Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-17


win suit me. / will take good care Of
him." e
The arrangements were easily made, and
the lad was transferred TO the ex-Gover-
nor's home, where in q very sho rt time he
became a fayorite, and was soon made q
sort Of superintendent of the farming ope-
rations. During the years that he re.
NAMED upon this place, the Baltimore and
Ohio was gradually stretching its iron arms
toward The Alleghenies, until at last il
reached Cumberland, the metropolis Of
Western Maryland. DR.. Woodside was
then the superintendent Of the infant
road. He had known the Davis family for
years, and they had frequently exchanged
visits with members of his own household
He had often seen Henry while the rail-
road was following the river past Wood.
stock.
There was demaud for men to run the
trains when the road reached Cumberland,
snd so DR.. WOodSlde took Henry Davis, as
ne wasfamiliarly known in those days and
for years after from the Governors estate
and made him q brakeman on one of the
three freight trains that then trayersed tue
road.
Often have | listened, and with never
flagging.intereSt, to the stories Mr. Davis
tells of railroadiDg in those early days OF
the iron highways.
YES. recall the beginning and almost
every phase of the history Of railroading
in this country" he would say. 1T was
in 1912 that old DIR. Woodside made me a
brakeman on one of the freight trains that
then ran over the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road. was just twenty years OF age the
fall after | began running. RailrOading
was then q very different thing from what
it is now. 1t was then thought impossible
TO run a tram during the night, and it was
several years after | began before it was
attempted. There were no telegraphs then;
no means of communicating with the train
after il left for its destination. Every thing
in the running of trains had to be done by
the arbitrary schedule Of instructions, and
it was oftentimes tedious business. 1t
took all day to 90 distance that now only
requires few hours"
Young Davis, after quite an experience
as q brakeman. was promoted to be conduc-
tor of a freight train, and, finally, the old
Superintendent, who wSs his friend, think
ing to better his condition, made him a
brakeman on s passenger train. He tried
il one trip, and then going to the Superin-
tendent, asked to be returned to his for
mer position, as the new one was decidedly
distastefnl to him. His request was grant
ed, and he was again placed in charge OF
freight train, and remained there until
Mr.. Swami sent for and advanced him
from the ranks to the grade that gave him
his real start in life.
From his earliest boyhood Henry G..
Davis has given evidence OF his ability to
rise TO the requirements OF any position to
which he might be called. He was always
diffident, even backward, at times, to q de.
gree that often hampered his advancement,
but when an emergency forced him into
selt-assertion he never failed to respond.
He needed Just such training as railroad
life gave to tit him for the path in life he
selected at the parting Of the ways. In
those early DAYS, when railroads were new
and accidents numerous, there were fire.
quent occasions when practical skill, great
nerve and indomitable energy were all i'm
pOrtant factors in surrounding difficulties
and avoiding dangers. Each new call made
upon him found him ready, and he very
soon gave ample evidence OF the possession
of these qualities in a superior degree.
Each new duty brought fresh responsible
tiles and wider contact with mankind,
calling out the latent qualities of the man,
that were always handicapped by the mea-
gre opportunities OF his youth and his re-
firing disposition. Ii was not long after
his promotion that he became one of the
most popular employees on the road. He
was regarded as reliable by the corporation
he served, as well as by the public, and
was carefully attentive to his passengers.
The traditions of Henry Davis service as
conductor are still fresh along the line
among the people who travelled on the
trains of which he was in charge. In those
days he took little interest in politics, but
his conservative disposition naturally in
Clined him toward the Wing party, and he
cast his first vote for Henry Clay, the same
year he made his first material rise in rail
reading. Afterwardslhe became acquainted
with Mr.. Clay, Gen. Sam. Houston and
other great national characters, who figured
in those days. They frequently travelled
on his train as far as Cumberland, and
then took the stage over the mountains, or
left that primitive vehicle for his train
when going East to Washington. In 1917,
so we'll had he performed the duties as
signed him by Mr.. Swami a few years be-
fore. that he was made supervisor a po-
sitiOn that gave him direction of all the
trains on the road. Even at that late date
it was not thought feasible TO run train at
night, and he determined to try the ex-
pertinent. | have often heard him speak
ofthis interesting incident, People seemed
TO regard the effort as foolhardineSS, and
predicted failure. 4 large crowd assem-
bled to see the train start that was to make
the first run from Cumberland TO Balti-
more in the night. The comments OF the
assemblage were as interesting as they were
ludiCrouS.
She won't make twenty miles," said
one 'Of course not" said another.
There's danger of running over cows and
throwing her off the track" chimed in a
third. "Yes, they can't see far enough
ahead to keep from running against the
stones that roll down from the mountains,
suggested fourth. But the train moved
off, in charge of young Davis, despite the
misgiyings Of the, crowd. 1t arrived at its
destination in safety, though not without
encountering some difficulties. 1t, how
ever. helped to solve the problem OF run
ming trains at night, and removed what
was then thought an important obstacle In
railroading.
The pay of railroad employees in those
DAYS was by no means large, and the small
s1Im he received rs brakeman had not
reached 300 per month even when be was
Supervisor. Yet he had saved something
from these slender wages, and when ne
Wa thirty wears of age, besides assisting
his mother, he had accumulated enough 70
enable him to take q life partner. lie
s5prrisd in 1853, Miss Kate, the daughter
az l1aRe SiiSlssn BaRiz. e kEsdsrleks ASs
IA wear letsr, desiring more aeLaee me
be.was made agent OF the railroad II Ried-.
mont. with 4 larger saiary Ian. 80 raid
lIS ary Oltser -6AsIeer "a the same grade on
as nS Afsw wears, service In this 20
sit;on al fnis impefiant station, gave care
f,5J M eess training to hia natural talent
for the management of affairs. and he Id
ded another Of his unbroken line OF sc
cesses that have followed him ever slncehe
began upon the railroad, and, indeed from
his boyhoOd days.
HI.
The Foundation Of Fortune.
Piedmont. when Henry G. Davis was Snt