The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-08
Mr.. BARR'S DUTIES.
New Santa Fe Official Is an
Assistant to President
Ripley.

James M. Barr, the new vice presi-
dent of the Santa Fe, is in reality an
assistant to President Ripley.
When the Santa F'e passed out Of the
hands of the receiver the position of
third vice president was left vacant by
the board Of directors. AS Mr.. Paul
Morton explained to a. Journal reporter
at the time: This place is not to be
filed until such time as it becomes nee
essary to relieve President Ripley Of
the detail of work pertaining to the
operating department with which he
proposes first to familiariZe himself"
This contingency has arrived and the
board of directors has elected James NJ.
Barr to the position. The announce
ment of Mr.. Bars election was made
in the Journal several days ago, but the
ohnclal circular concerning the appoint
ment did not reach the general offices
until today. It is as follows:
'AtchisOn, Topeka & Santa, Fe Railway
System. Office of the President.
Chicago, July 6, 1899.
Mr.. James NJ. Barr has been elected
third vice president and will have gen
eral supervision of the operating de-
partment July Is, reporting to the pres
ident.''
1t will be noticed that Mr. Bars jur-
tsdiction extends over the entire Santa
F'e system. Under the former method
Of handling the business of the Operat-
ing department, General Manager Frey
of Topeka, General Manager Nevin who
has charge of the system west of Albu-
querque and will ultimately control the
line entering San Francisco and Cen
eral Manager Polk whose jurisdiction is
south of Purcell, have been reporting
to President Ripley. These reports were
a. mass of details to which President
Ripley gave careful attention until he
became thoroughly familiar with the
property and its physical condition. n OW
that he understands this feature of the
great system he has been supplied with
an assistant in the person Of the new
vice president who will have charge OF
the work, making a consolidated report
of the system, compiled from the re-
ports of the three general managers to
the president.
This new Office places the operating
department upon the same footing Oc-
cupied by the other departments. The
general passenger agents report to one
man in Chicago, who in turn reports to
the president; the freight department
officials are responsible to a Chicago
official In this way all of the business
of the system is reported to the presi-
dent in the consolidated reports. The
operating department now takes its
place beside them under the new ar
rangement.
1t has been suggested that perhaps
the election of the new vice president
meant a revolution in the operating de-
partment. This, 1t appears, is without
foundation. The Santa, Fe railroad
system is now being managed with less
4tlctlOu IMAM dl any liHi0 OuiiuS Us
history. The officials in every depart
ment are laboring earnestly for the up
building and Improvement OF the bust
ness of the road and things were never
in better condition than they are today.
The extensions in the west and the ac-
qufrement of the new lines have made
the work of the president so volumi-
nous that it became necessary to have
additional help and Mr.. Barr was given
the place of vice president. Beyond
this the election of the third vice presi-
dent is declared to have no significance.
MI. Barr is a well known western rail-
road man. He was some years ago con-
nected with the Santa, Fe as the mana
ger of the Montezuma hotel at Las
Vegas Hot Springs. His principal work
on western roads was in Nebraska on
the Burlington and Union Pacific. He
was born in Ohio in 1855 and started in
his career as a, messenger boy in the
office of a, division superintendent on
the PENNSYLVANIA system.