9/6/08

Working on the Railroad


I recently found this tiny 1961 Cottonbelt Route rail employee's daybook for 99 cents on ebay. It arrived yesterday and I was quite amused by the motivational quotes on every page, which read a bit like fortune cookie slips but also seem so much more grounded than some of those silly motivational posters found in offices today. It also recalled my great uncle Frank, who worked for the railroads in North Dakota and enjoyed it thoroughly, as well as another family ancestor who was unfortunately killed one winter while working on the rails in NoDak. Oh, and let's not forget some of my memorable Amtrak adventures - some of these quotes would have been useful to share with their employees!

Here are a few:

- A cup must be bitter that a smile will not sweeten.

- He that grasps too much holds nothing.

- Prosperity gains friends; adversity tries them.

- No one has ever injured another through silence. (Perhaps this quote was included after employees complained about some of the chatterboxes they had to travel with for many miles?)

- A man never appreciates ashes until he slips on ice.

- A bold attempt is half of success.

Do you have any pithy advice to share with us today?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I just happened to share a favorite quote on my blog today: "We are always getting ready to live, but never living." -Ralph Waldo Emerson. Love that thought. Thanks for sharing your little train quotes! Enjoy your weekend.

Mimi said...

That is so neat! What a treasure!

Jessica said...

That is such an awesome find. I found the day planner that was my gradmother's (whom I never met) once, it was so interesting to read!

Meadowlark Days said...

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone!

walter and me said...

What a beautiful book - a lucky find. Some of those quotes really resonate, too.

Wayfaring Wanderer said...

What a great find! I would really enjoy reading the quirky quotes as well.