Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-06-17
Yankee Pluck.

The Yankee, and by the term 1 mean the
native of New England, has not only been
the pioneer in building up our Western states,
but is the main stay and presiding genius in
the various great business enterprises that
have made us noted people. There is not
great railway line in the West but has its
complement of Yankees, and usually they are
found at the 'front.' instructing the rank and
file as to the conduct of the business
Among the great railway lines of the coun-
try, the Chicago, Rock Island 4 Pacific
stands as a sort of synonyme for perfect
road as well as an enterprsing one. Its ad-
Yertisement is oftener seen than that of any
other line, and its "a Man." has become fa-
miliar to almost every household in the coun-
try. The best railroad in the world will not
become a popular or favorite route if the at
tention of the public is not called to its mer-
its and how to do that, and command q
large traffic by the least outlay, is the aim
and study of the gentleman who is denomin-
ated the general passenger agent. Upon the
Rock Island road, this Office happens to be
filled by a native Yankee, a boy from the
wooden nutmeg state, with all the drive and
tact that has made Connecticut famous by
the work of her sons. This gentleman, Mr.
E. st. John, left the hills of his state a score
of years ago, and from the lowest round of
the ladder, has climbed his way upward, new
or going 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
favor. Sleeping or waking, the modern gem
eral passenger agent has but one thought and
that is, travel and how to get the most of it
at the least expense is the problem they are
all trying to solve.
When Mr.. st. John took the general pas
senger agency little over two years ago, he
was confronted by an opposition as sharp
and active as any man ever encountered. His
opponents were veterans and tried men, who,
thinking they knew all the "tricks in the
trade" Immediately prepared to swoop down
on and annihilate the daring man who pro-
posed 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 fight In a single year the passenger
earnings of his line increased something like
20 per cent, and from the Pacific to the At,
lantic the press of the country was sounding
the praises of his road. So to speak, he car
ried the war into Africa, and by his tactics
established the fact that there was something
new in passenger generalship and he has
forced his competitors to use the very weap-
ons with which he made his first grand on
slaught. 1t is a difficult matter now to find
a man that does not know that the Chicago,
Rock Island Il Pacific railway is the great
connecting link between Chicago, Kansas
City Leayenworth, AtchiRson, Council Bluffs
and Omaha, and that the noted features of its
line, perfect road-bed, magnificent cars
day, sleepingand dining-give travellers every
comfort to be had upon a railway journey. Go
where you will their "ad." stares you in the
face, for even on the walls of every American
consulate in Europe and the civilized world
calendar tells the story of its superiority.
The mails that come in reply TO all this vol
Spain, Italy, France and even China, inqui-
ries about the road and its connections, etc.,
ETC., while every steamship freighted with
messengers which touches our shores, brings