BROADSIDES & ANNOUNCEMENTS 

by George Shammas



Here are four examples of announcements that include a timetable, a broadside, a poster, and a "mission statement."

    Let's start with the timetable. Here is a timetable that displays a schedule of trains available from Liberty, NY to New York City. This schedule became effective on June 27th, 1920. It's interesting to note that this timetable is for "one way" service only. As you can see it has many tears along all of the borders. Nevertheless, the necessary information still exists, with the exception of the name of the Company official on the right, who was probably the General Passenger Agent.


     Next, we have a nice broadside in great condition. It announces the Annual Fall Excursion to New York City on Monday, October 22, 1900. It's hard to believe that this trip took place almost 100 years ago! The photo depicted is of Broadway, probably around 14th street or lower. Service was available from all points and divisions on the railway, and the travel accommodations included free reclining chair cars, Pullman buffet sleepers, and elegant day coaches. Tickets for this event were good for return service up to and including October 27, 1900. Some examples of the rates are as follows: Edmeston-$5.50, Sidney-$5.05, Walton-$4.65, Ellenville-$2.50, Middletown-$1.75, and Carbondale-$5.00.


     This is a safety poster promoting a week dedicated to Fire Prevention from October 9th to October 15th. The railroad's name, and Trustees Raymond L. Gebhardt and Ferdinand J. Sieghardt are listed on the bottom of the poster. There is no year indicated, however, according to the railroad's history, these two gentleman served together in the mid to late forties. The poster is generic in look, and was probably available to many railroads of the times with their personalized information printed on it. I'm willing to bet that this fire prevention training was mandatory, either being ordered by the State's Transportation Commission, the insurance industry or by the railroad itself in an effort to minimize accidents, liability, and casualty loss. It's possible that the railroad lowered its insurance costs by affording this training to its employees. The image shows an unidentified diesel locomotive that looks like an EMD E, F, FT, or an Alco FA. The poster urges one to STOP railroad FIRES, and also states that one should PREVENT FIRE HAZARDS, SOUND ALARMS PROMPTLY, and INSPECT AND TEST EQUIPMENT.




 

     Finally, here is a poster stressing that Courtesy should be practiced at all times by all railroad employees. It is undated, however, John B. Kerr was the railroad's President at the time. I have found his name to appear on two annual passes in my collection from the years 1917 and 1918. Therefore, it's safe to say that this "mission statement" is from that period of time. The words that you see typed in bold letters appear on the poster in red ink. This is one of only three known to exist, I just found out recently that one of our members, Ken Hojnacki, owns the third, and it reads as follows:

 

COURTESY

This Railroad believes in COURTESY.
It expects its officers and employees to
be courteous in all their dealings with passengers,
patrons, and one another. It asks that
they in turn be treated courteously.

The Railroad Officer and Employee above
all others, should be courteous because the
Railroad is a semi-public institution. Those
who patronize the Railroad expect and should
receive courtesy and helpful treatment.

COURTESY is catching.

Be courteous always. Courtesy makes
the rough places much easier and helps to
smooth away life's little difficulties. Courtesy is
a business asset, a gain and never a loss.
Courtesy is one mark of a good Railroad man.

"Life is not so short, but there is always time
for Courtesy.-- Emerson.