A Leavenworthy I met during my recent trip to Fred Harvey’s hometown, Mary Ann Brown of the great local historical society, shares this interesting, funny little article about Fred from early 1898.

Leavenworth Times: Jan 2, 1898
“JOKE on Fred Harvey. Thought he was through with his annual.”

The following is the story of a railroad pass and illustrates the folly of being in too much of a hurry to give up a good thing.

Fred Harvey, the great railroad dining house magnate, was coming home Friday from Kansas City to spend New Year’s with his family.
When the conductor asked for his fare he flashed his little annual pass and was allowed to ride as becomes a man actively associated with large railroad interests.

Upon leaving the Burlington train in East Leavenworth Mr. Harvey boarded the “plug” for Leavenworth, and no sooner had he seated himself in the train than, looking at the pass which he had retained in his hand, he remarked that “this will be outlawed tomorrow and I don’t need it any more.” With this remark he tore the annual passport to free passage on the Burlington system in pieces and tossed the scraps on the floor.

Just then the conductor touched him on the shoulder and asked for his fare from East Leavenworth to Leavenworth. Mr. Harvey had not counted on having to show his pass again during 1897.

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