Erie Railroad Biography - George Bush

GEORGE BUSH, Huntington, Indiana.
George Bush achieves distinction from the fact that he was a steamboat engineer of the Columbia river and Upper Cascades. He was born in Morris County, New Jersey, October 19, 1853; and attended school until he was 17 years old, acquiring a fine common school education. His father was Ralph Bush, a pioneer farmer of Morris County, and the young man worked on his father's farm until he was 20 years old, when he took a trip to the Pacific coast. Here he accepted a position with the 0., R. & N. Co. as engineer, and for seven years ran a passenger and freight steamer on the Columbia river between Portland, Oregon, and the Cascades, and Portland to Eugene City on the Willamette. He ran the first steamboat that entered and went through the Upper Cascade locks in 1880. In 1882 he began his railroad career as a fireman on the Chicago & Atlantic. He fired but one year, when his superior ability and thorough knowledge of engines won him promotion to engineer under Master Mechanic Ackley. Mr. Bush has been running on freight for the past sixteen years, and for seven years has run on Nos. 77 and 90, known as the "New York Merchandise." He stands well up in the confidence of his superiors, who have often complimented him on his ability and judgment.

On September 23, 1874, he was married to Miss Mary E. Renshaw, daughter of Charles Renshaw, who was the boss nailer in the Boonton (New Jersey) Iron Mills. They have five children. Charles, the eldest, 22 years of age, is a traveling salesman; Irwin, aged 16, is an apprentice in the Erie Machine shop at Huntington; George, aged 9, and Lewis, aged 7, are attending public school, while their only daughter, Laura, aged 14, has passed her examinations and will enter High School the coming season.

Mr. Bush is held in high esteem by his brother engineers, and both he and Mrs. Bush enjoy the friendship of all whom they meet. He is a member of B. of L. E. Division No. 221; Amity Lodge No. 413, F. & A. M., and the Royal Arcanum. Mr. Bush is also quite a sportsman and every year takes a vacation long enough to make a hunting trip into some region where game abounds, and when he returns he brings plenty of trophies to testify to his skill with the gun.

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



From the May, 1908 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Huntington News):
The honorable career of another Erie man has ended. Engineer George Bush, well known and highly respected, died at his home in Huntington, April 13 (1908). The immediate cause of Mr. Bush's death was paralysis, but he had been a sufferer from Bright's Disease for several years, and had been absent from his accustomed run on passenger trains for five months when overtaken by death. For twenty-five years engineer George Bush did faithful service for the Erie and was perhaps as trustworthy as eny employe on the company's rolls. As an engineer Mr. Bush was industrious and could be relied uppon for the safety of his train. Mr. Bush was a man of commanding appearance and cheerful disposition. He took great pleasure in out-of-door sports, being a devotee of hunting and the trotting track. He was the owner of May Anderson, a pacing mare of local reputation with which he won several speed records. A wife and five grown children survive the deceased. Their loss is doubly severe as every indication pointed to Mr. Bush's early return to work, the fatal stroke of paralysis being wholly unexpected. The funeral services of the deceased were held in Huntington and were in charge of the several fraternities with which he was identified as a member.


From the June, 1908 issue of the Railroad Engineers' Journal (BLE):
Brother George Bush of Division 221, Huntington, died 04/13/1908 of Bright's Disease.



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