Finest Man

A mighty good Louisville & Nashville Railroad conductor made his last official trip out of Hazard this morning when passenger Train No. 4 started toward Lexington. C.S. (Charlie) Mount left here headed toward retirement not waiting to see the outcome of the move by the railroad to discontinue his train.

I remember Charlie Mount because I made two trips with him late last year. If he asked me once If I wore comfortable, he asked me a dozen times during the 145-mile ride. He was that way with other passengers.

It was purely by accident that I found out about his last run and retirement plans. A call to the office of Master of Trains V. B. Rogers to find out the number of out-going passenger train brought T. A. Sutton, operator, to the phone. When I mentioned Train No. 4, Sutton said he was just then ready to go out of the ticket office and bid goodbye to Mount.

Later, Sutton called and said "there were tears in the old boy's eyes this morning, and I felt them in mine, too."

"He is a fine fellow, and we hate to see him leave the field," Sutton added. "He knew his old passengers by name and he knew their families. He was as friendly as they make them."

Rogers also added his tribute to Mount, calling him one of the finest men who ever walked between the aisles.

Mount has rounded out 45 years in service, three fourths of it on the Lexington - Hazard runs. 1955