“The hunting car ‘City of Saginaw’ was thrown from the track on the Wabash road, 120 miles west of Toledo by a broken rail and after running about 40 rods on the ties was thrown down an embankment completely demolishing the interior, wrenching the Condon Car Heater from its place and rolling it to the opposite side of the car. The stove stood the severe test perfectly, the steam and water from the tank attachment extinguishing every particle of fire instantly before it could be communicated to the car or its contents. We believe that the lives of some of the party were saved by the precaution of supplying this car with the stove above mentioned, and we hereby extend thanks to the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad company for taking taking [sic.] this precaution, and heartly recommend the ‘Condon Safety Car Heater’ to the favorable consideration of the railroads throughout the country. The undersigned were in the car at the time of accident (signed.) M. Butman; E.R. McCarty; E.G. Rust; B.B. Bartlett; D.S. Chapin; H. Vance; Wm. A. Williams; C.W. Ellis, Porter; George Washington, Asst. Porter”
--The Saginaw Evening News, February 5, 1884.
This testimonial was followed by descriptions of railroad accidents and indicated how the installation of Condon Safety Car Heaters would have averted tragedy. Obviously, the purpose of this article was to promote the Condon Safety Car Heater invented by William F. Condon of East Saginaw. As Attempts were being made to produce the device in East Saginaw, it is not surprising that it would be utilized by the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad Cars, and it certainly shouldn’t be surprising that one would be installed in William B. Mershon’s famed hunting car the City of Saginaw.
“For William Mershon, his family and his companions, spending time in the outdoors fishing and hunting was considered morally, spiritually, and physically invigorating. For many men of Mershon’s class in this era, reconnecting with the outdoors was a way of reconnecting with a mythic, pioneer past at a time when wealth had made many idle and effete.
Often, Mershon’s fishing and hunting trips with family and friends were taken in his private rail car. Porters and cooks would sometimes be hired and, as is apparent from these photos, many of the conveniences of home were taken into the bush. His archives contain innumerable references to these trips through diaries, fish counts, photographs, letters, and written memories.
Mershon had two cars, the earliest the ‘City of Saginaw’ and the later ‘W.B Mershon.’ These cars included sleeping berths, dining areas, an ice box to store fish and game, and even a bathing tub. For many years, every October, the car would travel to the Dakotas for goose and quail hunts. In November the hunting party would be in northern Michigan to hunt partridge. May marked the annual Mershon family’s trout-fishing outing to the north branch of the Au Sable River. The train car would be brought to Lovells, Michigan, where Mershon owned hundreds of riverside acres. Later, Mershon would build his High Banks Lodge there.” (From: https://bentley.umich.edu/news-events/news/from-the-digital-archives-the-mershon-collection/)
The names of the passengers signing the testimonial are a who’s who of Saginaw’s lumbering industry: M. Butman, E.R. McCarty, E.G. Rust, B.B. Bartlett, D.S. Chapin, H. Vance and Wm. A. Williams. The last two names to appear on the list, are the men who made this extended hunting trip possible: pioneer Black businessman Charles W. Ellis and George Washington, a successful barber who had worked in Saginaw City since 1870. Both men were prominent residents of the community whose activities were frequently reported in the newspapers.
For an outline of George Washington’s life, we turn to his obituary:
“George Washington, a respected negro resident of Saginaw for the past 47 years, died Thursday of paralysis at his home, 201 South Bates street. He was 73 years old. It was in 1870 when Mr. Washington came to this city and he conducted a barber shop in the old Taylor house which was where the Hotel Fordney now stands. He also operated in several other locations on the west side. He was a familiar figure on the streets of the city and enjoyed a wide acquaintance.
He was born in Garrett county, Ky., December 25, and at the age of nine years went to Laporte, Ind., which was his home until the outbreak of the civil war. He became an aide to Major Clark and served three years after which he enlisted in Co. F, 102 Regiment Colored Infantry, and served until the close of the war. November 2, 1870, he was married to Miss Eliza Jan Malvine at St. Joseph, Mich., and shortly afterward they moved here.
Besides his widow he leaves three sons and four daughters, Fred of Saginaw, George of the 24th Infantry, Columbus, N. M, Willam and Mrs. Charles Carpenter of Chicago, Mrs. T.H. Williams of Detroit, Mrs. L. L. Goings and Mrs. D. D. Moore of Grand Rapids. He was a member of the Michigan Avenue Baptist church. The Funeral will take place Sunday.” (Saginaw Daily News, February 9, 1917.)
This link will take you to information about Charles W. Ellis, Sr.
We thank Nathan Hanely for making us aware of George Washington and sharing his research about him, and we thank Matt Kehr for photographing Washington’s marker.
The Recipe: Elsie Mershon’s Eggs Cooked in Pan on Open Fire
Although C.W. Ellis and George Washington are listed as porter and assistant porter, we suspect their duties included food preparation – especially since we know C.W. Ellis was a successful caterer and restaurant owner.
While we lack recipes from either George Washington or C. W. Ellis Sr, this recipe from the cookbook, Back to the Kitchen with Lakeside Cooks, supplied by William B. Mershon’s sister, Elsie C. Mershon, will need to suffice--and it certainly seems plausible that eggs would have been prepared in this fashion on excursions of the City of Saginaw and that C.W. Ellis Sr and George Washington would have been familiar with this recipe.
Use an ordinary frying pan. When hot put in 2 large tablespoons of butter. When this is melted, break 6 eggs carefully so as to keep whole, salt and paprika, and if liked a trifle of minced onion or chives. Hold over the fire until beginning to turn solid. While still cooking add ½ cup of vinegar, Cook briskly until the liquid browns.
CTK NOTES:
We are left quite speechless by the addition of vinegar. However, remembering this is intended to be prepared outdoors, we remembered to turn our vent fan on high.
After preparing this dish, the CTK contemplated the fried eggs - with vinegar – that they had just cooked and eaten. It had seemed so strange. However, the results were much more interesting than had been expected. This led us to an internet search and this article.
The CTK staff used cider vinegar. They had been tempted to use a wine vinegar. Perhaps they should not have resisted temptation. As result, we have more eggs to fry…
ADDITIONAL CITATIONS:
"William B. Mershon's railroad hunting car "City of Saginaw" returning from Dawson, N.D., 1889; HS1497." In the digital collection Bentley Historical Library: Bentley Image Bank. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhl/x-hs1497/hs1497. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed February 20, 2025.