Look Back: 'Old Jasper' retired in 1928 after 53 years of railroad service

Mar. 23—Jasper C. Gritman, known as "Old Jasper," had an exciting commute to work from his home at 312 E. Market St., Wilkes-Barre — a short walk to the rail yards along today's Wilkes-Barre Boulevard where he hopped onto a street car that took him to Hudson in Plains Township.

At 75, Gritman retired after 53 years of service to the Delaware & Hudson Railroad Co. on March 31, 1928.

"More than a half century, 53 years to be exact, in the service of one company and 40 of those years as an engineer, is the proud record compiled by Jasper C. Gritman who today will be fittingly honored by his colleagues and superiors," reported the Wilkes-Barre Record on March 31, 1928.

Born in Benton Township, Lackawanna County, then a part of Luzerne County on March 9, 1853, Gritman worked on his family's farm until 14, when he worked on the Delaware and Hudson Canal between Honesdale and Roudout, N.Y.

The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company ventured into the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company.

Gritman assisted in driving mules to pull barges filled with coal to the Hudson River for two years until he returned to help his father on the family's farm. After his father's death, Gritman grew tired of farmlife and went to Scranton in 1888 and began working for D & H railroad spending the first eight years on the Saratoga Express that traveled between Scranton and Oneonta, N.Y.

"For eight years he was a 'brakie' during the regime when air brakes and cabooses were things unknown. His record entitled him to promotion and he was made an engineer 40 years ago," the Record reported.

Gritman's promotion in 1888 resulted in relocating to the Heights section of Wilkes-Barre, living on South Welles and South Grant streets before moving to a modest home on East Market Street, which overlooked the rail yards.

Having the benefit of working for the railroad, Gritman and his wife rode for free often taking vacations in Erie, Pa., or Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Gritman's job as an engineer was handling the throttle of a pusher engine between Hudson, Plains Township, to Moosic. He got to Hudson by street car he hopped onto near the Central New Jersey Passenger Station, today's Luzerne County Visitors Center.

On his last day of work, the pusher engine was decorated with flags and banners.

"He will drive the engine to Moosic and there a special car will be attached and brought to Hudson. At 4 p.m., a formal homage will be paid to Old Jasper at the throttle," reported the Record.

After ceremonies and kind words were said, Jasper was honored at a banquet attended by 300 people at the Hotel Sterling.

Jasper died inside his East Market Street home on Jan. 30, 1936, and was buried next to his wife, who died in 1933, in St. Mary's Cemetery in Hanover Township. The couple had five boys.