
One such program was organized by the Southern Pacific
Railroad for the purpose of moving freight piling up in rail centers and
maintaining and repairing tracks.
As a town with a train depot and SP station agent, Davis was
an obvious and easy target for such recruitment. This was especially so since
the agent was long-time Davis resident Sam Brinley who had married into the
pioneer Weber family and who had become a prime mover-and-shaker in local
affairs.


Looking closely at them in this and other shots, one can see
they are dressed in white, starched shirts and not otherwise wearing gear
suitable for serious manual labor.
I think it is also of note that these men are not four randomly selected Davis white-collar guys. Instead, they are very well
known and influential UC professors (Bainer--of UCD’s Bainer Hall--and Wilson),
a prominent businessman (Burks), and the public school head (Marshall). In
addition, inside the Bulletin, we get a photo of Sam Brinley himself talking
with the editor of the Davis Enterprise
(Maghetti).
Rounding out this account, I include excerpts from my E-500s People booklet describing two
additional “track work patriots.” One of
them, Floyd Bagley, who was a major organizer of the effort, owned & lived
in the house in which I sit as I write this. The other, Grover Lowe, owned
& lived in the house next door.
