The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-11-07
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BY HAMILTON P. FAIRMAN.

NCopyIISu 4JVus uy II. Z L al A1oAA'J
We had been on the road something
over a week in an official private car.
The business part Of the trip was over
and the several officials gave them
selves up to cards, checkers, stories and
other amusements during the return
journey. Nearly everyone present re-
lated some thrilling adventure which
had occurred to him or come within
his notice but the general manager.
He had done little in the way of enter
tainment and had Joined but Teserv-
eddy in the laughter which some OF
the tales aroused. As we crossed the
Mississippi into Illinois. he in some
manner got possession of a magazine
which held his attention for some time.
Finally he tossed it upon the table and
observed:
We'll, they may talk all they want
to about dispatchers, but in all my ex-
perience I have seen but one mal who
filed the bill in every particular. He
was the man whom Old Foxey couldE t
fire under any consideration. That
man was Dobbs, >" he went on, knock
ing the ashes off his cigar 'lfe'S gen
eral manager of the Q-P system now.
DObbs always was a railroad man.
He began with the shovel when they
DullL the N. <. DIVISION OF the 3. Il q
c., and when / met him we came to-
gether in the dispatcher's Office. He
worked the second trick and I the third
But with all of his ability he was a
peculiar cuss and is today. He never
cared whether he worked six, eight OF
fourteen hours. I could relieve him
whenever I chose; it was all one to him
When I put in an appearance he would
say something like this. Had to hold
i at Minden-can' get in on the siding
at Blair-'twiH lay her out twenty-five
minUtes-be good to her against 24-24
is light and take his hat and leave
the Office.
THE dispatcher. a man named Mar
shall. who died in Mexico a good many
years ago, had learned that he could
rely on DObbs as ne could not do on any
of the rest of US Not a single man OF
the road knew the division as DObb'
did. Every inch of grade, the length
of every siding, how many cars Wert
standing on the SldlngS, and in fac
every detail of the road and trainme1
was catalOgued in his mind. He knew
what engineers he could depend upOI
to make up lost time, just what coulS
be expected of each and every crew.
He always called the disDatche
| Billy with an easy. assured familiarity
l remember one day that Billy wa
figuring out a meeting point for a, lOni
/ local freight against No. 4. the limited
DObbS was looking over his ShOulde
when he finished his order.
o Never do, Billy. You'll lay out No
pr can't get in at Birden-fourteel
empties on track there
She'll have to stay where she is
then returned the dispatcher, crUm
ping the order in his hand
Lay her out thirty minutes re
piled DObbs. Let's see. She's pullin
/ twenty-three loads and twenty-on
! empties-five scrapirOn. Let her Ieav
] ten empties and the scrapirOn at Fla
/ Cheek and pick UP the emDties at Bir
| den. ScrapirOn amt peTishablC
/ JOneS'H pull her over all right an
! Burns crew will handle the cars An
/ he went out whistling. Not anothe
man on the division would have dare
/ even to criticise Billy let alone die
J tate orders TO him
! But that wasn't what I started I
( tell about. Dobbs, with all his goo
| qualities, had one very bad fault AbOU
/ once a month he would absent himsel
/ from the office one or two and some
times three days. He seldom said any
( thing to anyone, but would simpl
/ board No. 9 and pull out. He inVaria
bly, returned on No. 4.
! On these occasions I was usual
transferred to his trick, and a new ma
put in my place.
well, one day in January, just a
the ice began to come down from tn
/ north at the rate of from ten to tweIv
extra trains a day. a. messenger cam
for me to report in Dobbs' place. Whe
! L arrived at the office the division ST
perintendent and the dispatcher wei
just finishing what had evidently bee
an animated conversation.
He's the best man that ever WOTke
a wire out Of this Office-Or any Othe
for that matter the dispatcher We
[ 81
the first thing to worry about
q Yes, I know, but when he isn't hel
/ there's enough to worry six men, fC
you never know when he's going
! what time he's coming back. Put Pa
terson in the third trick and keep a
eye on him for a day or two. Whe
Dobbs comes back send him to me
and the great man stalked out Of II
Office.
" It's all up with Dobbs, I guess, rs
marked the dispatcher, as he gave n
a hurried word picture as to how Il
trains were running at that mOmen
Extras north, extras south, extra
( in one. two and three sections. It We
certainly the most nerve trying ia
that I ever had put in. 1 managed
get through with little discredit. how
ever, and turned the division over
young Patterson in fairly good snap
He got through all right and every
thing seemed to be working SMOOTH
feThe next night I took run down
the junction to see friend there on
wires all came into that office and
listened to Patterson as he reeled o
orders BY the yard. / could tell tn;
he was somewhat nervous, but though
it was only stage fright. But instea
of regaining his composure he kept &c
ting more ratified than ever. Sudden