The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-02
4 WELL DESERVED SUCCESS.
Capt. v. E. McBee's Rise from Brakeman
to President-The Almost Phenomal
Railroad Career of Popular
South Carollnian.

Capt. v. E. McBee's Rise from Brakeman
to President-The Almost Phenomal
Railroad Career of a Popular
South Carollnian.
[E.P .McKissick, in News and Courier
NEwBERRY, S. c., March 23.-There
is great deal of talk just now about
the consolidation of the Central Rail
road of Georgia with the Richmond
and Danville system of South and
North Carolina. Judging from what
the newspapers say and what you heal
on the railroads there is considerable
grounds for the rumors now current
about this combination. 1t would be
a powerful combination, and if 1t is
consummated the coup d'etat of Mr.
Jay Gould, of which there was so much
talk month or so ago in railroad and
newspaper circles, will be doubtless ac'
complished. But what interests the
people of Piedmont Carolina in regard
to this combination is that President
V. E. KcBee, of the Richmond and
Danville system, in this State, and
superintendent of the Western North
Carolina Railroad of the same system
in North CaIolina, will be made gen.
eral superintendent of the combination.
These rumors, whether correct or in
correct, come with a great deal of unc'
ton to the souls of the Piedmont peo-
pole. No man is held in higher esteem
than Capt. McBee, and any promotion
that may be given him is hailed with
delight.
PRESIDENT v. E. M'BEE.
Just at this time it will not be out OF
place to give little sketch of President
McBee-a thing that the South Caro-
lima newspapers have failed to publish
so far. He was born in Greenville, in
this State, and belongs to the old line
of McBees who have helped to make
the history of this section of the South
so famous in war and in peace His
full name in Vardrey Echols McBee,
and he is now about 3S years of age.
He is railroad man in the best accep.
tation of the term, by birth, precep:
and education. His father was civil
engineer and railroad man; his grand
father was a civil engineer or "sur'
7eyor," as the old people termed it,
and the subject of the present sketch
has made civil engineering and practi'
cal railroading the special study of his
life.
His ancestors lived in Lincoln Coun-
ty, North Carolina, during the Revolu.
tionary war, and were distinguished
for their gallantry and bravery during
that momentous struggle. tits related
that one of his uncles, who was a par.
ticipant in the terrible fight at Kings
Mountain, is said to have been the mar
who killed Col. Ferguson, the comman'
der of the British and Tory forces
This incident, while it is not related in
Mr.. Draper's excellent book, "King's
Mountain and its Heroes" is doubtless
true, for it is sustained by several nara
tives of revolutionary soldiers, besides
legends and family histories.
The subject of this sketch was edu'
Gated at the Hillsboro Military School
in North Carolina, in Greenville, and
at the Citadel Academy in Charleston.
He did not finish his course at the
Citadel, however, but entered the wal
towards its end while quite a youth
and served through the hardships Of
actual warfare until Lees army sur
rendered at Appomattox.
HIS FIRST RA1LRoADING.
Some time after the war closed he
got employment as civil engineer and
shortly afterwards secured work in the
construction of the Atlanta and Char
lotte Air Line Railroad, now leased by
the Richmond and Danville system.
About this time he married Miss Rosa
Brooks, daughter of that gallant Caro-
linian, Preston S. Brooks. The work
be did on the Air Line Railroad was
so satisfactory that he was soon called
to aid in the construction of railroad
in Alabama, and he was engaged in
this work wien the panic of 1873 para
lyzed railway development for some
time. In fact there was a scarcity for
work as we'll as of money everywhere
but young McBee's pluck and energy
asserted themselves boldly. He ap-
piled for and was appointed to the dis
tinguished, but not lucrative, position
of brakeman on a local freight train.
Col. Foreacre was then in charge Of the
transportation department of the At
lanta and Charlotte Road, and Mr..
McBee was given the brakeman's posi-
ton.
MERIT WILL TELL.
Rapidly, and, in fact, almost phe,
nominally, he became conductor, then
soliciting agent for the Seaboard All
Line, for the Piedmont Air Line and
agent of the Richmond and Danville
lines then centering in Charlotte. In
all these positions he proved himself
active and efficient. When the panic
ceased and the revival of railway build
ing began, Capt. McBee was requested
to accept the office of superintendent
of the Western Moth Carolina Rail-
road from Salisbury to Asheville, then
comparatively Insignificant, but which
now goes to Paint Rock, and has an
extension known as the murphy ex-
tension"