Morse, Josiah Maxwell "Cy" 1844 - 1926

MORSE, RIENOW, BEAN

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 8/5/2021 at 20:31:25

Clayton County Register, Thur., 25 Nov. 1926.

J. M. Morse stricken By Heart Failure.
Oldest Conductor on I. & D.

J. M. Morse, the oldest conductor of the I. & D. division of the C. M. & St. P. railway died suddenly at his home in Elkader Wednesday forenoon shortly after ten o'clock. Heart failure was the cause of death.

Mr. Morse had been disposing of some ashes and had just returned to the yard when he was seen to fall. Mrs. Morse and neighbors took him into the house and summoned medical assistance but he never regained consciousness.

Josiah Maxwell Morse was born near Buffalo, New York, September 15, 1844. He came west with his folks in a covered wagon and stopped at Monroe, Wis., where he started to work in the depot. Before he was 20 years of age he started working for the C. M. & St. P. railroad and has been in its employ, as conductor for 53 years.

September 14, 1875, at Prairie du Chien, Mr. Morse and Annie Rienow, of North McGregor, were united in marriage, and to this union one daughter, Jessie, was born. She preceded her father in death April 5, 1913. Following the marriage Mr. and Mrs. Morse resided at North McGregor until he was made conductor on the "Old Elkader Line" after which Elkader became their home.

Deceased is mourned by his widow, and four nephews, Lyle and Clarence Bean of Kansas City, Dr. R. L. Morse of this place and Lyle Morse of Los Angeles, Calif.

Funeral services will be held here Friday afternoon at 1:30 at the congregational church with Rev. Kil- ( next line blurred) be made in the East Side cemetery.

J. M. Morse, better known as "Cy" here and in railroad circles, was in the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul service since 1868. He commenced at Monroe, Wis., as station baggageman under P. W. Puffer, who was then agent.

In 1869 he went braking on the mixed train between Monroe and Janesville. In August the following year he went to McGregor and started switching in the yards. Part of his work was switching cars on to the barges that were taken to Prairie du Chien by the steamboat Allamakee.

In October, the same year, he went to braking on the I. & M. division, between McGregor and Austin for W. P. Hancock, conductor. In the winter of 1872 his train was stuck in a snow bank between Ridgeway and Conover. That night Conductor Wilson brought the engine through to Calmar, while Mr. Morse and two other brakemen remained with the train all night. The next morning the entire train, with the exception of four feet of the rear of the caboose, was buried under four feet of snow. One passenger and two other freight trains were also stalled behind the first train. It was three weeks before these trains were gotten out of the snow banks. Those were the days when railroading was hard in winter. All engines were wood-burners and only link by pin couplers were used. Brakemen had to be out and on top in all kinds of weather, using the hand brakes to hold the trains going down the hill from Monona to McGregor, a distance of fourteen miles.

in 1873 deceased was promoted to conductor on freight and ran between McGregor and Austin. In 1885 he was promoted to passenger conductor between St. Paul and North McGregor. In 1886 he was transferred to the I. & M. division, running passenger trains between Sanborn and Chamberlain. It was in 1889 that he became conductor on the "Old Elkader Line," and since which time Elkader was his home.