Sylvandus Langdon "Lang" Fincher

Lang worked 46 years with Norfolk & Southern as a flagman. Lang started off working as a fireman on the engine and studied and obtained his engineer's license. 

On one of his runs as he was passing through Concord, NC, he saw the most beautiful young girl. He would pass her each day on his run and finally he sent her a message asking to meet her and she returned his message with yes. Later on, they became husband and wife. Charlcie was only 13 years old when they married.  They lived in Charlotte and his runs were from Charlotte to Raleigh. Occasionally, he would take one of his children on trips with him.

My daddy got hurt on the railroad and couldn't work so he bought the Town of Blacksburg, SC. -- grocery store, cold yard, meat market -- everything there at one time. Later he purchased a farm in Union County, NC where he plowed, dragging his right leg along behind him. Lang's hip was crushed by an engine at the roundhouse they say. He farmed like that for a couple of years and as his leg got better he returned to the railroad.

I have heard this story all my life. He was one of the engineers on the Old 97 mail train but left it about 3 weeks before it wrecked at White Horse Mtn, Va. The superintendent wanted him to run too fast for the condition of the tracks so he transferred to another train. When the Old 97 wrecked, all 20 mail clerks, engineer and fireman died.

All the men at the railroad gave my daddy a nickname because he always went by S. L. Fincher --- they called him "Sioux Line" representing his initials.

(As told to me by Brac Fincher about his dad, Sylvandus Langdon "Lang" Fincher.)