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History of Cambria County, V.3

374 HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
inshaw, was born in 1810, in county Derry, Ireland, and was three months old when brought by his parents to the United States. He was educated in the common schools of Westmoreland county, and remained on the homestead until placed by his father in charge of a train on the pike between Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburg. He afterward engaged in farming in Derry township, abandoning his agricultural pursuits after a time in order to take a position as locktender on the canal, half a mile west of Bolivar. He followed this calling for a number of years, and during the winters had charge of a gang of men employed in cleaning out the canal. About 1853 he left the canal and went to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Blairsville, loading and unloading cars. He was appointed section foreman on the railroad at Blairsville, and later filled a similar position at Livermore, where he remained until the close of his life. He was a Democrat in politics, and he and his wife were members of the Lutheran church.
    James Walkinshaw married Mary, daughter of John and Susan (Shultz) Cressinger, of Derry township, and the following children were born to them: Margaret, died young. John C., of whom later. Nancy. Susan, died unmarried in 1904. Robinson, of Blairsville, railroad man for years, severely injured in collision near Chattanooga between his train and one carrying United States troops to Cuban war. Kate. Mary. William. The mother of these children died in 1857, at Cokeville, Pennsylvania, and the death of the father occurred at Livermore in 1884. He is buried in Blairsville.
    John C. Walkinshaw, son of James and Mary (Cressinger) Walkinshaw, was a boy when his father moved to the locks near Bolivar, and it was there that his school life began. When the family removed to Blairsville he attended the schools of that place until the age of fifteen, and then became a clerk under a Mr. Zimmerman, in the freight office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. In 1857 he became brakeman on the Pennsylvania railroad, between Blairsville and East Conemaugh, and three years later was made brakeman on passenger trains, where he served one year. After that he was for a time an extra brakeman on freight trains and also ran a freight train. In 1861 he went to Pittsburg as yardmaster, and in 1862 was transferred in the same capacity to Derry, where he served until 1865. During this period he was often a witness, while in the exercise of his duty, to the departure of troops for the seat of war. In the spring of 1865 he was for a short time again made yardmaster in Pittsburg, and was thence transferred to Altoona, running a freight train between that place and Conemaugh until June, 1866, when he was made yardmaster at East Conemaugh, retaining the position until 1889. After the flood he was for five months stationed as yardmaster at Johnstown, and when the yards at Morellville were finished he took charge of them, continuing to do so until December, 1905, when he retired, having been for over forty-nine years uninterruptedly in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, on the Pittsburg Division. During that long period his record was unblemished, and he was distinguished alike for fidelity to his employers and for justice and kindliness toward those under his command. While living in East Conemaugh, he served in the borough council and also filled the office of assessor. He is a Democrat in politics. After his marriage he adopted the Roman Catholic faith, and is now a member of St. John Gaulbert's church, Johnstown.
    Mr. Walkinshaw married, September 6, 1864, in Altoona, Ruth E., born in Cambria county, daughter of John and "Mary (Holliday) Mat-


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