The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-03-04
A YOUNG MANS REWARD.
ny ALFRED L. sEwEL1.

of present duty led him into higher po.
sitions than he ever dreamed of filling,
and gave him what we would all like to
reach-honor and success.
In the years of my experience as
printer In Chicago, more than twenty
years ago, our firm did good deal of
printing for the Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy railroad, and because of
this came to know young man who
is the subject of my story.
He came from Massachusetts,; he was
poor, and had no influential friend to
even give him letter of recommends
tion. He sought employment on the
Chicago, Burlington andsQuincy Hrail-
road, and after waiting time, at last
secured position as brakeman on g
freight train-salary thirty dollars a
month
He was faithful in this position, and
being both intelligent and industrious,
he was soon made conductor on the
train, with wages nearly doubled. He
soon attracted the attention of his supe-
rior officers, who saw in him an honest,
faithful, conscientious conductor, one
not seeking his own ease or 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 q passen ger
train-a more comfortable position, and
one yielding somewhat higher salary.
Here first knew him, and l saw in
him modest, quiet, unassuming young
man, free from the popular vices and
one who tried to be just as faithful, and
true, and devoted to his work as con-
ductor as though the position had been
that of general superintendent.
He did not apparently have a high
opinion of his own abilities there was
total absence of that swagger and strut
so 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 comfort
of his passengers, and rightly serve the
interest of his 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. G. G. Hammond) watched
every employe of the road with an
eagles eye. He measured every man,
knew the ability of each, and seemed
intuitively to know which were the
faithful workers and which lazy shirks.
Our young conductor did not escape his
his keen eye. When he least thought of
it, his chief was measuring and sound
ing him, and finding out what kind of
metal he was made of; but none ever
knew VIII ether he was approved or not,
for the chiefs look was always stern and
cold as ice.
On Friday night, train number four
moved slowly out of Chicago under the
care of my young friend, who, only in
tent on doing his work as well as he
knew how, seemed TO have no higher
ambition than to be good conductor
salary nine hundred dollars year.
About noon, when he stopped at the
station, he found a telegram from the
head office, ordering him to leave the
train in care Of, 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 exact was the
General Superintendent, he feared that
unintentionally, he had fallen under his
displeasure. Reaching Chicago lateSat-
urday evening, he found Colonel Ham,
mond had gone home, and knowing
how strict he was in his observance of
the Sabbath, the conductor waited inn
patiently for the coming Monday morn
ing, when with fearful heart he pre-
sented himself at the office of the Super
intendent.
" Good morning, Mr.. Hammond; I've
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
ful foreboding, was now painful truth.
He had served the company to the best
of his ability; he had kept the affairs
of his train in complete order; his re-
ports had been carefully and correctly
L.. L. l.. l..