Scotian Railroad Society 1970-06 Maritime Express

Scotian Railroad Society - The Maritime Express June 1970

Newsletter of the Scotian Railroad Society. A tribute to journalist and railway writer H. B. Jefferson.
A transcription of the article text appears below the illustration, for ease of reading and for search purposes.

IN MEMORIAM

H. B. Jefferson

That a man is allowed to die in the manner in which he lived or in the setting which he probably would choose if he wore asked is indeed rare. Mr. H. B. (Jeff) Jefferson, who was the Vice-President. of the Scotian Railroad Society and the editor of the Moncton FREE PRESS, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, May 20th, 1970, in Moncton where he was examining work in the newsroom.

Mr. Jefferson, a veteran Maritimes newspaperman and railroad historian, got his start at the MONCTON TIMES and the MONCTON TRANSCRIPT in the year 1912. He later worked with newspapers and in public television in Fredericton, Saint John, Yarmouth, Charlottetown, Moncton, Sydney and Halifax. In addition, he served as Atlantic Regional Censor of publications, press and radio for a few years from 1939 onward.

While he was with the publicity department of the Nova Scotia government, he travelled the length and breadth of the provinces many times, and compiled great volumes of information on the railways that once served or continue to serve the province. He also gathered much material on the other aspects of life in the Maritimes.

Although he officially retired in 1966, he kept writing articles on early railroading, and then took up duties as the interim editor with a new weekly newspaper in Moncton, THE FREE PRESS. He was an example of that breed of newspaperman who is never happy unless he is kept very busy, nay, over-worked.

From his many articles and letters, (not to mention personal chats), one could see readily why he was a raconteur par excellence. With his encyclopedic knowledge of Maritime Railways and the personalities involved, his taste for the appropriate anecdote, his amiable manner and his devastating wit, his stories were a refreshing delight to hear and read.

We are saddened by his death for we have lost a member, ardent supporter, good friend and mentor.

-- The Eaitor

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