St. Paul daily globe., 1886-10-10

walked to Utica, N. Y, where he entered
large amount of English education. that
emnently fitted him for the responsible
positions that he subsequently held
In 1860 William went to Lebanon, o.
This act on his part set Fall River poet
in motion. and he wrote those beautiful
lines that one so often sees on hand
painted chromos given away by harvester
works: westward the star of empire takes
its course" One year later. aud before he
had reached the nth year of his age, he
enlisted in the army and fought nobly four
wears and half. He entered the army as
an ordinary fighter. and came out wearing
the embellishments of first lieuten ant of
artillery Mr.. Dixon is one of the very
few soldiers who went through the
war unscathed who has never
applied for a pension. which fact is as
much to his credit as his record as soldier.
At the close of the war Mr.. Dixon looked
around for few more worlds to conquer,
but failing to find one to suit him. he
turned his attention to railroads and en-
tered the local freight Office of the Cinein-
natl. Hamilton Il Dayton road, Hamilton.
Ohio. as a clerk. and remained there till
'69, when he came to ST. Paul. as chief
clerk in the general freight and ticket Office
of the ST. Paul IL Sioux City road A little
later he was made general ticket agent of
the same road until it was swallowed up by
the Chicago, st. Paul Minneapolis IL
Omaha road, when he became general agent
of the passenger department for the whole
line. In 1880 he entered the service of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
road as North western passenger agent,
and a year later he was ap-
pointed commissioner of the West
Trunk Line Passenger association at salary
of something less than $1,000. 600 year
and his expenses paid. He had his head
quarters in Chicago. He occupied this
position two years. or until the association
had accomplished the object for which 1t
was organized, when he returned to the
Milwaukee road as general Northwestern
passenger agent and was afterwards ap-
pointed assistant general passenger agent
of the same company, which position he
holds to-day. While Mr.. Dixon was COM
missioner of the Trunk Line association he
was also secretary of the Western aSsocia-
ton of general passenger and ticket agents
and secretary of the Chicago Railway Pas
Senger association and compiler of the Chi
! cagO rate sheet. All important and lucra-
/ tive positions.
| At the present writing the object of this
| sketch doesn't seem much the worse for
wear. The years sit lightly on his shoul-
ders. and during the winter he wears set
of whiskers that the wind travels miles to
| blow through the sound thereof is like
| the musical murmurings OF an Aolean
| harp The seasons have reyolyed around
him fOrty-twO times, and vet Age has not
dared to approach near enough to begin the
weaving of his silver web among the lux
uriant locks that lay in well kept masses
over his tall forehead. Female readers.
who are lowering arOud for anything that
wears trousers. need make no onslaught on
the Milwaukee offices, for he of whom these
words are written, is happily wed and the
proud father of as clever yOnng banjo
/ player as ever tunked string.
Among his various accomplishments,
Mr.. Dixon numbers one that by the COM
mon herd is called snide, but which the
dreamy set call bang up, and that is the
ability to write poetry. Like every other
poet, he was born. but strange as it may
seem, he don't write poetry like anybody
{ else. 1t is devoid of sentiment and treats
/ of the common places of life In simple
wav that always captivates the reader, and,
! i'm many cases, drives him to an lntemper-
ate use of stimulantS. The poem that IS
considered the most bang up is 1.-The
/ Wreck of the Scow." Mr.. Dixon is great
curiosity seeker. and wherever he goes he
/ has his eye peeled for curiOs A few days
/ ago he returned from the Pacific coast,
; bringing with him a well-worn walking
the other members of the family shook the
dust of Fall River off his sandals. and