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(erielack) Obit, Perry M. Shoemaker (fwd)

Got this from Bill Strassner and I haven't seen it posted here yet so I thought
I would pass it along.

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- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:40:56 -0500
From: Bill Strassner
Subject: [PRR-FAX] ***Other=Obit, Perry M. Shoemaker

From: "Bill Strassner" <"prrsignals_@_adelphia.net">

***The NY Times had a nice story about Perry. Briefly, he was  born in 1906,
Elmira, NY, died at age 93 over the Holidays. He had retired from the CNJ in
1968, then becoming a Trustee.

During high school, it was noted that he cut Chemistry class to watch the
local trains ! ( Hmmm, sounds familiar, right DD ?) .

He started on the PRR as a track laborer for 7 cents per hour. After
graduating U Michigan in Mechanical Eng'g, he kept on with the PRR moving up
to Yardmaster, Gen'l YM, General Manager and Superintendent.

At age 46 in 1952, he was the youngest RR President ( DL&W ). He helped
facilitate the EL Merger that was completed 8 years later. With the Erie
predominant, he took a salary cut and went to help save the CNJ in 1962.

A staunch believer in Rail Transport, he was recorded as stating that the
Main source of RR problems was what he described as " bungling and
mismanagement of promotional and regulatory activities of the Federal
Government".

In the 1950's, he also railed against excessive taxation by the states,
noting that " The State of NJ does not tax the Rights of Way of Busses,
Trucks and Airplanes".

A Good Railroader, RIP. Bill Strassner*-*


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