The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31
SUCCESS IN RAILR0ADING.
MR.. DEPEW TELLS non rOUNG ZEN
MAY IT

AuNUiNN w wv F'fH@ W. WV
ton to the Itrginmcr oi'n' innItics East
md WcSt-siorIrs bS Way or illustration.
when Chauncry VI. D,urw WAS asked for ad.
vice ON the subject OF "how to Ect on in rail-
roading," he pointed through his office window
toward tho busy sheds OF the New York Central
and Hudson River Railroad. with the tcrse re-
ply:
Learn your business in some such place 40
that"
Mr.. Dcpcw ia President oc the New York Con-
trail, and n power in the mighty realm Of stenm
and cur. Ills own " business" he has learned
vol; he speaks by tho book OF lonE experience.
"Nour question shows" he continued. that
railronding is. as it ought to be, a recognized
modern profession. III my Young days there
were but four great profcssions-divinity. law,
medicine, and war. The cxigcncics OF progress
have added to tho list. and among the additions
there are few more notable than that OF rail-
reading. l would add that few of the other pro-
fcssions offer more Inducements for young men
OF certain types than the one 10 which / am
proud TO belong.
You observe that | am careful to say young
men OF certain types II is not every one who
has 1t In him To become u successful railroadcr.
and nobody should be turned into this profess
sion without n natural aptitude for its pursuit.
You cannot manufacture n likely general mana
ger out of u lad whose soul has no sympathy
with locomotives. Sncn an CHOrb WOuhu prove
as unsuccessful in the end as was that OF a GER
tain New England farmer who had two sons to
provide for. The eldest son, Ezekiel. had strong
leanings toward the law. and took no interest
in turnips: while the second, IssachHr, hated
book learning. but knew everything that was
worth knowing in regard to farming. But
1t had been the rule for generations
in this family that the first boy should
have the land, while the next took up legal
studies. Our farmer was a conservative man.
and what was call d in lis nciEhborhood some-
what 'sot' in his opinions. Accordingly. he
forced poor Ezekiel to farm. while he insisted
on ~lssnchaI studying Blackstone. The result
was that Ezekicls property became heavily
s saUIht was was called IaSS IN as l oao Adviser he proved
such n wretchcd one that not only did he lose
his us own repnIati9T1t; but ne helped d Sod to c run frh his
this parable is that square pegs and round holes
were not made for each other, and this is as
cnitT I%x 70 oot m IN r.i,roodirr. is n d,e,cu,s
her in which l have done, viz. learn your BUSH
ness But that broad advice holds good in all
professions. a thorough understanding OF the
work in hand is an essential OF success in every
undertaking.. That Is automatic, i suppose. Let
are many preliminary byways for the young
railroader to follow; but all roads lead TO the
Rome Of success, If walked with circumspection
tom of the ladde and work his way to the very
top, or with the boost of education he may man
age to skip a few rungs and reach the end of his
climb all the quicker.
to the matter of education. what one needs
is a good, sound ground ork-the sort of learn
ing that is fit to build technical experience upon
afterward. l am a Yale man myself, and Ibe;
find himself greatly helped upward by n college
education. But a good high school course viii
known cases OF singularly bright men who did
their studying in spare moments after working
cpDtlODnl, Ii is better TO gel YOUR foundation
firmly laid before you start al the edifce. Of
S SoW in ao Togne ibe WOO poore the A sgstSi@ on b eau sbaTIa
have no reason TO 20 athirst for want of a
draught ut the fountains of knowledge. 1 do
not believe that an uneducated man, or even q
specifically educated man, cal. in our times rise
to prominence in the procession of railroading.
acquaint himself thoroughly with the work of
his department. using his education as q means
rising railroader; and ~neatness is another. But
precision is the best of all. Our profession is a
ism. Also, the new man must take his time at
the outset. Its, a bad thing to run away with
train dcspatching.. you can manage a road. re.
member once ovcrhcaring, by accident. the con-
raphcr. the other a machinist's apprentice:
81 tel you" said The young stenoGrapher.
system that / don't know. Why, ali the secret
c5rrcsrondcnce OF The general manager passes
through my hands"
"'pshaw! rcpll,d the other. I'm figuring out
q new signalling idea. my own invention. You
Just wait III | get it fixed up! Then, III buy q
big bio k OF stock and have you fred
AMBITION IS an excellent thing 10 a certain
extent. But 1t is ruinolS 10 let ambition run
gcrous disease in railroading. Those two boys,
know better than that by, now. They have
appreciab!y il rather -lowly.
= As regards the question of going West or re-
naming IN the Eastern centres, there is. as Sir
Roger de Covcrly observed. much TO be said on
both sides have no doubt that chance may
give to young men positions of more RESPONSE
DllltS out W est. hut. on tho ufhC- hand Tha
Easterncr is nearer the hub OF affairs. as i, were
more directly under the eyes OF the powers
On This head. I am reminded of an anecdote.
There were two youns fellows who left tho
E"thcr they argued out the quest on-'West or
service ota Western road Of little prominence
- the time. The other found u place in the
md he two kept mp a constant correspondence.
The fastener attrhrtc! The notice OF his supe-
industrious. Bit by bit he roe from one post o.
trust TO another. Meanwhile his Western friend
in an out.of:hc way acpot. There were plenty
of : ! told you SOS from tn" Fastener. blended
come New Yooi1kwnrd. Bit tie unrScosnized
ir,rHH rrnainrt on he Other side of the Missis-
fasteners life Tie WAS made assistant gen.
SAVED pI @onST on SfeH Wos of w his no ot d, lie had SSd
irleIn announcing, the good tidings and
dwelling at length on his rcr-piCaCity in
remaining, in Me- York. We'll. that letter
had hardly been Iuniled when the post
brought uur successful New Yorker a missiyo
from ni~ rricai. Two months ago. Wrote tho
W cstcrncr, the. station master here fell sick
ana W. made it Um tcHCuS. II has been nv
good luck in that capacity 10 discover and wips
out he worst gang OF railroad thieves in the
territory. They had planned IL huge hold up'
and W" caught them re i-hauded. Two express
companies had big "Onsignmcn.s OF gold on the
train that The road agents were after. As re-
ward for saving tho money and corralling the
gang they have presented TO mo TlO, 900. Be-
sides. have been notified %! my appointment to
the assistant general mnnagcrship.'
me lnicrcnccS 10 he drawn from this nro
plain, One is that n good man stands what is
"nIici "a good show 10 succeed, West or East,
ana the Other is that you shouldn't crow over
your nCighhor.
- spoke Just now OF II certain invention which
my young friend. the ambitions mmchinc shop
DoA' Inu bccn turning q Of in his snngtina
braln. rms mast not be construed as an at.
trihpl 10 throw cold water on the search for in
Nch|i"hS ana improvements. Far from doing
50. desire TO encourage such tcndcEUirs in