June, it was "decided that Mr. Ball do now resume duty, and is not to be paid for the time he was suspended." The resumption was not to be for long, however. Poor Tom Ball set out on an organising tour in Scotland, absolutely new ground to the Society. His programme became lost in obscurity, but his last point of call was found to have been Hamilton, early in 1891, after he had opened the Glasgow Branch. The living Tom Ball was never heard of or seen again, and all efforts to locate him failed. His chequered life was believed to have ended in tragedy, for some time later, December 10th of 1892, the body was discovered in a decomposed state at Astley, in the township of Swillington. Let us remember him by his report of September, 1889: "We have opened our 54th branch and admitted over 600 members this year,"
Another appointment of great interest to the Society, made in 1887 also, was contained in the decision of October 9th, 1887: "That we secure the services of Clement E. Stretton, Esq.. C.E., as consulting engineer to the Society." The decision was announced to branches by the following circular:-
17, Mill Hill Chambers,Leeds,October 11th, 1887.Dear Sir,
I have the pleasure to inform you, for the information of your Members, that on the 9th October, Mr. Clement E. Stretton, C.E., was offered and has just accepted the position of Consulting Engineer to our Society. As soon as I became aware, on the 7th inst., that Mr. Stretton's previous appointment with another Society had terminated, I felt sure I should have the hearty support of our Members in asking him to accept so important a position with us, knowing, as we do, that by his scientific and practical knowledge in railway working, and the valuable assistance he has rendered to all classes of railwaymen for a great number of years past, we have every hope for the
