Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-27
.LIFEOF A BUSY RAILROAD MAN
How the Chief of the New York Central
Rose from the Ranks.
FROM FARM TO BUSINESS POWER
Review of the Changes He Has Seen
improvements Have Been Great
and Now American Roads
Are Best of All.

Have you ever thought of the immense
amount of detail and hard executive work
involved in running a great railroad? If you
have not, then hearken to what one man
has done, and can do, in this respect. His
name is George Henry Daniels, and he is
the general passenger agent of Americas
Greatest" the New York Central G. Hudson
River railroad. His province lis one of the
most important in that gigantic system, both
to the public and the corporation. Yet he
Is scarcely ever thought Of by the patrons
of the road, and the few who do know his
name have the haziest sort of an idea of
what he does and how he does 1t.
In the first place, relates a New York ex-
change. Mr.. Daniels is to a great degree re-
sponsible for the comfort Of some $4,000 900
people every years., 900. 900 carried by the
New York Central proper and $1,000 900 by
It's leased lines. He hears the complaints
of the "kickers," arranges the schedules for
trains, attends to the immense and varied
advertising and Is responsible for over TO-
900, 900 tickets being properly printed and dis
tributed.
Not an easy task, you say? 1t Isn't; and
only the most perfect system and mastery
Of detail as we'll as all the qualities of a
diplomat combined with executive power
could produce such perfect results as are
found on the Central.
A Product of the West.
Like many OF New York's strong men. Mr..
Daniels is a product of the west. He was
born on a farm In Hampshire, ILL.,, was edu-
Gated In the country schools, and with real
western energy began to make a living when
he was only 10 years old. Then he hired
out as a lineman In the engineering corps
of the North Missouri railroad. He worked
hard, and in Ave yeals he had passed
through various grades on the road. and
when the war broke out he was, although
only 10 years old, well on the way TO a
responsible executive position. He threw
over this prospect, however. for the sake of
the flag. and served Uncle Sam faithfully
until the armies were disbanded In 1865.
AS soon as he had DOTTED the blue he
started In life afresh. This time he went to
work as a reporter, but after trying the
newspaper profession for a while he went
back TO his first love-the railroad business.
His enlarged experience stood him in good
stead, and his rise was phenomenally rapid,
so that In 1872, when only 80 years old, he
was made general freight and passenger
agent OF the Chicago & Pacific, now the
Burlington e. Rock Island railroad. For
eight years he was building up a reputation
for himself in this capacity, and then he put
in two years as general ticket agent OF the
Wabash, st. Louis e. Pacific.
Comes to the New York Central.
BY this time his reputation as a railroad
manager was firmly established, and In sue
cessloa he was appointed manager of various
traffic associations. including the Colorado.
Utah. the Central and the Chicago East,
bound Passenger committee. He resigned
the latter ten years ago to assume his pres
ent position on the New York Central, and
has since been identified with all the re-
markable improvements made on that road.
The fast through train service to Buffalo
and Chicago, the Detroit limited and the
recently inaugurated Saratoga flyer are