Meeting Arlo Guthrie was one of the many rewards of being a journalist
a great
guy!
I can tell you when I first met Arlo. He walked out to a room at the train station in Chicago and was greeted by people who had come on a bus from Kankakee to greet him and to board with him the City of New Orleans and ride to Kankakee. Once there, Arlo has his hands full, first with pens signing autographs, then as the star attraction for a festival.
Arlo's song, "The City of New Orleans" had, so to speak, put Kankakee on the map. Remember the lyrics: The train pulled out of Kankakee...
Well, maybe you don't remember, but let me tell you right now, folks in the corn-belt can sing the song to you any old day. If you don't believe me, just ask them..