Grayson County TXGenWeb

“Old Top West”
That is What the Boys Called Him Many Years Ago—Early Railroading Out of Denison.

Sunday Gazetteer
1907

J. G. West (“Top”), who is here after an absence of many years, was in early days one of the most noted sportsmen that ever lived in Denison. If there ever was a man imbued with the true sportsman spirit, that man was “Old Top,” as the boys used to call him. He would cancel any engagement to go on a hunting frolic. While Top was a famous nimrod, he was in the seventies [1870s] the best known and most popular of any engineer that ever pulled the throttle on the old Choctaw Division between Denison and Muskogee. Those were the golden days of railroading. The largest town between here and Muskogee did not number scarcely a dozen houses. Two passenger trains No. 1 and 2 did the traffic of the road. They were what would be called now "whistling stations". Top was so well acquainted with his division that a bet was made one day that he could make time into a station without consulting his watch. When the “brass collars” went on a tour of inspection, Top was the engineer selected to take them over the road, and you could always bet that they got there on time. He was not only a great favorite with the officials, but every railway employee from “greaser” up to the top of the ladder held Top in high esteem.
In the seventies [1870s] and a portion of the eighties [1880s], there was the most friendly, genial, and companionable lot of railway men that made Denison their home that could be found on any spot on the green earth. The railroad men of Denison today are clannish—a set by themselves—that spontaneous hail fellow well met spirit is not apparent. Top West was the leader. There was not a railway event or a social function that his name did not figure largely in the committees. Without Top, it was like the play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out.

It somehow always happened that when a railroad man was dead broke and wanted a helping hand, he was sure to hunt up Top and he was never turned away, but was sent on his way rejoicing.
In those days there were dollars where there are only cents at present. Any man could make a raise with which to get a square meal and bed to sleep in. This town was a paradise for the unfortunates. We recall the notorious Charley Everitt, who took a car load of tramps in his caboose at Red River City. They put up a hard luck story to Charley, and he said, “Pile in boys,” and carried them through to the end of his division.
Railroading in that period was the hardest kind of work. There were no air brakes then, and the brakemen had to remain on top of the train from the time they left Denison until they arrived at Muskogee and they had to hold the train at every hill and steep grade. The duties of a brakeman at the present time is a luxury compared with that period.
Top West was in several smash-ups, but seemed to have a charmed life. About the worst was at old South Canadian. It was a close call, but Providence was again on the side of Top.
In an emergency West never lost his nerve. He has been pushed to the wall, experienced hair-breath escapes, etc., but when the ordeal was over he was like an old game cock—would flap his wings and crow like thunder. If you wanted a fight and was disposed to push the matter and happened to run up against Top, he was always willing to accommodate you. He took a delight in taming the lion in his jungle, or more properly speaking, putting the quietus on the so-called bad man, the border ruffian, who figured largely in the pioneer life of Denison. The man who attempted “to rub it in” on Top West was ever after sorry for his rashness.
We might fill up the entire paper with interesting anecdotes of the past that Top West played in the early railway history, and every story would be interesting reading. He was a unique character in our pioneer history. He is in our city today—the same old lovable Top, as full of life and spirit as he was thirty-five years ago. He belongs to the old regime of railroad men, that somehow or other seem to be out of place in this modern era, but he was the kind of man who will hold his own until he pulls into the last station and his work is over. He is the father of the beautiful girl who was married last Saturday to Dr. Mayes. He is still at the throttle in the land of the Montazumas, and time has dealt so gently with him that he doesn’t look a day older than he did twenty years ago. Time has not soured him, and it never will. He belongs to that hopeful class of men who will look the world in the face and sing:

J.G. West was the son of Ephraim West & Polly Vaught, both natives of Virginia; he was born October 22, 1852 in Pulaski, Kentucky. By 1870 J.G. was 18 years old & living in Dublin Precinct, Graves Co., Kentucky and worked in a saw mill.
In 1880, John G. West, age 28, was residing in a boarding house operated by Nellie Cregeir in Denison; his occupation is listed a "locomotive engineer".

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, September 13, 1896

Top West, the best known, and unquestionably the most popular engineer on the Katy, is an interesting figure. Top left the service of the Katy about 3 years ago, and is at present pulling a passenger train on a short line in Southern California. Top has a large circle of friends in Denison, and the railway fraternity cling to him like a brother. He is always original and interesting, and when he talks of old times on the Katy, he never lacks a large audience. He points a story with Joke, which are strictly West. No engineer can tell so mucy of the Indian Territory as Top West. His reminiscenses would fill a large size volume. He has seen that country grow from blank prairie lands to populous cities. Top was a passenger enginner on the Choctaw division for 15 years. It is said of him that he knew the division so well that he could take a train into a station on time without the aid of a watch. Top was at one time a sweet violinist. When he arrived at the en d of the division he would climb to the top of a box car and give the bo ys a tune, but he has long since laid aside the fiddle and the bow.

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, October 27, 1907

TOP WEST: A Thrilling Episode of Pioneer Life - How Top Saved a Negro's Life.
Editors of the Gazetteer;
I have just finished reading the Gazetteer's reminescences of "Top West's" life in the early day of Denison, and it goes without saying that they were interesting to one who was then, and for some after, more or less familiar with the events narrated. But there was one important episode in his experience while a resident of Denison that you seemed to have forgotten. Do you remember the time that a Negro, on of two who had been cleaning a well for some one had been paid in a lump for the job, and then repaired to Tom Fox's saloon to get a drink and divide the money? Tom's "blue lightenint" seemed to have such an exhilerating effect as to cause dissatisfaction relative to the amount each should have, and one of them returned to the house w here the work had been done and demanded more pay which was refused. By this time the said colored brother had become so crazed with the red liquor that he ran amuck down Gandy street and passed the Catholic church just at a time when the worshippers were leaving. He seemed to t hink all women were in a conspiracy to defraud him out of his hard earned money, and with knife in hand assaulted one or two young ladies whom he met on the walk. He wa soon arrested and lodged in the old calaboose. It soon became noised about town and an angry crowd gathered about the jail, and forcing an entrance brought the culprit out with a fiew of lynching him. He was taken to the house of one of his victims for identification and from there to a telegraph pole for hanging. Sam Hanna was mayor and he and Ex-Mayor T.B. Hanna, Top West and A.R. C ollins and several other civilians endeavored to persuade the mob to let the law take its course. But the crowd was obdurate and persisted in "stringing the nigger" up, and but for Top would have succeeded, in fact they did tighten the rope, but before it could do any damage to the prisoner West reached over the crowd next to the pole and cut the rope. I do ubt if there was another man in the c ity who could have done that without getting into seri ous trouble. Two or three times did the mob get the rope around the negro's neck and over a pole and begin to tighten the same when Top was on hand with his trusty knife which he d id not hesitate to use, notwithstanding the threatening taunts of the mob. The matter finally ended by the mob restoring the Negro to the old jail from whence he soon "went over the road" and served some 7 years for his escapade. There is no do ubt that Top saved the negro's life and the city the disgrace of having a lynching within its borders.
That was one in stance where the genial, jolly, wholesouled favorite with every old-time denizen of "The Instant Wonder" exhibited a courage such as is seldom met with in these degerate days. Long live J.G. West, alias and always to his old Denison friends, Top West.
- - - Dan Webster

In the early 1900, Top was tried and convicted of killing a Mexican citizen in January 1900 and was placed in prison for a sentence of 7 years. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers lobbies on his behalf, and the Secretary of State John Hay interceded at one point.
His wife, Kate Kirk West, was residing in Mexico in 1902 in order to be close to her husband, to intercede for his release, and at the expense of her health, was teaching a school in the city where her husband was imprisoned. Mr. Ed Perry had been in Mexico and was personally aware of the Wests' troubles; he planned to return to Mexico and make it his mission to obtain the release of Top from prison.

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, January 5, 1902

THE TOPE WEST CASE
Mr. Ed Perry who is direct from the City of Mexico, throws a little light a nd a gleam of hope on the celebrated case of Engineer Top West, the well known pioneer engineer of this city, whose railway career is identified with the early history of Denison. When Mr. Perry left Mexico, Mrs. West was there to intercede for the release of her husband, who has been incarcerated in a Mexican jail for the past 2 years. The sublime devotion of this no ble layd is one of the most pathetic incidents that has ever been called to the attention of the world. She is at present conducting a school in the city where her husband is a prisoner. This places her in communication with him, and every effort of her life is devoted to cheer and dispel the gloom of prison life. Mr. Perry states that Mrs. West is very much broken in health, but she has never lost co urage in the work to which she has devoted her life, the release of her unfortunate husband. When Mr. Perry returns to Mexico he will make the case of Mr. West a personal matter an dthe influence at his comman, has strong hopes that he will secure his release. The pardon must come from the governor of the state where Mr. West is confined. The president can suggest that executive clemency be extended, which is about equivalent to a pardon.
Mr. Perry understands that Mr. West was sentenced for a period of 7 years. His many Denison friends pray that the efforts of Mr. Perry may be crowned with success. Top West has a warm place in the affections of the old timers who have mourned with his wife in his unfortunate predicament.

Sources:
Kentucky Births & Christenings, 1839 - 1860
1880, 1900 Grayson County Texas census