The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1878-08-16

y
good conductor--salary, 5000 a
year. About noon, when he stopped
at station, lac found telegram
from the head Office ordering him
to "lcave the train in care Of,
and take the first train for Chicago"
This was an unusual thing. Won
dering what could be the matter,
conscious that he had tried to do
exactly right, and yet remembering
how exacting was the general super.
intendent, he feared that uuinten-
tionally he had fallen under his
displeasurc, With a fearful heart
he presented himself u, the Office of
the superintendent.
"GoOd morning, Mr.. HommOnd (;
l have received your telegram aud
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
fearful fOrrboding was now painful
truth. He had served the company
to the best of his ability. He had
kept the affairs of his train in com
plcte order, his reports had been
carefully and correctly made and
yet, after all, he lost his position.
He dared lt0t hope to reverse the
decision of the all-powerlul official,
yet in as calm Il voice as he could
command he politely asked the
reason for his summary dismissal.
Col. Hammond waited awhile be-
fore he answered. Then the mus,
clcs Of his face relaxed a little, and
he said: Il want an assistant
superintendent in my office, and |
have called you to take the place"
True worth is always modest, and
our thunderstruck conductor could
only stammer, "But am not com.
petent, sir, to ell the position"
"lou can do what tell you; yOu
can obey orders, can't youS That's
all you have to do, sir. You will
begin work this morning. That is
Your desk"
The new duties were not as diff
cult as he expected. At first he
had only to obey orders, and carry
out the details of work laid out by
the chief and to these duties he
brought the same taithtulness and
thoroughness that had made him
noticeable as IL conductor. His
elevation did not SlwiI him or make
him vain. He was AS plain and
modest and Woodworking us before.
The salary at first WAS $500.
After IL few years service under
Col. Hammond and an advance OF
salary to $250e, the plain young
man WAS iuvited to take the Office
of general superintendent Of a
younger road. at a salary of $1,000.
DistruSting his own ability, but de.
termincd to do iiis best, lie accepted
the call, and succeeded, until the
C., b. and g., realizing how much
they had lost in parting troo' him,
invited him to resume his old posi-. |
ton, and secured his services by |
the tempting ctter OF SGe0G II year, |
In the Wcantimc Col. Hammond |
had become the general superin-
tendent Of the Union Pacific rail
road, running from Omaha to Og-
den, where it coauectS with the
Central Pacifc railsVad, The Cen,
tral Pacific WAS owned by four or
five millionaireS, who bRilt it, one
Of whom was. it's sei,cfat superin-
However good Il business
man ewas he knew but little about
But where could they find d gen.
pral superintendent who had the
ability and would dare to reorgalize
the road and put its affairs upon Il
better basis ! They consulted Col.
Hammond and ether railroad men,
md the result was that, most un-
,Apectedly, cur whilom modest and
lard-work,ng conductor one day re-
;eived telegram asking Kim il he
would undertake the duties of gen
,ral superintendent of the Central !
Pacific railroad, at u salary of
sl0,000 He was satisfied with and
appreciated By the Chicago, Bur.
ington and Quincy, who pmlnsed
o increase his pay to $7000, and as
le preferred 10 remain in Chicago he
leclined the princely offer made by
he California road. Then another
elegram asked at what salary he
would become chief of the Central
'acific. Almost hoping to dis
ourage his stempters he telcgraphcd,
1900 Il year in gold" At once
anne the answer, "Accepted,". So,
aiken in his own trap, he had moth
ne to do but to bid atlieu to the
ity that had served him SO well,
nd turn his face toward the land OF
old, 4,
This was nine years ago. He is
till general superintendent OF the
'entral Pacific railroad, one of the I
lost important railroads in the 1
ord. With its connections in {
this quiet nan, not vet
,rty-eight years old, now supTrin
aads 273l miles of railroad, and !
steamers, besides diuta- !
my the tariffs of the China. tho '
australian and Panama linps of
'pau,SLiitS Nlila a;hhr younp