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Archiver > NYDELAWA > 2000-10 > 0972616084


From: "Steven Delibert" <>
Subject: Re: [NYDELAWA-L] U&D RR
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 23:08:04 -0400
References: <004501c03f67$b2186b20$51c280d1@oemcomputer> <010701c03fbf$5a0738a0$9b046f40@0019873538>


OK, I could not resist, I hope this doesn't drown me in lookup requests, but
I went looking for Woolheaters in our 1888 railroad directory and among the
numerous farmers, I found these at Arkville:
Woolheater, Miss Annie, dressmaker, h Tp rd
Woolheater, Arthur, fireman, h Tp rd
Woolheater, George, baggage master, h Tp Rd
Woolheater, Noah D., fireman, h Tp Rd

Firemen in those days were literally that -- shoveled the coal (or
tossed the wood) into the firebox, to boil the water and make the locomotive
go. It was tough work, especially on the steep hills of the U&D; common
slang names for firemen were "bakehead", and "tallowpot", because they also
were responsible for keeping the engines lubricated, done literally with
animal tallow in the early days. If they were reasonably good, and
reasonably patient, they generally got promoted eventually to engineer, and
ran the locomotive, a position of considerable prestige.
Baggage masters were of considerable importance in those days,
especially to a railroad like the U&D, where whole families would travel up
from New York City for vacations of weeks or months, carrying (or having
carried for them!) trunk after trunk after trunk of the immense amounts of
clothing then required to be remotely respectable in the big hotel social
scene. Baggage Masters were generally supervisory types, and the work was
done by "baggage handlers" (a/k/a "baggage smashers" in railroad slang, for
reasons you can guess.)
Hope this is helpful.
Steve Delibert

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