The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-06-18
Yankee Pluck.


The Yankee, and by the term l mean the
native of New England, has not only been the
pioneer in building up our Western States,
but is the main stay aud presiding genius In
the various great business enterprises that have
made us a noted people.
There is not a great railway line In the West
but that has It's complement Of Yankees, and
usually they are found at the front, instruct
ing the rank and file as 10 the conduct Of the
business.
Among the great railway lines of the coun.
try, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific,
stands as a sort OF synonym for a perfect road
as well rs an enterprlsing one.
Its advertisement is ottener seen than that
of any other line, an6 Its "A Man" has become
familiar to most every household in the coun.
become popular route If the attention of
the public is not called to its merits; and how
to do that, and command large traffic by the
least outlay, is the alm and study of the gen.
tleman who is denomlnated the General Pas.
senger Agent. Upon the Rock Island Road,
this Office happens to be filled by native Y an
kee, a boy from the wooden nutmeg State, with
all the drive and tact that has made Connect.
cut famous by the work other sons. This gen.
tleman, Mr. E. St. John, left his native stale a
score of years ago, and from the lowest round
Of the ladder, has climbed his way upward,
never gong back step, until to day he stands
at the head Of his profession and leader
among class of men who strain every nerve
to place their lines in the front for popular ia.
vor. Sleeping or waking, the modern General
Passenger Agent has but one thought. and
that is, travel and how to get the most of it at
least expense is the problem they all are try,
ing to solve.
When Mr.. st. John took the General Pas.
senger Agency, a little over two years ago, he
was confronted by en- opposition as sharp and
active as any man ever encountered. His OPP.
ponents were veterans and tried men, who
thinking they knew all the tricks Of the
trade" Immediately prepared to swoop down
and annihlate the daring man who proposed
to contend with them for supremacy. Mr.. ST.
John surveyed the field, examined the arms of
warfare, sounded the bugle of the Great Rock
Island Route and plunged into the Sight In
a single year the passenger earnings of his
line increased something like 20 per cent, and
from the Pacific to the Atlantic the press OF
the country was sounding the praises of his
road. So to speak, he carried the war into
Africa, and by his tactics established the fact
that there was something new in Passenger
IGencralship; and best of all he has forced his
competitors to use the very weapons with
which he made his FIRST grand assault. IL Is
a difficult matter now to find man that does
not know that the Chicago, Rock Island Il Pa.
cifc Railway, is The great connecting Ink be-
tween Chicago, Kansas City, Leavenworth,
Atchson, Council Bluffs and Omaha and that
the noted features of its line, perfect road.
bed, magnificent cars-day, sleeping and DIN
ing-glve travellers every comfort to be had
upon a railway Journey. Go where you will,
their lad" stares you in the face, for even on
the walls of every American consulate in Eu.
rope and the civilized world a calendar tells
the story of Its superiority.
The mails that come IN reply to all this
voluminous advertising, brings from England,
Spain, Italy France and even China, inquiries
about the road and its connections, etc. etc,
while every steamship freighted with passen.
gers which touch our shores, brings traffic tor
the line that Mr. st. John, more than all other
men, has helped to poPularize. Mr.. st. John
happily unites to most active BRAIN, con-
stantly alert and doing almost superhuman
labors, a splendid physique never harmed by
dissipation and which enables him to bear a
load that would speedily destroy a less robust
person. The most minute portion of great
business with qualifications as extended as the
Continent, has his personal supervision; yet
so superior is he in executive force the entire
machinery moves with precision and without
ar. know, and have known, great many
plucky Yankee boys; but have never known
one who commanded my respect and admira.
ton fo7 many good qualities IN a greater de.
gree, than Everitte st. John.