WILLIAM R BLANCH.
W.R. Blanch, whose picture appears on page 263, was born in Nyack, N.Y., February 27, 1841. At the age of 18 years he entered the service of the Erie as a Brakeman, between Piermont, N.Y., and Port Jervis. In 1861 Mr. Blanch came to Jersey City and began firing an engine.

In 1862 he felt the call of his country, which was then engaged in a bitter strife to save the Union. While in the ranks he took part in many of the most important battles of the War. He was honorably discharged in 1863 and resumed work with the Erie as fireman. He held this position until June 1st, 1869, when he was promoted to engineer and continued as such until May 25th, 1908, when on account of ill health he was relieved as engineer and made Crossing Supervisor, which position he still holds with the ability of a person than half his age. During the 39 years Mr. Blanch was engineer he never had an accident, suspension, or even a demerit mark against his record, nor damaged a dollar's worth of Company property. This record he challenges anyone to beat.

During the great fire on the Weehawken Docks, July llth, 1874, he saved 92 cars of oil from burning, by driving his engine through fire and smoke with the burning oil all around him and the heat was so intense that it broke the windows of his cab. For this meritorious service he was given a letter of appreciation by Engine Dispatcher Tufts of Jersey City. Mr. Blanch joined the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in 1870 and when Division 135 was organized at Jersey City, he was one of the charter members.

To hear Mr. Blanch talk of the past, when the Erie used wood burners, also recount his many stirring adventures of the War, reminds a person that if one is a true American citizen, Mr. Blanch is. He is very popular with the boys of the Division Superintendent's office at Jersey City and often takes a catch hold when many of them have met their Waterloo. Another unusual thing is, that Mr. Blanch does not wear glasses and his eyesight today, he says, is as good as any of the engineers who are pulling our through trains.

Mr. Blanch, during the eighties, used to run for Conductor "Bob" Barnes between Jersey City and Paterson and they were considered as good a team as the New York Division boasted, not excepting Garrison and Frazier or Lupton and Dooley.