To Avilla News

Gentlemen:

In the death of Edward Kinney I feel that I have lost a dear friend. The first time I saw Edward Kinney was in 1874 when the B&O Railroad rails were being spiked to the ties. There was a gang of 40 to 50 men of them. I noticed 2 men who seemed to be heading the gang of spikers were wearing red jackets and had sashes tied around them. I afterwards learned that one of the men was Edward Kinney. Those 2 men were the best spikers. Kinney returned to Avilla as soon as the 2 gangs met somewhere between Avilla and Chicago, as they were laying rails from Chicago east also. He worked for several years, a section hand, also section foreman, on the B&O, and for several years on the GR&I as a section hand. He quit the railroad to work for me in the B&O Grain Elevator. I was buying grain at that time. He was a good man to work, a good faithful man, always on the job, and no job was too hard for Ed. If there was one car, 2 cars, or 3 to be loaded in one day, Ed would come to the store in the evening and say, "I made it." He was always ready with a story. I wish there were more Ed Kinneys.

He always spoke kind and loving words of each and every one of his family; and his wife, Mary, was always first and last in his mind when talking to me, "For what would I be if not for Mary", he would say. He also stated that at the time of his marriage he promised his wife that he would not take another drop of intoxicating liquor, and true to his word, he never did; for he often said to me, "S.K., there is not money enough to make me take another drink." He often said anyone can quit drinking. After chewing tobacco for several years, he said one day to himself, I’ll quit chewing. I’ll quit the stuff. Why hogs won’t eat it, why should man; and it was quit for him. He had a small piece of plug he carried in his pocket a long time.

I will miss his companionship very much.
S. K. Randall

Noble Notes: Never decide to buy something while listening to the salesman.