Erie Railroad Biography - Herman A. Daake



Herman A. Daake in 1940

From the December, 1938 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Spreading the Gospel of Safety By Herman A. Daake
Railroad travel retains its romance and its fascination for people of all generations, despite the great ships, racing motor cars and soaring aircraft. On a railway journey there is always something new and alive to hold attention, such as gigantic viaducts, deep tunnels and huge locomotives.

These impressions and the safety and comfort of rail travel were brought home to Mrs. Daake and I as we sped westward on the Erie Limited from Rochester, Ind., on our enjoyable trip to the Pacific coast.

We had not gone far when my attention was attracted to a little lass of 6 who had a smile for everyone. So it was decided to award her a safety coin for her friendliness. Immediately, the little lady ran to her father, Joseph Scheller, section foreman at Huntington and showed it to him. He explained that she had carried a Safety coin in her purse for over a year but someone had stolen her purse. Later the purse was returned but the culprit had failed to return the Safety coin. So the little girl was very happy to get a new one.

We arrived at Chicago "on time as usual" and boarded the Grand Canyon Limited of the Santa Fe. Most of the day was spent in viewing the scenery of Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. Most interesting among fellow travelers were Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Gill and sons Roger and John, of Johannesburg, South Africa, who were on a globe-circling tour, and who acknowledged that the promotion of safety in the States was much more advanced than in South Africa. The stop at Kansas City enabled us to inspect the Union Station and that wonderful memorial erected to the soldiers and sailors of our country.

After seeing some of the wonders of the Grand Canyon in Arizona I met S. J. Stephens, trustee of the Grand Canyon schools, which have the distinction of being a First Superior School of the schools of Arizona located in outlying districts. Following my talk in the schools, Mr. Stephens arranged to have a Safety Plaque placed in the schools there.

Our stay in Los Angeles was most enjoyable. Mrs. Celia Gates, an ice-cream and ginger-bread friend of my boyhood days, had just returned from her vacation in Hawaii and I also had the pleasure of meeting Gordon Culver of Pasadena. It has been generally recognized that the Chicago Northwestern Railroad was the first railroad in our country to plan a program of accident prevention This work was started under the direction of Ralph Richards, then general claim agent of the Northwestern. Mr. Culver was not only a member of the Northwestern's first safety committee but he was also its first secretary. The promotion of safety so appealed to Mr. Culver that when he became the first national secretary of the Benefit Association of Railway Employees at Chicago he continued its promotion through the Railway Employees Journal and by means of posters and other educational matter up to his retirement about ten years ago. Mr. Culver still has a host of friends among the older members of the Association on the Erie Railroad. He is still greatly interested in the promotion of safety and a few months ago had several Safety Plaques placed in schools in Pasadena and Ventura, California.

We traveled via Union Pacific to Las Vegas, Nevada, and from thence by bus to the interesting and gigantic engineering work of Boulder Dam. At Salt Lake City we met Lou Moonshower, operator at Ohio City, who was visiting his son Bob and Mrs. Moonshower. Bob was formerly employed on the Marion Division but is now with the Union Pacific.

In walking about Salt Lake City, it was noticed that pedestrians were shown most unusual consideration by motorists. When a pedestrian started across on the green light only to have the signal turn red before he was across the motorists waited until he reached a place of safety before proceeding. I was not certain whether this thoughtful consideration was due to the climate or to the Mormon faith.

At Kearney, Nebraska, we visited relatives near Riverdale, and enjoyed seeing old familiar scenes hut the little sod house in which I lived for a time as a boy had long since returned to the dust from which it had once been artistically fashioned. At Riverdale, I met Carl Anderson, superintendent of schools, and talked to the pupils on safety. Mr. Anderson kindly arranged to have a Safety Plaque placed in the new school.

At Chicago we met a number of Erie veterans who were attending the convention of the United Veterans Association and we completed arrangements to have a small Safety Plaque made for distribution through the art and novelty trade The following evening we boarded the Erie Limited of the Erie Railroad, which like the Union Pacific and the Northwestern is famous for its promotion of safety, having 5th place among the Class 1 railroads. Following our return In Rochester the sight which greeted us will never be forgotten for we found much to our satisfaction that the flora fauna of Rochester, probably due to recent rains, was not only greener but longer, than at any point visited, even though we had traveled through 15 states to make this interesting discovery.




From the February, 1939 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
H A. DAAKE of Rochester, IN, telephone maintainer since 1925 but better known as a safety enthusiast, has been appointed supervisor of safety of the Erie Railroad with headquarters in Cleveland, effective Feb. 1st.

Mr. Daake is 50 and has been in Erie service 26 years. For many years he has been a staunch advocate of safety. He has made a deep study of safety, has read volumes about it and he never misses an opportunity to discuss it. He lives his subject of safety -- talks it, dreams it. His friends say that when they see him in earnest conversation with another or with a group it is always safe to wager that he is talking safety. In his new post Mr. Daake will be given greater opportunity for practical application of his ideas about safety. Campaigns he has conducted, work that he has done in the schools as well as his writings and safety drawings have shown something of the wide knowledge that he has gained.

During the fall and winter of 1929-30 he was given leave of absence to conduct a safety campaign for the Prairie Farmer farm paper and Station WLS, Chicago. Afterward with the permission of R.H. Corson, late Superintendent of Telegraph, he went into the schools along the western end of the Erie and gave instructive talks to the children on the dangers of trespassing and the importance of carefulness at crossings.

One of Mr. Daake's latest concrete contributions to the cause of safety is the Safety Plaque he designed last summer which has had wide distribution. It is circular in form, sixteen inches in diameter. In the center are three youthful figures whose hands are in positions which symbolize a slogan which appears around the edge of the plaque reading: Stop to Think, Look to See and Listen to Hear for Safety.

Mr. Daake has served at many points on the railroad. He began his service with the Erie as telephone maintainer at Marion, OH, August 14, 1913. Next came the installation of the telephone train despatching system on the Marion division and he served as Installer until the completion of the project. He was then sent to Lima, 0. as telephone maintainer and served there until December, 1917, when he was sent to Huntington, Ind. as acting telephone inspector. In June, 1919, Mr. Daake was sent to Salamanca as telephone maintainer and served there until February, 1920, when he took up work with the Erie Railroad Magazine, writing articles and drawing cartoons.

In March, 1921, he returned to the telegraph department at Meadville, Pa., to fill a temporary vacancy and later was sent to Hornell as telephone maintainer, serving until August, 1925, when he was moved to Rochester, Ind., where he has remained ever since. Mr. Daake has also been an active member of the Erie Railroad Veterans Association, a regular attendant at the annual meetings and outings, and his many friends among the veterans and other Erie employes who know him will be glad to learn of his appointment to the position of safety supervisor.
A photo was also published




From the March, 1940 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Meadville Adopts Safety Slogan, by H.A. Daake

When the newly formed Apprentice Safe Practice Committee of the Meadvile Production Shop started its study of safety, they adopted the slogan, "Stop to Think, Look to See, Listen to Hear for Safety." Almost immediately, they wanted to know more about its origin and beneficial uses.

The slogan which the apprentices adopted had its beginning about 50 years ago, when a judge decided that a highway traveler who had been injured at a highway crossing was in duty bound to make certain there was no danger and to "stop, look and listen." Shortly afterward many railroads placed these words or slogan at the crossings as a warning and in the belief that it would help to create greater care on the part of highway travelers.

About 18 years ago, due to the increasing number of automobile drivers, some of whom objected to the word "stop" at the crossings when it was not neccessary to stop for safety, the slogan "Cross Crossings Cautiously" came into more general use in connection with campaigns conducted by the railroads for the prevention of grade crossing accidents.

In 1925, realizing that more should be done to create caution in the minds of school children, I happened to make use of the old slogan, Stop, Look and Listen, but soon discovered that the children of the schools, like their parents, did not wish to stop at a crossing when it was clear of danger. This resulted in a new slogan, "Stop to Think, Look to See, Listen to Hear for Safety." This was received with such interest by the little folk of the school I visited that they started to symbolize the new slogan with their hands and as they did so, they repeated the corresponding words. Ultimately, this became a "safety exercise" which has helped to make the little folk in thousands of schools more safety minded. Later in 1938, I used the new slogan with three youthful figures in my design of a safety plaque, as may be noted from the illustration.



The Meadville Apprentices liked the slogan, "Stop to Think, Look to See, Listen to Hear for Safety" because they reasoned that if a person stops to think he will think to stop, which is often necessary for safety. They liked the inclusion of the word Think which is being widely used for the promotion of safety. They noted that the first step of the slogan suggested caution, that the second step suggested caution and the third step caution and for Safety.

The Apprentices, like all seasoned railroaders, realize that a safety slogan, like a railroad rule, is more than a few printed words. It is more than giving little folk the opportunity to engage in a safety exercise, even more than part of a work of applied art. These are only methods which help us to think more about our safety while at work, when we are on the streets and highways or in the quietness of our homes, to help us feel more fully that we have an important part in the nation-wide campaign for the prevention of personal injuries, for the safety of our fellow railroaders, and for the safety of those who for pleasure or profit prefer to use the services of the railroad.




Herman A. Daake

October, 1941



From the December, 1942 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Many safety problems were discussed at the meeting of the Steam Railroad section of the National Safety Council, held in Chicago Oct. 22-29, in connection with the National Safety Congress. Subjects included the prevention of grade crossing accidents, trespassing and the proper handling of explosives.

Mr. Daake spoke on "Conservation of Manpower Requires No Trespassing on Railroads," and included the fact that during the past 10 years, 24,769 persons lost their lives while trespassing, a large army that is not with us today.

The following officers were elected for 1943: Chairman, F.A. Bogue, superintendent of safety, CRI&P Railway, Chicago; Vice-Chairman, H.A. Daake, supervisor of safety, Erie Railroad, Cleveland, and Newsletter Editor, M.T. Fulton, supervisor of safety, KCS Railway, Kansas City, MO.




From the November, 1946 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Erie's Safety Work is Told, by Herman A. Daake
Our safety work on the Erie is conducted through the 45 safe practice committees composed largely of staff supervisors and through their personal contact with the men who work with them. Their activities include training and supervision, so the work is done correctly and safely. The meetings are held monthly in the suoperintendents' offices, in the locomotive and car shops, in the stores, marine and dining car departments. At Huntington, the safe practice committee meetings are conducted by Supt. J.P. Allison and include the members of his staff. There are also rules instruction and examination classes for those engaged in train and engine service which adds to their safety and that of the traveling public. There are numerous other safety meetings held at freight houses and on the line for maintenance of way workers.

Erie men are enthusiastic about their safety work which has placed the Erie Railroad in sixth position among the 22 Group "A" railroads and they expect to make a further improvement during the remaining months of this year.

How does this contribute to community safety? There are many fine examples like the comment made by a shopman a few days ago. He remarked, "I have learned from my foreman that one of the greatest causes of personal injuries is slipping, tripping and falling, about safety housekeeping, the importance of hand rails on every stairway, the danger of electric shock from even low voltage current, about fire protection and many other safety subjects. It has helped me to not only do my job correctly and safely, but also, to have a more humanitarian regard for the safety of others both on and off the job."

This fine attitude of mind on the part of Erie men generally is regarded as being one of our finest contribututions to community safety. It was for many years that this work on the Erie was furthered by John J. Heavey, retired Supervisor of Safety, who resides in Huntington.

The Erie Railroad, along with other railroads, is supporting the National Safety Council's public safety program. Thus we help to make possible a great amount of safety information and engineering experience which is received by the governors' traffic safety commissions and distributed to community safety councils, chambers of commerce, service clubs, and other public spirited groups, for the benefit of the general public. Their distribution also includes information which should help reduce the increasing number of grade crossing accidents and add to the more than 30 million automobile drivers who cross highway-railroad grade crossings many times daily with safety.

It is well known that in many counties the railroads are among or are the largest taxpayers and as such help to support public safety work, fire departments and the schools.

It was nearly 20 years ago when several Erie men asked for the adoption of safety education for the school children of Indiana, which was ultimately established. This has been of benefit to every community in the state. The safety represenattives of our police department visit the schools along the railroad, show safety movies and present information for the prevention of grade crossing accidents, and show the young people the wisdom of not trying to make the tracks a pathway or playground and to cross them with safety at the crossings. This work has been received with appreciation by the school authorities as well as the young people in the schools.




From the May 5, 1947 issue of the Rochester News-Sentinel:
Mrs. Ellen Daake, wife of Herman Daake, died early Monday at Woodlawn hospital after more than a year's illness. During the past month she was a patient at Memorial hospital, South Bend, where an improvement in her condition seemed evident, and she was returned to her home in Rochester last Friday. On Sunday morning her condition became worse and she was taken to Woodlawn hospital where she continued to receive constant care until her passing this morning.

Mrs. Daake was born at Huntington, Ind., April 1900. In 1920, she was united in marriage with Herman Daake and the couple first took up their residencey at Salamanca, New York. Following the residence there, they lived at several other points on the Erie Railroad before coming to Rochester in the fall of 1926.

The deceased was a devoted member and worker of the Methodist church, a member of the Order of Eastern Star, the F.D.I. club and until her disability prevented, an active worker for the support of the Red Cross.

Those of the immediate family who remain to mourn her untimely passing are the husband, Herman Daake; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Stanton of Bluffton, Ind., and brothers and sisters, Claude Stanton, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Edgar Stanton of Huntington, Ind., Mrs. C. C. McKinney of Mankato, Minn., George and Ralph Stanton of Bluffton, and Mrs. Ed Cabell of Akron, Ohio.

Friends may call at the Zimmerman funeral home. Services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Methodist church. Interment will be at the IOOF cemetery.




From the March 8, 1948 issue of the Rochester News-Sentinel:
Herman Daake, 58, 520 Madison street, this city, died in a Cincinnati hospital Monday evening (March 8), following a week's illness from a heart attack. Mr. Daake was stricken Tuesday, March 2, while in the Ohio city and was taken to the hospital where he was believed to be well on his way to recovery when he suffered a second attack last night which proved fatal.

Mr. Daake, who was supervisor of safety for the entire division of the Erie railroad, had a legion of friends throughout the midwest and east. At numerous times he appeared as a "safety" lecturer on various railroad gatherings and public affairs as well. He designed several safety plaques and medals which have been adopted for safety promotional purposes in numerous schools throughout the midwest.

The deceased in his earlier years was a commercial artist and his work in this line proved most beneficial in the promotion of his safety work. For the past eight years he maintained offices in Cleveland, O.

Pending the arrival of relatives, little could be learned of Mr. Daake's earlier life. He was married to Ellen Stanton of Huntingon, Ind., on Aug. 30, 1919. Soon aferward the Daakes moved to Salamanca, N.Y., and later resided at several cities along the Erie railroad lines in the east. The Daakes moved to Rochester in 1926. His wife preceded him in death on May 5, 1947.

Mr. Daake was a member of the Rochester Methodist church and the Masonic order, of this city.

Survivors are three brothers, Paul Daake of Eages Grove, Iowa, Rudolph Daake of Rockford, Iowa, and Carl Daake of Kearney, Neb. Funeral and burial arrangements are incomplete.




From the April, 1948 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Herman A. Daake, 58, supervisor of safety for the Erie system, died March 9 in Cincinnati where he was attending a conference of railroad safety officials.

Mr. Daake had been with the Erie 34 years. For 26 years he was in the Communications Department where he started as telephone maintainer and in which capacity he had served at many points.

A staunch advocate of safety, he made a deep study of the subject and live it, talked it, dreamed it. Campaigns he conducted in the schools, his writings and safety drawings all showed the wide knowledge he had gained. One of his concrete contributions to the cause was the safety plaque he designed and distributed widely, of three youthful figures whose hands are in positions which symbolize a slogan which appears around the edge of the plaque reading: Stop to Think, Look to See and Listen to Hear for Safety.

As a member of the Erie Railroad Veterans Association, he was very active and among other positions had served as veterans reporter for many years.

His wife, Ellen, died May 5 last year.




From the June 1, 1949 issue of the Rochester News-Sentinel:
Memorial monument designed by the late Herman A. Daake in 1945, was erected by his brother, Paul Daake, of this city a few weeks ago in the I.O.O.F. cemetery, here. H. A. Daake, who was Safety Supervisor for the Erie Railroad, died in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 8, 1948 while he was enroute on a series of safety lectures. His safety plaques and other drawings in the promotion of safety for children are in use in practically every school in the U.S. The monument is situated in the northern part of the cemetery facing the Erie Railroad tracks and in plain view of Erie trainmen all of whom were close friends of Mr. Daake.


Rochester News-Sentinel transcriptions by Jean C. and Wendell C. Tombaugh, available online through the Fulton County Library, Rochester, IN]



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