Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-08-19

concluded to take your train away
from you"
The conductors heart sunk lower
than ever. What before was only
fearful foreboding was now fearful
truth. He had served the company
well and faithfully; ho had kept the
affairs Of his train in complete order;
his reports had been correctly and
carefully made, and yet, after all, he
had lost his position. He dared not
hope to reverse the decision of the
all>powerful official, yet in voice
as calm as he could command, he po-
ltely asked the cause Of his sum-
mary dismissal.
Col. Hammond waited while be>
fore he answered. Then the muscles
of his face relaxed a little, and be
said: 81 want an assistant superin>
intendent in my Office, and L 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 fill the position"
"You can do W hat tell you; you
can obey orders, can't you, That's
all you have to do, sir. You will be-
gin 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 the werk as laid out
by the chief; and to these duties he
brought the same faithfulness and
thoroughncss that had made him
noticeable as conductor. His ele-
vation did not spoil him or make
him vain; he was just as plain, and
modest and hard working as before
the salary at first was $500.
After few years service under
Col. Hammond, and an advance Of
salary to $4,000, the plain young man
was invited to take the office of Gen
eral Superintendent of a younger
road at $1,000. Dstrusting his own
ability but determined to do his best
he accepted the call and succeeded,
until the e., B. and O., realizing
how much they bad lost, then in
vited him to resume his old position
and secured his services by the
tempting offer of $4,000 o year.
In the meantime Col. Hammond
had become the General Superin-
tendent of the Union Pacific Rail
road, running from Omaha to Og.
den, where it connects with the Cen>
trail Pacific Railroad. The Central
Pacific Railroad was owned by four
or five millionaires who built it, one
of whom was its General Superin-
tendent. However good business
man he was, he knew little about
railroading.
But whore could they find a Gen
eral Superintendent who had the
ability and would dare to reorgan-
ize the road and put the affairs upon
a better basis? They consulted Col.
Hammond and other railroad men,
and the result was that, most unex-
pectedly, our whilom modest and
Woodworking conductor one day re-
ceived telegram asking him if he
would undertake the duties of Gen.
eral Superintendent of the Central
Pacific Railroad at salary OF S1O,>
000 He was satisfied aud appreci-
ated by the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy, who proposed to increase
his pay to $1,000, and as he preferred
to remain in Chicago, he declined
the princely offer made by the Cali
tornia road. Then another telegram
asked at what salary he would be-
come chief of the Central Pacific.
Almost hoping to discourage his
tempters, he telegraphed, $4,000
a year in gold. At once came the
answer, "Accepted." So, taken in
his own trap, he had nothing to do
but bid adicu to the city that had
served him so well, and turn his face
toward the land of gold.
This was nine years ago. He is
still General Superintendent Of the
Central Pacific Bailroad, one of the
most important railroads in the
world. With its connections in Cali
fornia, this quiet man, not yet more
than 46 years old, now superintends
2734 miles of railroad, and connect.
ing steamers, besides debating the
tariffs of the China, the Australian
and the Panama line Of steamships.
While other young men, pretcrripy