-PE Ephemera

Michael Patris Collection

The back cover of the Pacific Electric Magazine for November-December 1949 features this cartoon penned by Jim Berryman entitled "Santa's Helper" - in this case, American Railroads. The bag is filled with merchandise, food, gifts, trees, Christmas mail and holiday travel.

Michael Patris Collection

Michael Patris Collection

Comic from page 8 of the December 1929 issue of Pacific Electric Magazine.

Michael Patris Collection

Michael Patris Collection

Pacific Electric Magazine November - December 1949 features a then five-year-old boy named Jerry Jurdan, son of Night Foreman Bill Jurdan of West Hollywood Garage. The blurb in the magazine states: "(the Jurdan's) got into the Christmas Spirit a little ahead of time this year so we could bring you this Christmas cover. Here's Jerry holding a model of a PE rail car built by his dad, a miniature railroad enthusiast; and a PE bus model borrowed from the desk of Motor Coach Superintendant John D. Puffer. Picture was taken in the Trainmen's Room at Sixth and Main, and Jerry is wearing a cap belonging to Conductor Earl E. Green. the tree was about the first one sold on Wilshire Boulevard, and the decorations came from the PE Club, courtesy of Manager Stan W. Newcomer and Clerk E. T. Holmes. Assistant Research Engineers Bob Labbe and Malcolm McNaughten did the decorating. Many thanks are due to all who helped, and especially to Bill Jurdan, who traveled many miles on short notice to make the picture possible.

Michael Patris Collection

Michael Patris Collection

Pacific Electric Magazine Volume 16, Numbers 6 and 7 combined in a November - December issue for 1931. Different with this issue is the green ink for Christmas. D. W. Pontius gives the yearly Yuletide greeting inside the front cover and on the back there is an ad for The Conductor and Motorman Sox available exclusively at Walker's (Broadway at 5th Street) for only 25-cents a pair! Additionally, there is an ad on the back cover for Dr. Samuel Kaufman, official PE Dental Surgeon, room 826 of the PE building at Sixth and Main Streets.

Michael Patris Collection

Michael Patris Collection

Pacific Electric Magazine Volume 14, Number 8 from January 10, 1930, depicts a New Year's infant decked out with a PE motorman's hat while holding a trolley. As the babe breaks through the calendar page it stands on a PE route map. Just inside the cover, above the table of contents, reads:

Resolved for 1930: I. That I will make an honest and earnest effort to fulfill the obligations of my job, for on it my welfare and those I hold most dear depends. II. That kindness, consideration and courtesy shall attend my every act. III. That loyalty to those to whom I owe it and to my ideals shall abide with me all through this year. IV. That, should I not be present at the close of this twelve-month, I may have so loved as to be remembered as one who believed in and practiced the Golden Rule.

Michael Patris Collection

Michael Patris Collection

Pacific Electric Magazine Volume 15, Number 7 from December 10, 1930 depicts a dream perhaps many kids had back in the 1930's; Santa driving a PE trolley whilst being pulled by reindeer across the skies of downtown Los Angeles. Don't know why the trolley pole is in the upright position while flying over City Hall, but Santa knows best!

Michael Patris Collection

Michael Patris Collection

Pacific Electric Magazine from December 10, 1929, Volume 14, Number 7, wishes Merry Christmas to the Pacific Electric Family. Great artwork from their art department showing Santa Claus thinking about all the fine employees who work for the company.

Michael Patris Collection

Michael Patris Collection

The Pacific Electric Magazine was a great way for corporate officials to keep in touch with all employees, particularly during the holidays. This issue, Volume 10, Number 7 dates from December 10, 1925 and features car 741 as "the first outbound Subway Passenger Train" as a "Special" heading out of the terminal. There is a Motorman in the center window with a Christmas wreath around his neck and a Christmas bow hanging from the top right corner of the car. The employee is flanked by other company officials, including "Our Chief" (D. W. Pontius) with a dubious look on his face.

This event included great fanfare, such as a 1,500 person banquet at the Biltmore Hotel. PE officials said the opening of this terminal on December 1, 1925, would remove 778 cars from Hill Street daily and 301 cars from 6th Street daily as well. The length of the track from Hill Street to 1st and Glendale Boulevard was 5,000 feet long, cost four million to build, and became the largest excavation for any building in the City's history.

The building itself used 6,000 tons of steel during construction, began at a depth of 330 feet, would house 600 offices. Certainly this was a great Christmas gift not only to the community, but to the Pacific Electric Railway as well.

Michael Patris Collection