The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-19
MEN WHO HAVE CLIMBED.
Raiiruad Managers who Started ~ Brake
men, Telcgraphers, Eodmen.

Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, May l6.-Coming into
Jersey CITY the other day on the Erie
road. nv attention was attracted to a
nervous. why man Of forty, or there
abouts. who sat little way in front Of
me. From the car window he closely
inspected each station house, bridge, cul-
vert and piece of rolling stock, as we
moved along. Know himY asked the
gentleman who shared the seat with me.
His name is w. J. Murphy. and twenty
years ago he was a telegraph operator at
a small station back on the Susquehanna
division Of the Erie. Now he is general
superintendent Of the road, and draws a
salary of $4,000 year"
This is only one instance in many.
Among the officers of Ifearly every rail
road in the country are TO be found men
who have risen from the very lowest
round. A. NJ. Tucker. who is a division
superintendent on the Erie under Muir
pbv. started in as a track laborer and
his first promotion was 10 the position Of
rodman in the engineer corps. John y.
Abbott, of the Western States Passenger
association. used TO be "a freight clerk on
the Erie. c. W. Bradley, general super
intendent Of the West Shore, used 10 be
brakeman and conductor on the
same road General Superintendent
Bancroft, Of the Denver and Rio
Grande. learned the Morse alphabet
in one Of the small stations on the
Erie and counted himself lucky when he
obtained a position as telegraph operator
on the West Shore. President Caldwell.
of the Nickel Plate. was once a clerk on
the Pennsylvania. +. X. Hahn. general
manager of the New York elevated
roads. began his career in his seventeenth
year as a machinist's apprentice on the
Philadelphia and Reading road at Potts
vile.
The officers of the great Pennsy lvania
system, from the president down, have
all come up from the bottom. President
Roberts entered the service Of the road
I'm 1852 as rodman in the engineer corps.
Later he had charge of the construction
of small branch lines, and finally was
made assistant to the president in 1862.
He has been president of the road for
eight years A. j. Cassatt, formerly
vice president of the company, also be-
gan as a rodman. Second Vice President
Thomson used to be machnist in the
shops at Altoona. He invented the block
signal interocking switch. General Man
ager Pugh commenced Is brakeman. and
General Passenger Agent Carpenter was
once messenger boy in the Philadelphia
Office Of the company. General Agent
Geer used 10 bee receiving clerk in the
freight department.
James McCrea, general manager Of
the Pennsylvania lines west of Pittsburg
like President Roberts, began as rOdman
at $40 a month. lie now draws a salary
Of Slj, 900 year, and is still under 40.
Robert Pitcairn superintendent Of the
Pittsburg division of the Pennsylvania
and general agent for the company. was
once messenger boy in the old Atlantic
and Ohio telegraph Office IN Pittsburs
Among the other messengers employed
ut that time WAS Arson Stager, after
wards general superintendent Of the
Western Union Telegraph company: "
0. Hughart now president OF the Grand
Rapids and Indiana Railroad company;
Andrew Carnegie. who a few years later
Aaid the foundations of his wonderfully
successful career as private secretary to
Col Tom Scott, and David McCargo. now
general superintendent of the Allegheny
Valley railroad
RUFUS X. WILSON.