St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-03-15
A True Story for Boys.

ing, ana gave MIN what we would al
like to reacb-honor and success. Ii
the earlier years of my experience al
a printer in Chicago, more than twenty
years ago, our firm did a good deal o
printing for the Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy roalroad, and because o
this L came to know a young man wht
is the subject of my story. He came
from Massachusetts; he was poor, anC
had no influential friend to even give
him a letter of recommendation. Ht
sought employment on the Chicago
Burlington and Quincy railroad, anC
after waiting time, at least secured {
position as brakeman on freight trail
salary about thirty dollars a month
| He was faithful in this position, anC
being both intelligent and industrious
he was soon made conductor of the
train, with wages nearly doubled. He
soon attracted the attention of his su
perior officers, who saw in him an hon
est, faithful and conscientious cOnduc-
tor, one not seeking his own ease oil
pleasure, but constantly devoted to the
interests of the company that employed
him, so that not many months elapsed
before he was made conductor of a pas
senger train-a more comfortable posi-
ton, and one yielding somewhat
higher salary. Here l first knew him,
and l saw in him modest, quiet, unas-
Stunning young man, free from the
popular vices, and one who apparently
tried to he Just as faithful and true, and
devoted to his work as a conductor,
as though the position had been that
of general superintendent. He did not
/ L. Job Of nc
own abilities; there was a total alb
sence of that swagger and strut often
seen in those who come to similar
subaltern positions. 1t seemed as
though he thought that to properly
conduct his train-tO secure the COM
fort of his passengers, and rightly serve
the interest of bis cOmpany-required
the full exercise of all the powers
God had given him.
| One of the sternest and most exact
ing, and yet one of the nOblest, ablest,
and most conscientious men who ever
filled similar position, was then gen.
eral superintendent of the road. This
man Col. C. G. Hammond, watched
every employee of the road with an ca
giles eye. He measured every man,
knew the ability of each, and seemed
to know which were the faithful work
ers and which the lazy shirks. Our
young conductor did not escape the
keen eye. When he least thought of
| it his chief was measuring him and
sounding him and finding out what
kind of metal he was made of: but
none ever knew whether he was aB-
proved or not, for the chiefs look was
always stern and cold as ice. One Sat
urday morning, train No. moved slow
ly out of Chicago under the care of my
friend, who, only intent on doing his
work as well as he knew how, seemed
to have no higher ambition than to be
a good cOnductOr-salary, nine hun
dred dollars year, About noon, when
he stopped at a station, he found a tele-
gram from the head-office, ordering him
to "leave the train in the care d.,
and take the first train for Chicago"
This was an unusual thing. Wonder
ing what could be the matter; conscious
that he had tried to do exactly right,
and yet remembering how eXacting was
the general superintendent, he feared
that Internationally he had fallen I'M
der his displeasure. Reaching Chicago
late Saturday evening, he found Col.
Hammond had gone home, and know
ing how strict he was in his observance
of the Sabbath, the conductor waited
impatiently for the coming Monday
morning, when, with fearful heart, he
presented himself at the office of the
superintendent.
EGood morning, Mr. Hammond;
have answered your telegram and come
to see what it MEANS"
"GoOd morning." grOwled the chief.
81 see you have, sir; | have concluded
to take your train away from you -
The conductors heart sank lower
than ever. What before was only fear
full fOrebOding, was now painful truth.
He had kept the affairs of his train in
complete order, his reports had been
carefully and correctly made; and vet,
after all, he had lost his position; he
knew not why, and he felt that his case
was sad indeed. He inwardly resolved
that, having missed his calling, he
would quit railroading and try some
other service, where faithful work would
be appreciated. He dared not hope to
reverse the decision of the all-powerful
official, yet in as calm voice as he
could command, he politely asked the
reason for his summary dismissal. Col
Hammond waited while before he
answered. Then the muscles of his
face relaxed little, and he said, 81
want an assistant superintendent in nv
office, and | have called you to take
the place" True worth is always mod
est, and our thunderstruck conductor
could only stammer, "But [ am not
competent, sir, to fill the POSITION
"You can do what l tell you; you
can obey orders, can't you? That's all
you have to do, sir. You will begin
work this morning. That is your desk .
The new duties were not as difficult
as he expected. At first he had only
to obey orders, and carry out the de-
tails of work laid out by the chief; and
to these duties he brought the same
faithfulness and thoroughness that had
made him noticeable as a conductor.
His elevation did not spoil him, or make
him vain. He was as plain and modest
and Woodworking as before-the salary
at first was eighteen hundred dollars
After few years. service under Col.
Hammond, and an advance of salary to
twenty-five hundred dollars, the plain
young man was invited to take the of
flee of general superintendent of a
younger road at a salary of four thou
sand dollars. DistrustiLg his own abil-
ity, but determined to do his best, he
] accepted the call, and succeeded, until
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy,
realizing how they had lost in
parting with him, invited him to re-
sumo his position, and secured his SER
vices by the tempting offer of six thou
sand dollars year. ....... g..
In the meantime Col. Hammond had
become the general superintendent OF
the Union Pacific railroad, running
from Omaha to Ogden, where it con
meets with the Central Pacific railroad
! ThiS Central road was nwnad nv fon,