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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The year 2009 marks the 80th anniversary of the |
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death of railroad engineer Alonzo John Wemple, who spent much of his |
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career in Texas and died here in 1929; and |
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WHEREAS, Alonzo Wemple was born in Schenectady, New York, on |
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October 1, 1833, and he spent his entire professional life as a |
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railroad man, working throughout the United States; during that |
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time, he was present at many significant historical events of that |
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era; and |
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WHEREAS, While working for the Illinois Central Railroad |
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during the Civil War, Engineer Wemple transported captured |
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Confederate soldiers to Union prison camps; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1865, Mr. Wemple joined the elite group of |
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engineers who piloted the funeral train of President Abraham |
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Lincoln, which transported Lincoln's body, with stops for viewing, |
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from Washington, D.C., through Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, |
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Ohio, and Indiana, to its final resting place in Springfield, |
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Illinois; working for the New York Central Railroad at the time, Mr. |
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Wemple piloted the train on part of its journey, probably from |
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Schenectady to Troy, New York, although it is possible he was the |
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engineer who brought the train into Springfield; and |
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WHEREAS, A few years later, Mr. Wemple was running a switch |
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engine in Illinois and witnessed the great Chicago fire that |
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ravaged the city in 1871; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Wemple then moved to Texas, and from 1886 to 1888 |
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he piloted trains on the Texas and Pacific Railway that headed west |
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from Texarkana; he went on to settle in Bonham, where he piloted |
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switch engines for many years into the 1920s, and he died in Fort |
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Worth in 1929 at the age of 95; and |
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WHEREAS, History is made not only by the deeds of the famous |
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but also by the accumulated experience of countless individuals, |
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and although Alonzo Wemple played only a small part, he was a |
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witness to some of the most important events of his time; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby commemorate the life of Alonzo John Wemple and his role in |
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the history of this state and nation. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 79 was adopted by the Senate |
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on May 25, 2009. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 79 was adopted by the House |
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on May 31, 2009. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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Approved: |
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______________________________ |
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Date |
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______________________________ |
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Governor |