GEORGE A. BADGLEY. Hornellsville, New York.
A man who has had some remarkably close calls from death is George A. Badgley, who was born in Elizabeth, N. J., on June 4, 1856. His parents moved to Oswego, N. Y., in 1864, and there he received his schooling. In 1871 he began as a brakeman on the Susquehanna Division of the Erie, and after seven years was promoted to yardmaster at Susquehanna. Leaving that branch of railroad work, he went to firing, and in August, 1889, was promoted to engineer, and is now running in the freight service.

His first narrow escape was in May, 1874, when he caught his foot in a frog and was run over, this occurring in the Susquehanna yard. He fell off a freight train two or three times while braking, and while firing for Jim Stickney, who was known as a fast runner, he had two close calls; one when their train, going at fifty-five miles an hour, jumped the track, and the other when Jim lost the handle of his air brake and came nearly letting his train run into a passenger at the rate of fifty miles an hour. Mr. Badgley ran the first compound engine (289, now 960) that was put on the Susquehanna Division.

He was married on Christmas, 1876, to Miss Jennie Hawkins of Kirkwood, N. Y., and they have four children, three of whom are living. Mr. Badgley joined the B. of L. E. in 1891, has held several offices and is now secretary of the Insurance Order and a member of the Board of Adjustment. He has kept his books and can make out a slip for any trip he has ever made, either as engineer or fireman. He is a prominent member of the Methodist Church and has not taken a drink since November, 1876.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the February, 1915 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Susquehanna Division engineer G.A. Badgely was commended for running his engine in passenger service for 34,447 miles between February 8, 1914 and December 15, 1914 without any engine failures.

From numerous 1912-1916 issues of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Susquehanna Division Engineer G.A. Badgley appeared on the roster of the Order of the Red Spot several times from 1912 through 1916, awarded to engineers with particularly well-maintained engines.

From the August, 1925 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
A brief notice of the death of George A. Badgley appeared in the Hornell Tribune-Times. It said he passed away at his home in Hornell very suddenly on the anniversary of his birth. He was 69 years of age. He had been a resident of Hornell thirty-nine years, and had been employed as engineer thirty-eight years, running on the Susquehanna Division.