Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 141, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1917 — HOME FOR DISABLED RAILROAD EMPLOYEES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HOME FOR DISABLED RAILROAD EMPLOYEES

The accompanying Illustration was made at one of the most interesting maintained by. big-hearted workmen in this country. It is the Home for Aged and Disabled Railroad Employees of America, anjj ls located at Highland Park, one of the suburbs of Chicago. It is kept up by four of the great railway brotherhoods, the organizations of the locomotive engineers, the conductors, firemen and enginemen, and the trainmen. Any worker in any of the organizations, of worthy record, who from any cause has been forced to step down and out and is left without means of support is at once aided by the lodge to which he belongs, in either of the brotherhoods. As soon as the facts are learned and have become a matter of record, the unfortunate member is sent to the home at Highland Park, where, for the remainder of his life, if he so desires, he may„be assured of shelter, good substantial food in abundance, a good bed, the privilege of a fine library and any of a great variety of pastimes afforded by the* home. There are now about 70 men in the home; they come from all sections of the United States, and frqm oil of the best known great railway systems in* this country. The home was established in 1890. The first man was taken care of in a flat building in Chicago. Then build-

Ings and the land on which they stood were by the home In Highla’nd Park. Subsequently, the old wooden buildings were torn down and a substantial brick, fireproof building took their .place. The cost of this building was borne by the association by which the charity was started. In 26 years 205 unfortunates have been given a home at this place. Some have passed- awayon the.. lastruaj sonqe were victims of disease and In-* firmlties to which humanity is heir, but- a large proportion belongs to the hero class, They Stuck to their places in the face of death, some of them so crippled that they were absolutely unfitted for any kind of work. There are men in the home who must wheel themselves around in chairs. One mad who lost his eyesight has been taught how to read by the touch of his tongue on raised letters, this acquisition be. ing taught by a blind woman who has a class at the home. The home is now in charge of Mrl ■ and Mrs. John O’Keefe. Mr. O'Keefe being a former member of the train* men. He has been the superintendent of the home continuously since 1903. The man in the chair in the picture is Robert McKinley, a former engineer of the Chicago and Northwestern, and the man standing is Josiah Mills, who formerly ran a locomotive on the Erie between Susquehanna and Port Jervis.

INMATES OF HOME FOR DISABLED EMPLOYEES.