Show lady Railroader 9 marks fifty years I 1 7 ears of active service I 1 must make good I 1 mut must keep ep this job fifty years have passed since si nce a young girl katherine loretta lorett a con nell repeated these words to herself on the way to her first day ot of service in the employ employ of the un union 1 on pacific railroad at omaha neb she has kept that pledge made to herself and now is believed to be the oldest woman employee in point of service on the railways entire service early this month she passed that fiftieth milestone and recalled some of her early impressions of railroad work in those days it seems as though it was only a av iz katherine L connell left as she appeared when she started work for the railroad 50 years ago and right as she looks today yesterday when I 1 went to work she says in those days the companas comp anys headquarters in omaha employed about abou t 50 persons and in her tenure 0 of service she has watched this number grow to nearly 2000 especially Es p does she remember her first salary of 35 a month as freight car mileage clerk which was a very camf comfortable or table salary in those days miss connell recalls she has seven superior officers her present position being in the companas comp anys auditor of equipment service accounts office supervisory positions she has held supervisory positions with the company since february 1 1900 when she was appointed head bead clerk in the statistical bureau for 24 years she was a head C lerk clerk and since 1832 1932 has been assistant bureau head bead her we life belongs to the romance that is railroading tor for her father too was an employee ot of the union pacific he died shortly after her birth of a cold contracted on the job it was after this that a company official promised her widowed mother that as her children grew up they would be given work it if they desired with the railroad years later the official kept his promise and katherine went to work her mother dying 16 years ago and a brother pat more recently miss connell has been left without kin except for or two nephews but she finds comfort and great companionship both in her work and in a wide acquaintanceship of friends she Is active in several omaha business and social organizations |