I ran across this old Smithville News newspaper article this morning, courtesy of Martha Fox, and since it included so many Monon employee names, thought I would post it. The names of some of our Monroe County members ancestors may be in there somewhere. / Ron
PS, keep in mind that during this period the Monon was working on the "new Main Line" over the stone road, and the Smithville News spent a lot of time "blowing their own horn" in an effort to keep what traffic they could routed through Smithville.
April 9, 1909
Smithville News
Success Of Smithville Boys
This small community can boast of having put out a
bunch of telegraph operators that deliver better "goods"
than the average operators, and having gained high
positions faster than operators that spent years in
school and study. For instance Ferd Lucas, Vernon
Sheritts, Joe Davis, Miller Bennett, Geoger Bennett,
George Stipp, Arthur Burkhart, Alfred Fox, Earl Burns,
all of whom started in with a little practice in the
Harrodsburg office.
Most of these boys had great difficulties in getting
started, on account of financial means, but all of them
have rapidly worked their way up to higher positions,
and some have passed on to higher positions than
telegraph operators. Most Monon officials will tell you
that the Smithville boys are "making good".