Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1888-03-29
Thomas J. Potter was born in Carol

Thomas J. Potter was born in Carroll
county, Ohio, August Is, 1910, his
parents beior..Johu and Nancy Potter.
When . mere boy, in 1862, he moved
20 Iowa, and 10 July of the same yea'
entered the employ of the Burlington a
Missouri railroad company, ss lineman
in its engineering corps which was run
ming line from Burlington to Council
Bluffs. When the war broke out 1t
enlisted as private and served until the
conclusion Of the rebellion, when he
vent to Ottumwa, Ia, and for short
time worked as clerk in a.grocery store.
He was not satisfied with his condition
and concluded that raiIroading offered q
better field for an energetic man, and
occurred employment with the Burlington
as tie.inspec,cr In January, 1866, h'
was appointed station AGENT at Abba
Monroe county, aud filed the position
for two years. During this time occurred
the great turning point in his life, and
from a comparatively obscure employe he
rapidly rose, until his death, when he
occupied one of the most exalted positions
connected with railooading in the United
States. 1t was whenoageD at Abba
that he made that memorably bold and
successful move of settling with the sur
viyors Of an emisrant train which was
wrecked by plunsing into creek, the
bridge having been washed away by .
food. He was unauthorized to max,
the settlement, and had the company
failed to ra,iiy it, he would have been :
ruined man. But so well did he do hi
work that when he forwarded the com
pleted list of claims to headquarters, each
item was allowed and ratified without b
single question being asked, and he re.
eeived warm letter Of thanks from Mr.
Perkins, then general manager OF tn
{ company. His advancement fo!lowes
rapidly. In 1868 he was appointed fue
and claim agent of the company in Bur
lington. In January, 1873, he Wa
made general agent at Creston, and II
August Of the same year was appolnte'
assistant superintendent of the low
division Of the Chicago, Burlington 4
Quincy, witch headquarters at Creston
His subsequent Announcements and pro
Motions were rapid and briefly are a
follows: February, 1875. to June, 1878
superintendent Iowa division; Jun.
1873, to December, 1879, general su
perintendept; December, 1879, to No,
enber, 1880, assistant general manages
Chicago; November, 1880, to Noven
Der, 1881, general manager, from whir
time 10 September, 1854, also third vic
president, as we'll as general manager
and also vice president aud general MAJ
aser Of the following railroads: St. Lou
Keokuk & Northwestern, Chicago, Blu
lington 4 Kansas City, and Chicago
Iowa; and vice president Of the Ham
bal & St. Joseph railroad company
September, 1884, to May, 1887, fir
vice-president and general manager,
first above; also vice-president Of II
Kansas City, St. Joseph 4 Courc
Bluffs railroad company. On May Il
1887, he was made FIRST yice-presidel
and general manager Of the Union p
ei6o, FIRST having refused the temptir
sffer Of the presidency ofthe Bee" lin
While connected with the Union Pacii
he made many radical changes in /;
departments Of the company, ard ls,bor'
hard to bring the company up I" Ia
high standard OF excellence and ereatn,
70 which its position aud advanlap
entitled it. He brought to the Uni
Pacific the same undeuDded en,husia,
and energy that characterized him WI
with the Burlington, and it was this II
ruined his health and shattered hi
physically while still comparative
young man. He was determined
make his mark, and saw the opportun
for the achiev enent Of his ambitions a
desires.