, please return to J. K. L. Moody, Mer Rouge, La. Lost on April 12th, between Logansport and Kokomo, Ind., a pocketbook containing one $10 bill, two $5 bills, a meal ticket on "The Main" restaurant of Elwood, Ind., a B. of L. F. Traveling Card for quarter ending June 30, 1903, bearing the name of C. F. Shera, also one engineer's annual pass over P., C., C. & St. L. Ry. Any information that will lead to Angus Sinclair Co., Technical Books..... Cleveland & Whitehill Co., Overalls and Continental Casualty Co., Accident Insur ance... Cook Remedy Co., Blood Poison Cure Dinius & Rowbottom, Gloves... xviii xviii iii .xix ..XX .xiii X xiv XX Dueber-Hampden Watch Co., Railroad Watches.... Second Cover Eisendrath Glove Co., Gloves.. xii Elgin National Watch Co., Railroad Watches.xi .iv |