Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-04-20
Bill and Al...A Story for Bows.

Mr.. Editor Enclosed is piece of biography
which will interest the boys Of Montpelier, and
especially the boys Of Bethany church Sabbath
school, formerly the old Brick church. The father
OF W. b. Strong kept what is now known as
Bishops Hotel, when the former residence OF
Henry Y. Barnes was made temperance hotel
the first, think. in Montpelier. remember two
OF the Strong boys, one of whom is now a clergy
man OF good repute and president of a college In
Minnesota, and the other is W. B., the rail-
road king "About twenty-five years ago there
were two poor boys There were also other poor
boys at that time but the story OF these two poor
boys is particularly worth telling. One was named
Bill and he was beginning to learn to be telegraph
operator in railroad office on plug road In Wis
consin.' The other we will call AL, and he was
screwing brakes on the freight trains OF a road In
Illinois. Both were industrious, shrewd, honor
able, energetic boys and did their work as well as
they knew how. They intended to work up to
something better. They succeeded. Bill got to
be station agent then agent for larger road at a
more important point, then division superintend-
emit OF another road, then general superintendent
OF great road running from Chicago westward
Then Boston capitalists, who were building
great line in the west, put him in charge OF their
immense operations. Al got to be freight con-
ductor then passenger conductor then he was
astonished by being called off his train to become
assistant to the superintendent OF the road on
which Bill was few years afterwards general
superintendent; he was made division supern-
tendent and then great company on the Pacific
coast tempted him over there at a very high sal
ary, and placed him In charge OF their great and
growing system of lines The other day Bill set
out from the eastern end of his line In Kansas to
travel To the present southern end In New Mexico
a distance OF about fifteen hundred miles. About
the same time Al set out from his home in San
Francisco to travel over his line TO the same point
In New Mexico, a distance OF about twelve hun
bred miles, and shortly Bill and Al will meet
| over the completion OF the second great trans
continental railway line by the connection OF the
| two roads Of which they are the managers Bill
| Is now known as w. u. Strong, general manager
| OF the Atchlson, Topeka 4 Santa Fe, and Allis
A. N Towne general superintendent OF the Cen
| trail and Southern Pacific railway system. How
| they would have laughed when one was tee-
| graph operator and the other freight brakeman
| II somebody had told them by the time they
| had reached middle life they would be the man
| ayers Of lines reaching tsom the. Missouri river
down TO Mexico. across the Arizona desert, NJ
| through the sands Of California TO San Francisco
and thence eastward over the Serras 10 the great
Salt Lake This Is the fact to-day, and, more
| over the great railways which they command
| have not by any means ceased growing, and these
two men, still young, have not yet attained to the
| summit OF their eminence. This Is good story
| for the boys to read 1t shows what energy
| fidelity and brains can accomplish In this ropub
lie OF Infinite possibilities" krw