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I * s.ied:er?ri-xil-ns,ofbest service anyone gave, but I gave it my best,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure to for the 1C. I think the one of the best railroad the best managed in the ed States.”workIC is ; and Unit-Liarcmoni one-man siauon,six miles from his home town, there wasn’t anything he wanted more than to be afirst class telegrapher. He must have made that gradeirs, ! ce) Ers.,?rt, ; ler, j 13; ire- iar-sis-ingrallayatz,at-logAnd he means every word—it’s not just a pat on the hack because he thinks he ought to say it.‘‘And coming to Monroe was the nicest thing that ever happened to me, “Hillis said. Here he found a city much like his hometown of Olney, in southern Illinois—a place with a courthouse in the middle, population about the same, and a farm community.He found Monroe so relaxing after the fast pace of a A i Chicago job. Living in Markham, he had taken a suburban train from Harvey at 5:30 a. m., standing all the way into Chicago because he road a pass. It was the same in going home, 5:30 p. m. and standing, It wasn't so b a d some of those 30 years, when he sat at his telegraph position, receiving telegrams and orders “that I never even saw.” These came over the wire - dot - dash - interpreted by the ear and pounded out on a typewriter, torn off the machine, and handed for quick dispatch.Those last years in Chicago as wire chief meant he was on his feet from the time he ipet | left home until he got homeat night. He’d find the trouble, send for a workman, patch up the trouble until the lineman arrived to fix - it. That service had to be maintained, too much depended on it.That was a man killer,” he said. “When I got home, I didn’t sit down, I droppedTwo StationsOf IC RailroadConsolidate\*Effective Friday, Sept. 16, the Monroe and Bellevillestations of the Illinois Central will be consolidated, it was announced here personally by Leon Utterback, Freeport,district traffic agent for theIC.everytmng was snipped express — crated chickens, butter and all, and everybodyordered their groceries shipped in. One man had a pony of beer shipped in regularly. One night, young Henry was rolling the cask down the brick platform — all depot platforms were of brick then and bumpy. The boy probably wasn’t paying attention to his rolling, first with one foot and then another. The pony bumped off broke and young Hillis was covered with foam. And that was the first time in her life that his mothervices.4. Coumn asorbing steering 5. Sa hinges.andever bought a pony of beer. She gave him the money to replace it.Henry Hillis, station agent and writh seniority rights here | since 1957, has chosen retire- j ment. Mrs. M. F. Nelson, station agent at Belleville the « past couple years, will take over the consolidated post. !IUnder the c o n s o lidationplan, the Monroe station willbe open 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.Belleville, 12 noon to 2 p.m., ■ and the Monroe station again thing that has been second toopen from 2:30 to 4 p.m., five ^ duties.Henry worked for the B and O from 1917*19 and had a i short spell w ith the Big Four [ Railroad. He went with the IC on Aug. 18, 1920. He was first assigned to Chicago, * then Clifton, and back to Chicago — for that long stretchbefore coming to Monroe.It was during a first weekend spent in Monroe, before the family moved here and he hadn’t gone home to Markham, that he w?as w-alking around the Square and heardmusic. Now music is some-!g h*netJW.fordays of the week, no Saturday or Sunday.ny,g evithSince the Railroad operates on and uses central standard time add one hour to the schedule until the last Sunday of October when daylight i savings time will be over for the year.ler-loolMr.son,dedat-Only car load lots are shipped now on the IC. Their LCC service, less than carload, was discontinued some months ago.The IC runs aMonroethroughfreight train and Belle-At home in Olney, the Hil-lises had a family orchestra or band. Dad was chorister at the Claremont Methodistchurch, sang bass, and alsoplayed the trumpet or cornet, the boys had instruments, thesister and mother played the piano, and Henry played the drums or the guitar, the latter if a brother happened toput it aside to play the banjo. They’d play and sing together — until somebody fell i asleep. Then it was time to to bed.down; mentally and physical- ville, Freeport to Madisonthevithoutat the same.inDn’sink-rectly worn time.”So it wras wonderful when he was transferred to Monroe in 1957 as the depot agent.Then there were two clerks here: John Ball, now a clerk i at Madison, and John Mus-and back, each day, excepting Sunday. There has been no passenger service for many years. Carloads of crude oil, salt, machinery, and malt compose a big bulk of the freight shipments into Monroe.go So it’s Monroeno wonder, that music, floating out onto the Square, made Henrv lonesome. He strolled into the Eagles club and Fred Elmer’s orchestra was playing. It wasn’t long until he sat-in with them — not only that6. S iseats, i strength seat fr anchor;7. F switch turn si simulU vehicle disable8. Sa materi;9. ILsystemsystemb ra ke dual bi 10. heights11. Irantwithsions. 12. washe ofaprevio 13. ductio the dr duce «sion.14. ( throug stan Welfar1965. fi hidesemissi15. £Torn tLBTO ASheIpa I wlt;isTurn to No. 1, Back PageWit!toAroiwi
Newspaper Details
Monroe Evening Times
Monroe, Wisconsin, US
Fri, Sep 09, 1966
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Madison P.
WI, USA 22 Sep 2020
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