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S. griffin, D.D. / TORONTO : WILLIAM BRIGGS, WESLEY BUILDINGS. Montreal; C. W. COAXES. Halifax: S. F. HUESTI8. 1898 VV Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight, by WiLiiUM Briggs, at the Department of Agriculture. PREFACE, IT was felt that thousands who had known the genial and Christian face of Conductor Snider, who had laughed under the ininiitable- ness of his mimicry, or wept under the spell of his pathos, or turned, with repentance and faith, unto God untler his impassioned appeals, seek- ing their salvation, would desire to have at their hands some memorial of his life and work. In response to this desire and with the per- suasion that the Conductor would gladly give consent to anything which might go out from, or because of, him on an errand of good, his loyal wife and devoted helpmate placed in my hands such notes and MSS. as were at her disposal for the purposes of this volume. It is to be regretted that he left so little on paper of those sermons and lectures which haive the readers of this volume a welcome memorial of the enjoyment they had when listeninf,^ to them. I am indebted to a stenographic report of the sermon on " The Blessed Invitation." The kindly tributes to be found in these pa^es will express the sentiments of thousands concerning- the Conductor's well-ni'^'rited ^otxl name. I am grateful for the pnjmpt and cheer- ful manner in which they came into my liands. They are heart-felt testimonies which cannot fail to be appreciated by every reader. It will be sufficient to add that tliis little volume goes out to its readers followed by the prayer which dominated the Christian life and experience of the genial and lovable man it holds in affectionate remembrance, namely, that the loving Lord may use it for the salvation of many. D. W. Snider. Methodist Parsonnqc, Milton, May UK 1898. INTRODUCTION. LJAVING known the late Conductor Snider .since he was a lad and ioHnwed his course with much satisfaction for man/ years, I am personally grateful that his cousin has j^repared this interesting memorial vuaime whicii I he- ll ve will be much appreciated by everyone who knew and lov^ed him. W. K. Snider lived on the railroad ever since he was a small boy — and his education was prin- cipally such as he acquired in his " life on the rail." His natural gifts in many particulars were above the average and were greatly developed by his experience and observation in his con- stant public intercourse with the world. His genial qualities and unicjue endowments secured for him a warm welcome in all circles of social life. His retentive memory, his powers of description and imitaticn invested him with rare abilities to interest and entertain his li Vlll Introduction. friends, and all who enjoyed his personal ac- quaint.-nce will always carry with them pleasant recollections of the hours spent in his company. No more popular conductor ever took charge of a railway train. His assiduous attention to all travellers who needed oversight, his solici- tous regard for their comfort, and his affahle treatment of the travelling public generally, made him a universal favorite. When he was converted everybody knew it — not only by his prompt and public testimony for Christ but also from the wonderful chan<»;e which appeared in all his hal)its of life. All " the boys," as he called them, with whom he had spent many an hour in sinful jollifica- tion, were taken into his confidence, while he told them the glad story of his })ei'sonal salva- tion, and not a few were led by him to the Saviour whom he had learned to love. His talents were soon recognized by the Church, and to the day of his deatli his evangelistic services and popular lectures gave him a won- derful reputation throughout the country. His originality of thought, his incomparable powers of imitation, his aptness of illustration, his forceful and earnest delivery, together with his great personal magnetism, guaranteed the extra- ordinary success which cr mncd all his public introductio7i. IX efibrts. The publication oi' these selections among his sermons and lectures, it is believed, will be greatly appreciated ])y those who ad- mired and loved him, and will serve as a souvenir that will be highly cherished. W. S. Griffin. i I CONTENTS. Preface .... Introduction. Bev. W. S. Griffhi, D.D. - His Like and Work. i^er. Z>. W. Snider - Tributes — Wardsville Methodist Church .... Toronto Christian Police Association . W. R. Tiffin, Esq., Superintendent, Northern Division, G.T.R Rev. John Potts, D.D. Crossley and Hunter, P]vangelists - - . . John Morrison, Esq. , Chief Conductor, O. R C Rev. W. F. Wilson Rev. A. C. Crews I.O.F. Court Brock, Toronto - - . . . Women's Christian Temperance Union, Fergus - E. H. FitzHugh, Es(i., Superintendent, Western Division, G.T.R. ...... "The Blessed Invitation:" A Sermon. Condmtor Snider --■-... "Railway" Sermo.v. Conductor Snider - " Life on the Rail : " Lecture. Conductor Snider - pAt4ii: 5 7 13 54 55 56 57 58 59 62 63 63 64 65 81 94 T il 'i ! J! * t n tj tl o si P d ei al THE LIFE AND WORK OF W. K. SNIDER. HIS LIFE AND WORK, Born ; born ao^ain ; died. Birth, bringing its gifts of hereditary advantage; conversion, or the new birtli, bringing its sanctification of pur- pose and exaltation of life ; death, bringing to those around sorrow and tears, but also" its myriad tokens of love and chaplets of praise— these are the piers that measure and support the spans which make up the completed bridge of many glorious lives with all their weight of sin and success, forfeit and fortune, pleasu're and power. The life of W. K. Sni.ler, the Christian con- ductor, viewed as a bridge, is full of interest in either span. The world realized how remark- able the first span was when it blazoned his 14 The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. i:: conversion as a public event and proclaimed it as " wonderful." It was talked of as an event of extraordinary importance. It will be neces- sary, therefore, to inquire into the character of those years between his birth and his conversion, though it takes into account the time that his repentance covered. The other and later span in his life, since the story of Jesus thrilled his heart and the pulpits of the land were the place of his convincinfjf and joyful message, received its joyful testimony of beauty and power when, at the knowledge of his death, multitudes in all parts of Canada felt that a most intimate friend had slipped from their side, or a dearly loved one had been torn from their embrace. A fair bridge ! An eloc^uent life 1 An established character ! William Kaitting Snider, third son of Michael Snider and Elizabeth Kaitting, was born March 1st, 1852, in the township of Trafalgar, about live miles from the town of Oakville, in the County of Halton. His ancestors were among the earliest pioneers of the Canadian wilderness. His great-grandfather, Michael Snider, after whom his father was named, a man of com- manding manners and powerful physique, came with his wife to America from his native Ger- many, and settled first in Maryland, U.S.A. After The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. 15 varying fortune in Maryland and Pennsylvania, but when their fortune was ripest, they sought the aegis of the British Hag, and taking advan- tage of the proclamation of King George III., came into Canada, crossing the Niagara River at Chippewa, in 1802. Overtaken by an early winter, where the city of Hamilton now stands, they took shelter during those dreary, lonely months of 1802-8 in a vacated log hut or shanty, and worked and waited for the Spring. Disap- pointment met them, as the land they expected to take up had not yet been surveyed. It was in 1807 when they Ijegan the work of clearing and founding a home on Dundas Street, Trafalgar, to which they moved in 1809 from Ryckman's Cor- ners, where they had found companionship and the opportunity to labor during the intervening years. The Conductor's great-grandmother was born in Ireland, though brought up and married in Germany. It may be that we are indebted to this fact more than we know, for those gifts of mirth and mimicry which gave him a good degree of his popularity and fame. At all events, he had a drop of Irish blood in him. By the name Kaitting the subject of this memoir preserved his mother's family name — and more. By the name " William " Kaitting he honored the name of his uncle, who was the '^ , 16 T/i€ Life ami Work of IV. K. Snider. i; I llbi ' first mule child born of white parentage in the frontier township of Trafalgar. Early in the century John Kaitting and his wife came from the United States into Canada, swinnuing their horses across the Niagara River, while the heroic woman had a babe in a basket strapped to her back. They settled in Halton. Mrs. Kaitting did not see the face of a white woman for the first six months of her residence in the country, while her husband manifested such skill with the gun that he was named by the Indians " Cusicance," conveying the meaning thit he was " quick to hunt and shoot all deer from Indians." These ancestors were of that simple, sturtly, patriotic, God-fearing stock to which what is purest and best in our Canadian manhood may be traced. They were brave, whole hearted and religious. They took their part in the early and protracted struggles of this young country — loyal alike to God and government. Some- times an unwelcome strain was put upon their cherished plans and hopes to which only patriot- ism could submit. The fragrance of the pioneer nuptial feast of David Snider and Eliza Eliza- beth Marlatt, the Conductor's grandparents, had hardly been lost in the fuller perfume of the forest when he was ordered to Little York to The Life and Work of JV. K. Snider. 17 the the rom heir the )pe(l \Irs. man the luch the ling leer 1 join his company of artillery, where he remained •lurint^ the troubled years from 1812 to 1814, while the honeymoon was shattered and the bride remained in her father's house. Was it not, therefore, something very instinctive in the Conductor, the son of the tirst-born of this union, which lent spice and strength to the description he gave of his return from a hapless venture as " peanut butcher " on the train l)e- tvveen Detroit and Chicago, when, with twinkling eyes, he used to mimic the stranded youth whose pockets could produce no spoils though stood on his head and shaken like a bag, who at the same time strutted about l)efore the boys of the town saying he was 'just home from tlie States " '. He had been to the States ! Ever after his own boyish escapaile he was proud to be a Canadian by the emphasis of four generations of Canadian blood that leaped in his veins, and his contempt for the man was unfeigned who thought himself too big for his country. The Conductor's parents during the fifties left the farm where they had lived since their mar- riage, December 29th, 1836, and took up their residence in Milton while it was in the race (and finally successful) for the honor and advantage of being the county seat. Already the comicali- ties of his character and the indications of that 18 The Life ami Work oj IV. K. Snider. marked histrionic ability he was to manifest had secured for liini the free and easy greeting of " Billy." and he took it from all parties as his right l>y the unaffected egotism of his childhood, which uttered the plans and exploits of his play, " Hilly do (lis," " Billy goin' to do dat." Those who have known him longest and loved him best would feel that a false dignity had dis- honored him if the page which told his history should fail to meet their eyes with the famil- iar name. It is to the credit of his character, too, that through all the years, and when position and fame were heaped upon him, he enjoyed from his associates on the railway, or in Chris- tian work, the friendly and hearty, if not elegant, greeting, " Hello, Billy : " " Give us the latest story, Billy." After a few years of residence at Milton and Zimmerman, in the township of Nelson, the CJonductor moved with his parents to the grow- ing town of Guelph (now a city), where for over twenty years his father carried on the business of commission grain merchant, and held an honorable place among its citizens both in the life of the Church and the municipality. Here it was that the boy's eyes opened wide to tlie world, and it was to this spot that he carried those who ever heard him preach or The Life ami Work of \V. K. Sntdcr. 10 or lecture, when he .spoke, with the patlios of the most genuine repentance, of his lionie and mother and the hallowed j^jraves of his parents, whose prayers had followed his prodigal foot- steps through all the years of his sin. He continued his attendance at school upon his father's removal to Guelpli, and became a pupil successively of the public and Grammar schools and of Walker's Academy. That he did better work at school or went further in his studies than the average boy was plainly indicated when he came to enter, and to be welcomed in, the pulpits of the Province. While, at such times, he lamented the insufficiency of his education, only the severely and coldly criti- cal found reason to correct his speech. His style gave evidence not only of his superb natural endowment, but also of those educational ac- (juirements so necessary to retain the ears of the cultured. He was no gesticulating boor. He was no declamatory assassin of the Queen's English. But there is little doubt that the Conductor often broke the routine of his school days and gave unnecessary rest to his books by a freijuent indulgence in those plays and sports wherein, at the same time, " the boy was father of the man." He was simply fascinated by the sight t{ 20 The Life and Work- of IV. K. Suider. of a niilway train, aiul t<> improvise such a tliiii;,^ about the house, hy every exi)e(lient of uiuhiuiitef Linnie to a hunter, or the ineffectual pull of a trout on the hook of a Hsherman. A never-ceasinj^^ round of tickets was taken from the otlier mendjers of the family as station after station was called, and the " choo-choo, choo-choo-o " of an on-com- ing train threatenin<^ its tragic consequences was to he heard at any moment. And he was efjually fascinated by another thing that gave variety to his sports and perhaps aroused m-eater interest in others. His mimetic gifts were captivated by the opportunity which the Ijlatant and brazen-throated gutteralist who stood at the door of the panorama or side-show or circus afibrded them. Great temptations came this way to which he yielded. Billy was willing to serve the manager of a show at any time to cfain admiUance. He must see how it was done. He must learn the song and be able to recite the joke — for did not everyone count on him to repeat it? To. hear him was to get the sliow^ away below cost. He estab- lished a panorama of his own — that scenic ii. Thi' lAJc and Work of \\\ K. Siiufn: 21 display wliieh luis ^ivon ])lace to the store- opticon ('.\hi})iti(jn. He luul 150 pictures, aiul crowds used to irather to hear him descrihe their Lnowi n^ wonders 1( It is not snrprisinfjf, in view ol' the t'ore^oin^ facts, to learn thixt the mimetic and)itions of tlie Conductor should find o^iportunity for develop- Tiient in tlie higher reaches of the dramatic art. This was puhlicly ati'orded by an attempt upon the part of amateur actors to render tlie " Mer- chant of Venice" in the drill hall of the town of (iK'lph, when he carried the part of Shylock throui^di with amazin<^ success. This, perhaps, was his first impersonation of the "Jew" — a rnle in which on many a platform he was after- wards to " bring down the house." The adolescent period of the Conductor's life was full of unrest— a strug^^le between his home affection and filial duty, for he dearly loved his parents, anlit among the people. The Conductor attended the Sunday evening service. He was always an attentive hearer, but at this time he was deeply impressed, yet, with a sliow of unusual hard- ness, he resisted. He left his wife at the after- meeting, only to have his struggling soul stung to the (piick by the innocent words of his daughter, who followed him from the church, saying, " Wait, father, I'm going with you." He muttered in his spirit — Where ? And the only answer seemed to be — hell. He was taken sick that night. For several days he was seriously ill. He was sin-sick, too. The Spirit of God was striving with tliis man, so long foremost in the devil's service. Conviction seized his soul. He prayed. He agonized. He dreamt that he saw Jesus looking upon him with eyes of love. Awake again, he turned in his bed from side to side, only to have the Scripture mottoes on the wall, which had long been there, now one and now the other, flame out at him in letters of living fire the invitations of the Gospel. The mottoes were these : " He leadeth me," and "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Wm 'J he Life and Work of \V. K. Snider, 27 Prince of Peace." He felt tliat tlie Lord wanted him. He arose and dressed liiinself, and, in order to get away from tlie sii»ht of the burnin^" but loving message of the mottoes, found his way to the living-room of the house, only to throw himself upon the lounge, broken in heart. His wife and sister-in-law, at first alarmed, were at his side, but with spiritual intuition (piickened by the Holy Ghost, they understood his case, and gave God thanks. " Let us kneel here and pray," they said. " The Spirit is striving with you. That is what is the matter with you." They knelt. They prayed. He prayed — he prayed for himself as a hard- ened and lost sinner. Presently he cried, " God save my train hands — my baggageman and brakeman ! " And immediately the light of the glorious Gospel of the blessed God filled his soul. He said to his wife and sister-in-law — with a face so different from before, and radiant — " I'm all right now." How fully the prayers of his loved ones were answered on that 29th of January ! What forces operated together to accomplish that victory ! A new span in the bridge of life was to throw its grander arch over the remaining years. The news of the Conductor's conversion was quickly noised abroad. It went throughout the I' I ':!!. ■., I ill ' 28 T/ie Life and Work of IV. K. Snider town, it leaped from station to station alon^j;; his route, it Hew afar over all the Province, " Con- ductor Snider is converted I " He believed tliat, when his repentance was sicrnalled to hea\'en and there was joy in the presence of the angels of God, his redeemed parents caught up the chorus in tlieir glad liearts. The Conductor speedily gave undoubted evi- dence that, as he used to express it, " he had come clean Over the fence." Without being obtrusive, but always simple and natural, he seized every opportunity to let it be known that he was on the Lord's side. " No desire of his heart was stronger than that, without flinging it in the face of men like the Hare of a detective's lantern, he should let his light .s'o shine that men might glorify his lieavenly Father. His celebrated " Railway " sermon was born of that desire. It was his prayer from the first that each day some occasion might present itself for direct conversation about personal religious ex- perience, and that he should have grace to make the best of it — both in giving and receiving. After several years had passed, he claimed, to the glory of God, that v.hile there might have been one or more exceptions — in which case the fault would be wholly with himself — he was unable to locate any two consecutive days when \ .j rler. The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. 29 ilon witiR'KS. The Lord is able to save and Me is able to keep." And lie did that tliint^ faithfully. It was his pro<(raninie always and everywhere to (rive tliat testimony, whether men heard him in the reverent stillness and expectation of the sanctuary at the hour of worship, or whether tliey should come to get the medicine of healthy laughter when, on the week-night, in th.e exer- cih ^ of his splendid talents, he should arouse his auflionce to the highest pitch of pleasural)le enjoyment until their sid(is ached. That testi- mony of his, however, that " God has power on oarth to forgive sins, and to make men strong and happy in His service," must be given just the same. He took to the platform for that purpose, chiefly. Conductor Snider did not lec- ture in order that he might tell funny stories — he told funny stories, he used his inimitable gift that he might lecture. Men would throng to witness liis mimicry but when they came to enjoy that feature they had, also, to submit to his purpose and hear about salvation. The story was his fulcrum, his testimony to the power of the Gospel and to the redeeming love of Jesus Christ was his lever. But he did not use what has just now been named as his fulcrum on the Sabbath. It was only in the smallest way, if at all, that he ever gave any 3 36 The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. evidence in the course of a sermon of his niirth- provokijig gifts. He had no need. Tlie expec- tation of the Sabbath and the presence of sinful and burdened men and women in the house of God was a sufficient fulcrum for his testimony and message. His reverence forbade the relation of a story for the story's sake, and he would be the last to tempt the fretting steeds of his power or let them from their stalls, lest that reverence in others should be destroyed. How God honored and blessed him and made him a blessing in his choice to run a train as a Christian conductor and to testify of Jesus, as far as possible, across the threshold of every open door ! And the doors opened everywhere, while through the kindly treatment of his rail- way superiors (which after all was only business wisdom) he was able to say to tens of thousands in this country, to the glory of God, " I an a living witness." " I came to Jesus as I wfis, Weary, and worn, and sad ; I found in Him a resting place, And He has made me glad." But, besides the unaffected humility of the Conductor which confined the services he ren- dered within the definite limits that his native 7 he Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. :37 good sense determined, a further secret of Ins usefulness lay in the simplicity and cleanliness of his humor. It has been said that " humor with ! ome men is often much more reverent than the solemnity of others," and his is a case in point. It has to be understood that the sense of humor with him was rather of the appreciative and mimetic sort tlian creative or conjured. It was not employed as a weapon. It had no vicious or vindictive uses. It never " put the laugh " on another to the injury of his feelings or his name. It was unadulterated fun. The Conductor's gift, which at the constant call of his friends he exercised so freely that it was kept " on tap," was simply tlie ability to mirror the well-known comicalities and whimsicalities of character, while between these and the vulgarities of character he made and kept a wide chasm. It may be said, therefore, that the door of the room might be open to all the childi-en, and no woman would ever want to exclude herself from it, when the Con;aictor was telling any of the numberless stories of which he appeared to be as " full as an egg is of meat." No one went away from his recitals, either pul)lic or private, with his eyes averted or a bad taste in his moutli. <^n the other hand, he felt he had been refreshed and renewed, for trouble, meanwhile, had flown 1^ ■B^BW?BB»B!" 38 /"/;,.• Ufc ami Work of IV. K. Snidcf. !ii from tlie windows and the rush of business had met the pause of a splendid exhilaration. And it was through this gift, exercised as it was, that he kept in sympathetic touch with, and held the appreciation of, men from whom, under other circumstances, his conversion might have made an utter cleavage. This was one of the distinct gains of his conversion to the Church of God, and it is a matter of admira- tion and gratitude that while the Conductor's nanie is everywliere associated with a jolly laugh, there is no sting in the memory of it. The dignity of none was ever lowered. The moral sense of none was ever shocked. Men enjoyed it, and would gladly enjoy it again. It remains to be added to the (qualities which have already been named as having contributed to his popularity and usefulness, that which, after all, was the supreme secret of Conductor Sni( lei's power. It was none other than an unfaltering faith in God and a quenchless and absolute belief in the Bible and in prayer. His life was directed by these as emphatically as his train by the orders of the chief "despatcher." No telegram put in his hands by the operator at a station was ever more peremptory for the control of his train than a promise of God with its condition from the " blessed Bible " was final for the stay and comfort of his soul. TJie Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. 39 Whether it was so or not, it at least appeared instinctive for him to believe. It seemed to be as easy for him as for a child. Whether as a (piality natural or ac(|iiired, whether as a victory hotly fought for and won, or a possession by the ri^ht of inheritance and undisputed, he was fre^ from the taint and damage of scepticism or agnosti- cism or infidelity concerning things religious and evangelical. No evil seed of that description had ever taken root in his nature, or the eradi- cation of it had been most complete. An ounce of ex])erience with him was worth more than a ton of philosophy. Hence his answers to insinuating objections were always at hand, like tlie sufficient state- ment of the man born blind to whom Jesus had given sight : " Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not : one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." He would say, " God ansv/ers prayer, for has He not answer' d my ' lother's prayers f " God's Word is true because I have found it true." " God takes care of me ■inl opens the way for me, for my experience over and over again proves it." " I am a living witness." His like or dislike of a preacher, as a preacher, proceeded from this standpoint of belief. He did not want to listen to theories from the :i. 40 I he Life and Work of W. K. Snider. 1! pulpit, or to explanations which needed to be explained, or to tentative ideas. He wanted to hear that which was manifestly born of faith, and which was itself able to give birth to faith ; from faith to faith, from strength to strength — that ^vas the sermonic order of merit. It is not surprising, tli(3refore, to find that he was a great admirer of I). L. Moody, and that, for the same reason Ww love for the glowing rhetoric and dramatic e of T. DeWitt Talma<;e received no check, w.iile the (juaint and powerful home- thrusts of Sam P. Jones, under the same vigor of belief, delighted him. He read and re-read the sermons of these men, imitatincr their voices as he had heard them, and, if he had a listener, adding also their peculiar gestures or man- nerisms The freedom he was given to fill so many engagements to preach and lecture, necessitating such frecjueiit and, sometimes, prolonged absence from his train and the duties of his run, the Conductor attributed wholly to the providence of (Jod. He was not unmindful of the kindness, both in word and deed, of those officers of the railway from whom he obtained such privileges, but he chose to esteem them as the mere instru- ments of CJod's providential direction both of himself and his work. If, through the calls of ' I TJie Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. 41 the Chiircli, he was asked here and yonder to preach, he hiid tlie ease before the Lord, ready to go if the way should open to him, and lie made his application for relief from his train in that spirit. He stated his case first to God and then to the railway company, and left it there. Very few times, if ever, was he disappointed. There were two special cases of official kind- ness that he used to relate, while giving God the glory. The first was concerning his removal from Winf^ham to Toronto. He felt for a lonf; time while residing in Winghari, in 1891, and running between Wingham and London, that if he coidd be transferred to a more central and populous point, such as Toronto, he could answer a greater number of calls with greater ease and have a larger field for his evangelistic activities. He wrote the superintendent of the road to that effect, and received a prompt and very favorable reply. But weeks, if not months, passed and no change came. He knew the slow routine attend- ing the work of promotion over a great system like the Grand Trunk Railway, and that what- ever came could only follow the lines of justice between himself and his fellow-employees. How- ever, he thought he saw one or two opportuni- ties that might have been his pass out of sight. His faith in the oflicial promise he held appeared 42 The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. ! : m to be liaving som \ test applied. One morniiio- Ijefore takini»: his t^aiu at Wino-haiii lie read the 75th Psalm at I'ainih' worship. When he had read the sixth and seventh verses he stopped and said : " That is the Lord's word to me to-day, an■ 44 T/ie Life and Work of W. K. Snider. Bay to Vancouver and return. You will be provided witli pass, Toronto to North Bay and return, when you are prepared to leave on your trip. " I liope tlie visit will benefit tlie health of yourself and wife, and that you will return with renewed vi<;-or to atj^ain take up your work amongst us. '* Yours truly, "J. Stephenson, "Superintendent" " Toronto, March loth, 1895. 'Mu. W. K. Snider, " Passenoer Conductor, " Union Station, Toronto : " Dkar Sir, — Re 3^our application for leave of absence during the months of May and June of this year. " I will arrange to relieve you for that period, and enclose herewith passes for yourself and ]\[rs. Snider, North Bay to Vancouver and re- turn, over the Canadian Pacific Railway. " Please remind me, about the middle of April, and I will get passes for yourself and Mrs. Snider from Toronto to North Bay and return over our line. The Life and Work of W. K. SmWer. 45 " I tru.st the trip will be a pleas.aiit one to both of you, and sincerely hope that the niiHsion you are on will be the means of doing good to many. " Yours very truly, " I). MORICE, " Assistant Superintendent T The names attached to the foreg'oing letters are sutrgestive of the fact that a change in the manao-ement of the Grand Trunk Railway has taken place since their date. New men and, to a certain extent, new methods, have been intro- duced for the control of the system. Much curiosity and some suspicion amongst all the employees awaited the course of events as they should appear under the new regime, and, as a matter of fact, many striking clianges were soon bulletined. The Conductor was asked many times if he was not afraid "something might drop" tliat would interfere with the liberty he had enjoyed of tilling so many public engagements. But he had no fear concerning it, whatever the official action might prove to be. He felt that he was in the hands of the Almighty Despatcher, and if He wanted him to preach He would continue to open his way, whether on or off the railroad- 4(i The Life and Work' of W. K. Snider. Cjiud could control the hearts of men in thut which atlected his welfare or usefulness. It was soon made known to him, liowever, that he had the full sympathy of the new mana<^e- njent, as well as he had the encouragement of the old, and he was personally informed that he mi^lit confidently rc'tain and make use of any of the privile<;es which had been ^ivinted to him in th(! past while in the pursuit of the good WM)rk in which he was eni£a<»;ed, and on account of which he was in so i»reat demand. Thus we see this man, who committecl his way unto the Lord and wdio ti'usted also in Him, kept in place and })rivilege until the close. And fi'om every human standpoint of observa- tion the close came all too (juickly. At the age of forty-six, in the flower of his years, while runninii' one of the best trains on the Grand Trunk tracks (an express between Windsor and Niagara Falls), and popular among all classes, and abundantly iseful in the church, and mani- festly winning men for Christ at almost every service at wdiich he preached, telling the old, old stoiy, and while planning more extensive things in the way of Christian endeavor, his earthly career w^as ended. The first serious indication of disease was seen in August, 1897, wlien, becoming ill, he left liis The Life and Work of W. K. Snidn: 47 train at Haiiiiltoii junl was laid up in tlio lionie of his In'otlier for several days. He recovi'red from the attack, which was thou«;ht to liave proceeded from temporary causes, and resumed his (hities. During the month of NovemV)er, while attemptint; to till an en^ragement to preach anw I Shall we not meet again in endless day, Where shadows and where sighing flee away. To-morrow T' It was made clear by the autopsy that the fight for health had been carried on in merciful ignorance of an incurable disease. A foreign growth, so obscurely located, and aft'ecting the organs in such a way as to elude the most 52 The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. -f , expert examination, had done its work. This knowledge gave to both physicians and friends the sadly satisfactory assurance that they had done their best. The startling intelligence of the Conductor's death was (juickly made known by the news- papers of the Province and beyond, when, in the most kindly terms they voiced i ; universal shock and sorrow that was felt, and also gave interesting sketches of his remarkable career and valuable estimates of liis character and work. Beautiful floral tributes were placed upon the bier by many loving banc s, while the massive archway of flowers with "|,ates ajar," which gave expression to the respect of the Order of Railway Conductors, bore the tender and pathetic inscription, " Our brother's last *ip. After an appropriate and touching service at Windsor, in which many ministers of various denominations took ])art, the body of the la- mented Conductor was reverently borne to the Grand Trunk station — his fellow-conductors acting as pall-bearers — and was taken to Fergus to al)ide for awhile in the parental home of his bereaved wife. Here the last sad rites were observed, when, at noon on Good Friday, April 8, 1898, an impressive Inirial service, in which The Lije and Woyk of IV. K. Snider. b:\ the society of Foresters took part, was conducted by the Rev. T. W. Jackson of the Methodist Church, assisted by a number of representative ministers, after which the mortal remains of tlie dearly loved and greatly honored evangelist- conductor, borae by the affectionate hands of his cousins, were committed to their last restinji place in the Belsyde Cemetery at Fergus, being buried in the undimmed hope of a full and glorious resurrection. " Nor ever shall he be in prai.se, By wise or good, forKaken, Named softly as the household name Of one whom God hath taken ; With quiet sadness and no gloom We now shall think \\\nn\ him, With meekness, that is gratefulness To God, whose heaven hath wim him." TRIBUTES. The following selections have been made from the numerous resolutions and tributes that have been offered expressini; the great respect and love with which the memory of Conductor Snider is cherished. They have been chosen because of their re- presentative character, and as indicative of the many-sided influence of his life. jNIETHODTST CTIURCH at WAllDSVTLLE. The first is an extract 'om a resolution of pathetic interest. It was unanimously passed by the conoregation of the Methodist Church AT Wardsville, in the hushed solemnity that came upon them during the evening service of Easter Sunday as the death of the Conductor was referred to, and the memories of the people recalled the fact that the last full day of service he was permitted to give had been for them, and with results so marked and blessed. Though Tributes. 55 lie atteinpteu to preach one otlier Sunday, his service was interrujjted by the sharp stroke of (hsease. The resokition takes the form of a letter of condolence to the bereaved wife, and signed by the pastor. Rev A. I. Snyder. Tt reads, in part, as follows : " You are aware he has visited our town twice. V/e shall never forget the beautiful Gospel sermons he preached and the thrilling testimonies he gave to the power and love of Jesus Christ. At the close of one of his sermons twenty- one persons arose for prayer. " We learned to look upon him as a man sent from God. While here he preached Christ as a mighty Saviour." TORONTO CHRISTIAN POLICE A8SOCIATION. The following, taken from a resolution passed by the Tcjronto Christian Police Associa- tion, and signed by W^innifred J Macdonald, the Hon. Secretary, is of uni([ue interest : " The memories of Mr. Snider's visits to the meetings of the Christian Police Association are very helpful ones, and his inspiring messages to us are not forgotten. He certainly obeyed our If fir 56 The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. Lord's injunction, ' Be not of a sad countenance,' and the shining^ of his face testified to the glad- ness of liis wliole-liearted service for Christ." MR. W. R. TTFFTN. SKperinfendent of tlw NortJierti Dicinion of t}ie Gratul Trunk Raihraij. " I hear inse' . es to Christ. Conductor Snider was one wh< turned ' many to righteousness.' " Tributes. 6:J INDKPKNDKNT OllDKR OF F()Uh:STKKS. TIio following;" excerpt is from a most eulotj^is- tic and lu'otherly resolution from Court Brock, Toronto, I.OF.: "Our late brother, Contluctor Snider, was one of those men who, havin<^ ])ut his liand to the plow, did not turn aside, and the t^ood which he has wrou<^ht will not pass from our midst with nm. WOMEN'S CHRISTTAN TKMPEllANCE UNION. The W. C. T. U. of the town of Ferj^us f^ave expression to their great esteem for the late Conductor, in a glowing resoluti(m in which these vigorous sentences are found : " Conductor Snider was one of our lionorary members. His heart also was in the temper- ance work, and his life and influence made him a tower of strength on the side of ])rohibition. We mourn his loss greatly. As a soldier of the Cross, he was mighty in battle. His field w^as large, his talents exceptional, and his voice reached thousands and thousands of his fellow- men. He has slain scores and hundreds of sinners by the sword of the Spirit, and has seen them rise again to walk with Christ his Captain in newness of life." ISi.'. I . 64 11 ic Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. 4 « 'i i m ■J' If i MR. E. H. FITZHUGH, Superintendent (rr I'or uternity. Look .'it tluit poor woiiian witl) ht3r box ol' ointmont. She was jjoor, itiii she leaves the record hehind her that will staiii! as lon^' as the (liureh of (jiod stands on eartii. To-day we read of it just as if it only happened yesterday. Why { l>ecaus(! she was doin;^ somethino; for Jesus Christ. There are men tryin*,^ to <;"et titles to their nanjos. I want God's title to my name : " W. 1)."—" Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord." There is another promise that is precious to my soul, and that is, " I will raise them up at the last day." Last February I stood in the old churcli in Ouelph, the town where I spent my boyhood, and where my father and mother are now at rest. When I stepped into that pulpit and looked down in the faces of tliose dear old heads that used to sit in class-meetinut little did she think that in twenty years after you would be standing here in the sacred desk pointing sinners to the Lamh " The Blessed Invitntiony 77 ol' Cjiod that takcth away tijo .sins of tlw world." Tluy said to me, " Vour parents know it in heaven." Jesus Chri.st says, " Tljere is Joy in the pre.sence of tlie anj^id.s over (jne sinnei- that it'penteth." On Monchiy niornino- the Kev. .Mr. T. and I went out to the cemetery where my t'atlier and niotlier are buried, and as I sat hy the j^'rave my li<;art filled full and I said, " Vou did not live to see your prayers answered; you did ncjt live to see nie ])rouoht to Jesus Christ." Then I took that promi.se of Je.sus Chri.st where He says, "I will rai.se tliem u]) at the last day," and I said there is no power on earth can take that promise from me. It is in I lis own precious Word He .says " I will rai.se them up at the last day," and I will l)ehold them ai^ain before His throne in <;l()ry. Oh, my brother and sister, if you are hen; to-day and you have loved ones now in glory, God help y(ju to take the ble.ssed promi.ses of Jesus Christ and bind them to your heart. There is no ])ower here can take that from you — " I will behold them again," because Jesus Christ says iiimself, " I will rai.se them up at the last day." Then there is another precious promi.se. Jesus Christ has left this blessed Book full of prom- ises. He says, "I will not leave you comfortles.s." Oh, what a ble.s.sed promise that is I If there is i 78 The Life and Work of \\\ K. Snider. anything in this world that we should prizu more than another it is this, to have a friend that will not leave us comfortless. Oh, hrify your Father which is in heaven."— Matt. v. 16. There iiKiy 1)0 some here who, because this is a special sermon to railway men, think it may not be of interest to tliem, but by the grace of (i(hI I hope to make it of interest to everyone present. The life of a railway man is surrounded by danger. There are accidents almost everjr day. To obviate tliese as nnich as possible the com- pany lias ]n'ovided a rule-book witli whicli tlie employees must make themselves familiar. To disobey some of the rules in these books means destruction and death. You see, tlierefore, that fvery railway man is face to face with a great responsibility. The railway company have also provided signals — white, red and green. WIkmi an en- 82 The Life and Work of W. K. Snider I i \ .; 1 r i III m gineor sees a wliito li<:flit at a station in the ni^ht, lio knows that it' liis train is not " tinit-.l ' to stop at tliat station tlie line is clear ami he can run v\\f\\i tlirou<^^h, at the rate of \)v\- haps thirty or forty miles an hour. If he sreak in the track, he must at once set a danmn- sio;nal at a safe warning distance from it. IF a train breaks down, it is the trainman's dutv to at once get out a danger signal to protect his train from the rear and stop any on-coming train A great numy men are color-blind, and the sio-ht (jf en^fineers and iiremen must l)e tested to see if they are al)le to distinguish one color from another, so that there may be no danger of their mistaking the signals. It would be a terrible thinii' if a man were to take a lod light for a green. ^" in th.. f^ of ,„.,.- ' 'iC Scc.s Cfiiiti,),, ■■ in tho [mss it (^•s, an. I, eno-i,,,. oj"Mjn|). ^1 these I have laiiMT'i- If a train II / th.' ed to f^'roni ^hoir •ibio )r .1 " RailuHny " Sermon. 8.S The superiniendent «^^iveH tlie "runiiint^^ orders," and no ciif^ineer or conductor will go out with- out these orders, because, however well he may !)(' acquainted with the road, he does not know what trains are coniino-. Now, vsonie of you may say, " What is all that to us ( We are not goinj^ into railroading." Did you ever realize that we are every one of us running a train, and on it as a passenger is our immortal soul :* (Jod has given us that one pas- senger. He has pnjvided a " rule-})ook " — tlie Messed Bible— for us to become familiar with, and there are in it some rules, the disobeyment of which means everlasting death. He has nven us Jesus C'hrist, the great whit(! light, nd if we follow Him we shall not walk in darkness, but shall havi; the light of life. He has hun'»' out Ljreen sinrnais, and has told us we must beware of certain things. God holds out red lights and says, " Thou slialt not," and then we nuist stoj). For many years I studied the "rule-book" of the railroa gone on in sin until all he is good for is to hold up the red light to his fellow-mortals, sayiu;^, " D(jn't follow me, or, like me, you will iiictt with destruction." When 1 see a poor fellow like him, wIkj has goti*- on from sin to sin until he has become so di^ti^xured that his dear oM mother would hardl}^ W able to recognize him — and it is wonderful how such habits as drinkiii_' disfigure a man — I ask myself, " What is 1m doing :' " ()h, my friends, he is standing and wavinn- the red siji'iial of danger anody knew it, but when I f^^ot on Cod's side I got ri<(ht over the fence. I do not want a Christian who is one only on Sunday. I want a man with a religion that is good every day in the week and every week in the year. We cannot run our trains ourselves. Get on your knees and ask for running onh'rs every morning from the Great Despateher of the miiverse. I went manv times without them but I wouldn't now. Since I was converted I would rather oo without runnino* orders from the superintendent of tlui road than without running orders fi'om Jesus Christ. I kneel down every day befoi'e 1 go out, and ask -lesus (Christ to keep my train safe. Kven tlu; little children of railway men know the danger to which their fathers are exposed, and if there is '* Rai/uay " Sermon. s? that love in tlio family which there should be, they kiss theii* fathers every lime they \n) out, knowinEf they may never return. How nice it w^ould he if all conductc^rs, engineers and firemen and railway men would kneel down and ask God to take care of them. How much better for the wife in case of the worst to know that her husband's last words had been, "God be with me, this day ! " I'll never forget the hr.st ti'ip I made as a con- verted conductor. I had been ill. Before start- ing I went up to tlu! Engineer, Fred Hazlewood. God bless him ! He said, " I'm glad to see you around again, my boy." " Aren't you glad to hear the other news, Fred ( " said I. "What is it, my boy?" he asked. And I could see by the brightening of his eye that he had an inkling of the truth. " Fred," said I, " I have given my heart to God." "Wait till I get the grease oft' my hands," said he. "God bless you, I want to shake hands with you. Christ has ridden w^ith me upon the engine, and now I know He will be behind nie. I can run the train better to-day." How that thought lifted him up to think that Jesus C'hrist would ride with him, and now he knew^ if an accident happened to his train and he were killed he would be cari'ied away on angels' wings and 4 ■■i! r^ I* II i'. ) W m 88 T/ie Life and Work of W, K. Snider, sweep tliroii<^li the <^ate.s — vvaHlicd in the hlood of the Lamb." That was a hlcuse*! thought t<» me — "The Lord will be witli me on this trip" — and I .say to you, raib'oad men, you may liave him always with you — in the ent^ine-cab, in the ba<(^a<;e-ear, in the mail-car, in the coaches or in the van. Now, someone will say, "This is religion — tliis is i'aith and I don't understand it." No men exercise i^reater i'aith than railway uien. In the darkness of night a conductor receives an order to meet a train at a certain station. He looks at his watch and time-card, and sees that the train is due to leave there some minutes before — but he has faith in the despatcher and he takes the order to liis engineer, wdio says, " All right, I'll make it," because he, too, has faith in the despatcher. To obey the order faith was neces- sary — faith in the despatcher who controlled the running of the trains — the telegraph wires which carried the message — the operators who sent, received or wrote it, and in the conductor and engineer who would also obey it, that a collision and possibly death might be avoided. If so much faith is placed in their fellow rail- road men, why should they not trust Jesus Christ who never makes a mistake ? God made the planets and they run on schedule time. kaihuay " Sermon. 89 Sotnc years ji<^o scientists stuttMl that (jn a cer- tain been happier than I ever was before, and I pray to be delivered from those Christians who have long faces. When my train used to leave Southampton in the morning I would have only a few passengers. When it reached Palmers ton, after a sixty miles' run, there would be two coaches full ; and when it reached Guelph, three coaches. So the number of passengers on the heavenly road is constantly increasing. When you have reached the great union depot, you can say to the Superintendent, *' Lord, with your help I have brought my train through safely. I have brought the passenger you gave me, and the coach is full of others whom I have inducec to come on the same line." Then the Great Superintendent will say: " Even *' Raikvay " Sermon. 93 so ; the way has been rough. Hand in your tool-box. I am going to superannuate you, and you will enter into your reward and receive the freedom of the Heavenly City. Take off your uniform and put on this white robe of righteous- ness. I give you this heavenly home to enjoy, throughout eternity." My friends, if I never meet you again in this world, may I meet you in that City whose Maker and Builder is God. And may God grant that no railway man may ever start out again without His running orders. Amen. ''LIFE ON THE RAIL, AND THE PEOPLE YOU MEET." IM Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen : It has been announced that I would deliver a lecture, entitled " Life on the Rail, and The People You Meet Every Day." Now, I hope you will not expect me to relate all that I have seen or heard since I commenced running upon a train, over twenty -five years ago, as it would be impossible for me to do it in the time allowed for a lecture. I intend to give you a short outline of my life as a railroad man. When but a small boy, about the year 18ou, I looked upon the locomotive for the first time^ and the curiosity that was aroused in me then has never wholly left me ; and I often wonder what the people thought when the first iron horse was seen upon the public highway. The steam locomotive, the material trans- former of the world, has a remarkable history. " Life on the Ra:ir 95 As it has been said, it was not born on the rails, but on the connnon higliway ; and a tremendous baby -giant it was, tearing up its cradle in such furious fashion that men were territied by it and tried their best to condemn it to inactivity ; just as a weak and foolish father miglit lock up his unruly boy and restrain him by force, instead of wisely training him in the way he should go. But the progenitors of the iron horse were like their herculean child — men of mettle. They fought a gallant fight for their darling's free- dom and came off conquerors. Richard Trevi thick, born in the parish of lUogan, Cornwall, April 13th, 1771, was an inventor of whom the world has heard much, — but though a child of genius he died penniless. In 1801 he started the iron horse on the public highway. In 1802 he obtained a patent for a locomotive. It was on the 28th December, 1801, when the travelling engine took its departure from Camborne town for Tehidv. The carriage (says Mr. David Gilbert) broke down after going very well for about four hundred yards. It was forced under some shelter, and the parties interested adjourned to the hotel, and comforted their hearts with a roast goose and drinks, for- getful of the engine. The water in it boiled away. The iron became red-hot, and nothing iv| 9(3 The Life and Work of W. K. Snider. \m that was combustible remained either of the engine or its shelter. Thus it fell a victim of the punch-drinking propensities of the period. A similar result might have been reached had not the foster-father of the locomotive been temperate in habit and irre} ressible because of his determination and pluck. The railroad and the locomotive attained their place about the year 1828. It was at that time when a premium of £500 was offered for the best locomotive that could be produced in accordance with certain conditions. These were that the chimney should emit no smoke — that the engine should be on springs — that it should not weigh more than six tons, or four and a halt- tons if it had only four wheels — that it should be able to draw a load of twenty tons at the rate of ten miles an hour, with a pressure of fifty pounds to the square inch in the boiler, and that it should not cost more than £500. The iron horse was at last to assume its right position. It was no longer an infant, but a powerful stripling, though still far from its full growth — as far as six tons is from ninety. It was on October 6th, 1820, when the memor- able trial of locomotives took place. It was to continue eight days. The four exhibited were the " Novelty," the " Sanspariel," the " Bocket," " Life on the RaU:' 97 and the " Perseverance," built respectively by Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericsson, Timothy Hack- worth, R. Stephenson & Co., and Burstall. The " Rocket " looked as if it was all funnel, a stunted body with a long, very Ion*; neck. On a level stretch of railroad two miles long, each engine was required to make twenty double journeys during the day at an average speed of not less than ten miles an hour. The " Rocket " made the time and more, but was not a favorite at the outset, as the people said its appearance was against it. The " Novelty ' was a favorite with both spectators and judges. It looked compact and handy, and its lines were harmoni- ous and in keeping with the purpose for which it had been built. Its fuel and water were carried without the aid of a separate tender, and its whole weight was less than three tons. While travelling its experimental journey it occasion- ally moved at the rate of twenty-four miles an hour; but on the second day of the trial the blast bellows gave out. The boiler of the " Sanspareil," also, showed a defect, while the " Perseverance ' failed because it could not go faster than six miles an hour. The " Rocket " won the day because it had the '' go " in it. It not only made thirty miles an hour, but it drew a load of thirteen tons' weight in wagons at r I 9« The Life and Wo'.k of W. K. Snider. IS i the rate of thirty-fiv^e miles an hour. The unlikely engine grew handsomer every moment, and before the third day was over the people said she did not look so bad after all. The " Novelty " tried again, but bursting its pipes ended its hopes. The " Sanspareil " was simi- larly unfortunate, and Stephenson's " Rocket " received the prize. Could a man at that time have seen in a vision of the future, as Henry George says, "The steamship taking the place of the sailing vessel, the railway train of the wagon, the reaping machine of the scythe, the threshing machine of the flail — could he have heard the throb of the engines that, in obedience to the human will and for the gratification of human desire, exert a power greater than all the beasts of burden on the earth combined; could he have seen the forest tree transformed into finished lumber — into doors, sashes, blinds, boxes or barrels, with hardly the touch of human hands ; the great workshops, where boots and shoes are turned out by the case, with less labor than the old- fashioned cobbler could have put on a sole ; the factories, where, under the eye of a girl, cotton becomes cloth faster than hundreds of stalwart weavers could have turned it out with their hand looms ; could he have seen steam hammers " Life on the Rail." 99 shaping mammoth shafts and mighty anchors, and delicate machinery making tiny watches; the diamond drill cutting through the heart of the rocks, and coal oil sparing the whale ; could he have realized the enormous saving; of labor resulting from improved facilities of exchange and communication ; sheep killed in Australia and eaten fresh in England ; and the order given by the London banker in the afternoon executed in San Francisco in the morning of the same day ; could he have conceived of the hundred thousand improvements which these only sug- gest, what would he have inferred of the social condition of mankind ? His heart would have leaped and his nerves would have thrilled, as one from a height beholds just ahead of the thirst-stricken caravan the living gleam of rustling woods, and the glint of living waters." Do you not realize how I would look upon one of those wonderful locomotives for the first time ? Have you ever entered a round-hruse where the locomotives are kept? There is much to interest in it. Care must always be taken, for, if any little thing were neglected the build- ing might be wrecked together with the engines in it — usually a considerable number. Some have just come in from the road, where, with lightning speed, they have been fulfilling their 7 100 The Life and Work of W. K, Snider W Ik- if iiUHHion, and are now dis^oi<^ing their fire and water, and preparing to rest. Some are letting off steam with a fiendish yell, unbearably pro- longed. Some are in the hands of the wipers — the firemen superintending. Others are under- going the necessary repairs, and a few are ready for instant action. Engineers, as a rule, love their engines as men do a horse, or dog, or gun. It is their joy to be with it. They like the regularity with which it runs to and fro from its termini, like the beat of a pendulum swinging through its iron arc. They love the excitement of seeing the train loaded up, the hurry of passengers, the rolling of the baggage, the start, and, best ol all, the race. They delight in the bound and speed of the fiery steed. They will touch the levers as delicately and with as much grace as a good reinsman will handle the lines. The sound of the whistle, the clip-clap of the wheels rattling on the iron track, has a music for the engineer more enlivening and bewitching than ever accompanied the organ's peal. It is not strange, for a wonderful thing is that engine, the emblem and exponent of the hour. See it — that thing of iron and of fire, with a banner of light — an eye like a star — the sinews of brass and steel, and i^3 breathings of flame ! " Life on the Rail!' 101 See it .stand iiig on the track, its pipes piiffini,^ steam, fretting to be free ; reminding one of the horse described in the Book of Job, whose " neck is clothed with thunder," " which paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength." " He saith among the trumpets. Ha, ha ! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains and the shouting," and is impatient to go forth to battle. It glides upon those two iron bars from winter to suunner, from day to night, from evening to morning. It plunges like a cleft strand from the thunder through the mountain gorgeo. It leapb across the wide valleys. Its shaft glitter^^ in the mines. Its voice is heard in the shop. Its banner is every- where. It has forced its way to the far hamlet in the quiet vales, and they have feii the thrill and jar of the great world. It is wonderful how that living, panting thing of iron has revolutionized the world. Benjamin F. Taylor has, in his wonderful way, written of the engine, and asked, " Did you ever creep gingerly up to the deck of a railway car when the train was moving, say twenty-five or thirty miles an hour ? And did you look away beyond the train where the two iron bars — that noblest couplet in the great epic of the time — were welded lovingly together 102 The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. ^-Svl m without hammer or furnace or pin, just beneath the wonderful invisible fingers of distance ? There the tracks lay, a huge inverted V upon the bosom of the prairie. And how marvellously, as the train moved on, those stubborn bars swayed round to a parallel as a brace of sun- beams flung from a mirror swinging in the wanton wind sweep round in the blue air ! And did you remember ? Not a spike wrenched from its good hold, not a tie untied, not a timber splintered ! There must be a charm in those fingers, indeed." No one that ever rode upon the engine can ever forget the sensation of pleasure, of exulta- tion, of exuberant joy experienced as fear is forgotten and one is given up to the excitement incident to the situation when, in fancy, you keep time with Saxe in his rhyme as you go on the rail : " Swinging through the forests, Rattling over ridges, Shooting under arches, Rumbling over bridges, Whizzing through the mountains, Buzzing o'er the vale ; Bless me, this is pleasant Riding on the rail." Well, it was my privilege when a small boy to experience what it was to ride upon a loco- ''Life on the Rail!' 103 motive, and can you not wonder how it im- pressed me ? My mind was made up then that I must be a railroad man. I used to play "cars" at home, and when about thirteen years of age started out as a newsboy. You are all ac- quainted with the duties of a newsboy, or "peanut butcher," on the train. They are to provide the passengers with all the latest news- papers, books and periodicals, also peanuts, oranores and candies, and in his smart run through the train to give a fre(juent chance fur someone else to close the doors. I took a situation running between Detroit and Chicago. I left my home a boy who had never been away before. I was expecting to make my fortune in a very short time ; but I can tell you when a boy gets away from home and finds himself among strangers and has his scant pocket-book as his only friend, it makes him think of home and the comforts he had while in that home. I had my experience of this. I had only run about two wrecks when my trunk was sent to me from home, and in it was a letter from my precious mother, and when I opened it and commenced to read where she said she did not know who W'Ould look after me now or mend my clothes for me, but that she gave me over to the care of the Lord, I tell you, it went down 104 The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider, deep into my heart and I began to weep. Oh, how I wished I could return at once and say, " Mother, I am back, and I do not think I will ever go away again ! " However, I made up my mind I would try and hang out a little longer. I had only made one or two more trips when I met with a serious misfortune. My boxes were broken into in Chicago and about twenty dollars' worth of goods stolen from me, and my employer made me become good for them. I thought that was pretty hard, for, be- sides having to pay for the goods, I had the ill luck to lose my hat. When I arrived at Detroit 1 was out of money and bare-headed. But I met an old friend of mine from Guelph. He was just going to Grand Rapids for a visit and had some money, and he took me to the hat- store and bought me a hat, and if it had not been for him I would have had to sleep on the street. Oh, if ever a boy thought of his home and his mother's feather beds, I was that boy ! But I was given a pass and four twenty-five cent shin-plasters. I started for home on a Saturday night and travelled all night, getting as far as Paris. Then I went to Brantford, where my brother lived, and stayed over Sunday, and then on to Guelph. I can remember that on Monday 1 had three of the shin-plasters left, " Life on the Rail. >* 105 and, I tell you, I thought I was rich ; but I had enough of the United States to last nie for some time. Not many fellows who come back from there and strut about with their hands in their pockets informing the boys that they are "just home from the States," could produce any more lucre than I could if they were stood on their lieads and shaken. I thought I would look for a " run " in Canada where I would not be so far away from home, and young and small as I was, I was taken on as *' an experienced hand." This did not last. I was attracted bv a circus, and followed its fortunes for a time. But in 1870 I started in earnest, as a brakeman on the old Great Western Railway. The life of a brakeman is not all sunshine. I do not think there is any occupation so danger- ous as that of a brakeman on a freight train. He has to be out in all kinds of weather, sun- shine or rain, snow or sleet — he has to be there. Oh, do you ever think of him on the cold winter night as you are lying in your comfortable beds — do you ever think of the poor brakeman who, on his hands and knees, often has to pull him- self along over the tops of the icy cars, afraid to stand up for if he should make one false step he would be hurled into eternity ? 106 The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. "Dust-grim features, weather-beaten, Hands that show the scars of toil ; Do you envy him his station, Patient tiller of the soil ? ' ' In the storm or in the sunshine He must mount the speeding train ; Ride outside at post of duty, Heeding not the drenching rain. '* In the pleasant summer weather, Standing on the car-top high. He can view the beauteous landscape As he rushes swiftly by. " As he views the beauteous picture Which the lovely landscape makes, Suddenly across his dreaming Comes the (juick, shrill cry for brakes. * ' But when winter's icy finger Covers earth with snowy shroud. And the north wind like a madman, Rushes on with shriekings loud ; ' ' Then behold, the gallant brakeman Springs to heed the engine's call, Running o'er the icy car-tops — God protect him if he fall ! " Do not scorn to treat him kindly — He will give you smile for smile ; Tho' he's nothing but a brakeman, Do not deem him surely vile. '* Life on the Rail." 107 " Speak to him in kindly language, Tho' his clothes be coarse and plani, For he has a fearless heart That feels both joy and pain. '' He may have a widowed mother- He may be her only joy ; Mayhap in her home she's praying For the safety of her boy. '' How he loves that dear old mother Toiling on from day to day ; Always bringing her some present Every time he draws his pay. " Daily facing death and danger ; One mis-step or slip of hand Sends the poor unlucky brakeman To the dreaded unknown land. " As we scan our evening papers, Note what their filled columns say . One brief line attracts our notice : ' One more brakeman killed to-day 1 ' • " In her lonely cottage, waiting, In the waning of the night, Sits the luckless brakeman's mother- She expects her boy to-night. " Someone brings the fatal message- God have mercy, hear her pray. As she reads the fearful message : ^ ^^ ' Killed while coupUng cars to-day.' ' ft 108 The Life and Work of W. K. Snider. But the brakeman on the passenger train does not have it so hard. He is not exposed so much as the brakeman on the freight. He has passed through that part of it, however, and is now on the " Express," perhaps, and often the young man from the country takes a trip and sees a brakeman on such a train passing through tlie cars, calling out the stations. He sees that he does not have to toucli the brakes, but that he simply helps passengers off the train and assists in loading the baggage, and the young man at once thinks it the finest job in the world. He goes home to tell them that he has struck it rich. He is " goin' to go on brakin'." He is " not goin' to farm any longer and do such killin', slavin' work and earn nothin'. " He is " goin' to go on brakin'." Like Pat's boy, who had a steady run. An old section hand had a son concerning whom his mother expected great things, and often stood between him and his weary father who, night after night, when tired from his work, saw the woodpile had not been touched, and attempted remonstrance. "Where's Patsy?" he would inquire, only to be told that " he was up to the deepo at this minit — he expected a tillegram from the Superintender — he may come home with it now — he's goin' to get on brakin'." ''Life on the RaiL' 109 One morning Pat went to his work, and after the foreman had gone round the curve he started his " cuddy " pipe, and while vigorously pulling at it, said to his mate, " Do you know that my boy Patsy do have a steady run ? " " You don't tell me," says he. " You don't tell me. Now, nothin' pleases me so well as to hear that your Patsy do have a sitiwashun. Where is his run, now ? " And the old man replied while con- tinuing the struggle with his '! cuddy" : " Goin' betwixt home and the station, b' jabers, lookin' for a job." Well, for two years I had the experience of a brakeman, when I was promoted to the position of train baggageman. This is a very nice posi- tion, but the baggageman generally has an oppor- tunity of trying his muscles, for the young ladies know what a time they have in trying to get the lid of that Saratoga trunk down when they get it packed to go away at the time of their summer holidays, or when they start for college. They do not think when they are trying by every stratagem known in the art of packing, to get everything they possess in this world into that trunk, and when they get the fat sister to sit on it while they try to lock it, that the poor train baggageman has to pile it up as high as the roof of his car. The language some of them 110 The Life and Work of W, K. Snider. are made to use when they see such trunks being lifted into their cars is not always the best of English. Nevertheless, they love the ladies if they do not love their Saratoga trunks. Then it is remarkable what people will put in their trunks when they are going away. Let me give you a few words of warning here. The necessity of them arises both from the amusing and the tragic experience of the baggageman. Some night he is sitting alone in his car, while the wind howls outside and the train is forging its way through the darkness and storm ; and perhaps he is reading some blood-curdling account of crime and murder, when, in the fitful light of his own smoky lamp, he sees from beneatii a pile of trunks something slowly streaming out upon the floor. He starts, the perspiration stands in beads upon his brow, a chill strikes to his heart. He has heard of human bodies being crushed into trunks. He has read of the villanous ingenuity of men who sought to dispose of their victims, and he is filled with horror. But the sharp whistle of the engine arouses him to duty. The thought of reward attached to a discovery so important flashes through his mind. Braver impulses come, and, turning up the light in his lantern, he steps courageously towards the foul spot. ''Life on the Rail!" Ill He looks cautiously at the trunk from which it comes dripping, stoops down so nervously — his hair lifting his hat — and lo, it is raspberry vinegar Now, I suppose you know how it happened ? When the trunk was already packed for the journey, and the rig was coming to the gate, mother or some of the folks cried out, " For gracious sakes, Miranda, you have forgotten the raspberry vinegar ! " Miranda said she could not take it now, she would be late for the train, but mother said, " Your auntie will never forgive you if you go without that raspberry vinegar. You know she thinks no one can make it like I can, and I promised to send her some when you went to visit her, and unless you take her that raspberry vinegar you shant go one step. Now, Miranda, there's no use, that raspberry vinegar has got to go." So, while the rig is waiting and the driver is jawing from the gate, and all is hurry, the lid of the trunk is opened and a jar of raspberry vinegar is put in on top of all its bulging contents. They tell the driver to be careful, and he says, " Yes, mum." But at the station that trunk, with its precious load, is pitched into the baggage car, and the first thing that happens is, that jar of raspberry vinegar is upset or broken. My, my ! I would like to be 112 The Life and Work of W, K. Snider. some place out of sight where I could see Miranda open that trunk, with all her visiting clothes saturated with raspberry vinegar ! First, then, do not put such things in your trunk when you go on a visit. You run a great risk if you do. Again, be sure your trunk or valise is properly fastened. The baggageman has a great experience when a lady's trunk comes open and all its contents fall out upon the floor, or when a valise comes apart like the collapse of a puff- ball, as he tosses it to the top of the car. A few cents will get you a strap by which you can make your property secure. Remember, it is an awful job for a baggageman to get everything back again after there has been a spill. We now go on to the freight conductor. The duties of the freight conductor are very heavy, and he is under great responsibility. He has to look after the running of his train, and check off all goods that are unloaded along the route. I had some very thrilling adventures while run- ning a freight train, and met with three or four accidents. One time I was in the van when it, with four other cars, was thrown into the ditch upside down. The freight cars were smashed into matchwood. A very humorous incident happened this time. It might have been serious, but as it came out all right I make mention of o " Life on the Raiir 113 it. We are not allowed to curry paasengers on a freight train. But, while passing the town of Brussels, when the road was first built through that part of the country, three men (I took them to be farmers) got on the van while we were working at the station. When we got out al)out a mile or so we were thrown into the ditch, and I never saw three worse scared men in my life. I do not think they would ever get on a freight train again as long as they lived. But when I was up before the superintendent of the investi- gation, I wondered what I had better say if he should ask me who was on the train. I thought it was best to tell the truth, and resolved to do so. Sure enough, he asked me, ** Who was on the train, Snider ? " I replied, " My two brakemen and three farmers." "What!" said he, "three farmers ! Now, you know that is a straight violation of orders. What were they doing on that train ? " I told him they had got on at Brussels. " Well, then," said he, " why in the world did you not stop and put them off ? " "I did, sir," I replied ; " I did, sir, just one mile out upside down in the fence corner." I must say I was pretty badly scared myself, and I was on the point of giving up railroad life, but I kept on and passed through a couple more accidents, coming out all K for which I have to thank God. 1 U The Life and Work of IV. K. Snider. After a while I was put on a passenger train, and this is where we come to meet the people. I do not know of any place in the world where you have a better chance to read human nature than on a passenger train. We see many funny incidents. No two people are alike. We have the fat passenger, the lean passenger, the nerv- ous or no faith passenger, the superstitious passenger, the cautious passenger, the contented passenger, the passenger who is always finding fault. We have the young lady who is going to college, or to spend her vacation. We have the dear old lady, with the usual band -boxes and bundles. We see the passengers who are filled with joy as they think of the friends they are going to meet, and we see the passengers who are on their sad mission, for, in the baggage car, perhaps, is all that is left of a loved one. They have a single fare ticket with them with the word " corpse " written across its face. We can see what is passing through their minds as we punch their tickets. Then we see the newly married couple ! If there is one thing in the world a conductor can tell, it is a newly married couple. Note. — Those who have ever listened to this lecture as it came from the Conductor's lips will call to mind the successive side-splitting anec- ''Life on the Raiir 115 dotes and personations with which he iUustrated many of the foregoing characteristic personages — the German, of Mildmay, whose dog howled all night long, and who found the reason for it next day, when the paper told of the death of a man in Cincinnati ; the woman who sought for information at the station wicket concerning the trains in each direction, and who was so thankful for the information, but pressed her inquiries closer still until satisfied beyond a doubt, when she called to her daughter that they were safe now to cross the track; the bridegroom who offered one ticket for himself and bride, because the preacher had made them one ; the marvellous impersonation of the hunchback Jews in their hot debate as to the greatest example to be found of success in life, and giving the palm to the man who " had but one shirt to his back, but now he do have a million " ; the dude who on the English railway lifted the window at every station to inquire of the guards if his luggage was " saife," until receiving his quietus in a crushing retort ; the kind-hearted but fussy and garrulous old lady who told of all the plans of her visit to Amanda while she fumbled in every conceivable place for her ticket — these stories, with others doubtless, those who have laughed and cried under the spell of this lecture 8 ■i 116 The Life and Work of W. K. Snider. and the Conductor's wonderful mimicry will remember, and will regret, with the writer, that they cannot be reproduced. They were so thoroughly woven into his personality that, no doubt, the thought of putting them on paper, stripped of the excitement attending the appreciation and laughter of an audience, was utterly out of the question. We regret, also, that the beautiful and pathetic close of his lecture shares the same fate. In it, it will be remembered, he sought to leave upon the minds of his audience important lessons which have to do with eternal issues. Taking a dear old lady on his train under earnest instructions from loved ones to look after her until she should be met at the union depot of the great city — tenderly describing the parting, and the journey, and the meeting with those who kissed her cheeks and welcomed her with joy as she slowly stepped down from the train at her destination — how vividly the Conductor led his hearers to see that, for the Christian, life is a journey, with Jesus Christ as the Great Conductor, while there awaits a joyous welcome for him one day when his ransomed soul shall enter the great union depot in the City whose Builder and Maker is God ! And we believe, the last trip ended, he has had his welcome. ' D. W. S. o CO O a o o c • o u a c a O u O 9 CO o u (U 4-1 Q I i ■^ • I o G G O CO a> o < •d > a o U o G u (L) o (L> bfl OS o o u o o a 4-* CO •J I Z