The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-17

him a good husband, good father, and
good citizen"
These words are taken from Mr.. Rip
ley's letter of instruction to the super
intendent of reading rooms of the San
ia Fe system, appointed by him to con-
duct the enterprise. and are made pub
lie now, contrary to the modest desires
of the president, because the time has
come when every wage-earner of this
country and every employee of this
company, ought to be acquainted with
the broad and sublime spirit, simply
but eloquently expressed, by which the
affairs of great corporation are guild
ed. They should be printed on every
time card, suspended in the cab of
every engine, on the walls of every
round house, office and shop, and most
of all treasured in the heart of every
one. They ring a bell of hope and good
will in every department of the rail-
road service and reflected from every
reading room and book, they have al
ready dropped untold blessings on
every home and family
These words were born of a lofty mo-
tive. They have given inspiration to
every move that has been made for the
advancement of the men. They have
lighted fires of good resolutions, genial
friendships, and winsome considerable
ness IOr one 8nOLueT IN every puDUC
gathering of the employees, and hence,
if we study the origin of great reforms
| and the philosophy of history, they are
worthy to constitute, and do constitute,
our method of conducting reading
rooms, as distinctively 1.-The Santa Fe
Method
For many years the Atchison COM
pany sustained reading rooms at var
ious division points for the use and de-
Velopment of the employees, but it not
/ being the special work of any one, and
no one being placed directly in charge,
they languished and the books We're
unused. Fifteen months ago a special
department was organized called the
| department of Reading Rooms and
| Libraries" and the writer of this pa
per, who had been interested in such
/ a movement for years, and who had a
/ large acquaintance with railroad peo-
| pie, was placed at the head of it I'M
| der the title Of superintendent of
| Readings Rooms of the Santa Fe sys>
| tenn
! 1t has been his duty and privilege
to reorganize the work, to establish
new rooms where needed, to instruct
! librarians as to how to make these
rooms attractive to recommend i'm
/ provements, to meet Familiarity with the
men and their families, to encourage
them to read good literature, and help
them, so far as possible. to get more
out of life. The superintendent has
spent his time among the men, often
times holding familiar discussions with
them, and again listening to their diff
ficulties, and frequently advising them
in domestic troubles. In addition to his
large correspondence and considerable
office work, which he discharged on
the train, carrying with him the COM
pany's type-writing machine and office
supplies, he has arranged and conducted
many public gatherings of the men
always addressing them himself and
frequently taking with him some emf
nent lecturer, and closing them with q
social dance and reception. If the
building was too small, as they all are
he would rent an opera house. He
formed orchestras from among the mer
and ladies'. He found employees who