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Note: From the Towanda, PA Daily Review, Dated Thursday, Oct. 6, 1966.
Foreman Richard Benjamin of 59 Putnam Street, Tunkhannock, who has been working for the Lehigh Valley Railroad continuously since September, 1909, retired quietly a month ago on September 1.
His working years cover about half of the life of the railroads in this part of the country; when he began work 94 percent of the passenger travel was by railroad, but in 1957, when passenger service stopped, it was only six percent.
When he started there were only steam locomotives on the Lehigh Valley, now there are only diesels.
When Mr. Benjamin started there were 18 section gangs at work between Tunkhannock and Towanda, and four on the Montrose branch alone. Now there are a grand total of two.
Passenger service is becoming a faint memory to younger persons, but Mr. Benjamin can recite, from a clear memory, all the trains which once stopped here every day: "No.7, No. 8, No. 4, No. 122, No. 125, No. 10, No. 9. Even numbers going East, odd numbers going West. Two passenger trains from Wilkes Barre to Sayre, two passenger trains to Montrose, not counting all of the milk trains."
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Richard was born on Rob Wood Mt. in Bradford Co., PA. He told me stories of how the snakes would crawl into they're cellar and steal the milk form the cows. He attended the Bull School until the third grade, when his Dad died. He went to work for a family on a farm for a while then at the age of 12 he went to work for the Lehigh Valley Railroad. He lost his arm in an accident at this age. He was standing in the door of a boxcar when the train jerked to a start, throwing him under the wheels. The whole train ran over his left arm, but left it hanging by a thread, They finished taking it off at the hospital in Sayre. He could do just about anything any person with two arms could. I only remember Him asking for assistance to wash his arm when he took a bath.
He used to umpire softball games for the town league in the spring of the year. Got his first car just before the 2nd world war broke out. It was a 1937 Plymouth sedan. Many the Sunday ride we have taken in it. He used to love to drive until he got lost and then have a picnic and look for our way home.
He was a good fisherman and he and Alec Wykoski used to go fishing quite often in the River at Tunkhannock. They would catch bullheads and eels.
He was a staunch Union man and would even go around and pick his men up to take them to meetings. He was also a devout republican.
When he came home from work at night he would, depending on the season, have a beer or a shot of whiskey. Then go upstairs and take a bath and put on clean clothes. Set down to supper which was always on the table and any children living at home had better be there to eat. Afterwards he would listen to Jack Armstrong, Don Winslow and Tom Mix on the Radio, then do his reports. Always had the plan for the next day worked out before going to bed. Bedtime was usually around 9PM as he always got up early. When he arose Mom would have a breakfast ready for him of , eggs, cereal, potatoes, toast and coffee and his lunch packed.
I remember he used to shovel all the neighbors sidewalks when it snowed. He died at home, in Sayre PA. while out pruning His shrubbery , as He did each day, His daughter Janice found him the next day . He had just fallen over backwards and died. The funeral was a closed casket because of this. He was buried in Oak hill cemetery in Towanda PA , next to Mom.
From the Memory of Carol J. Benjamin (Son)
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