The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-02-22
ELEVATOR BOY AND
RAILROAD BUILDER
Chicago Papers Story Of a Youth
full Promoters Nebraska
Project.
The LINE TO BE 800 MILES LONG

Ambrose Ellington Says He Worked Out
His Scheme While Carrying Vas
sengers From Floor to Floor
How He Got Backing.
The Chicago Chronicle says: Ele-
vator boy and president of a railroad
at the same time. That sounds
bit homogeneous. Nevertheless it's an
actual combination. 1t is an instance
where youth hardly out Of his teens
found time while letting passengers on
and off an elevator to plan the count
less details of organizing railroad and
to attend to the business incidental to
it's construction. Possibly the queer
est phase Of the incident is that the
young promoter expects to manipulate
the elevator lever the same as usual
| and attend to his duties as president in
odd moments.
The person who has the remarkable
distinction Of being at once an elevator
| conductor and tine chief executive Of
a full-fledged western railroad is Am
brcse Ellington, of Omaha, Neb. The
| read is the Dakota, Nebraska and
Southern. Ellington spent Saturday in
| Chicago searching for a location for an
eastern office.
AS the effect of the new lire in traf-
fic circles is far reaching not few To-
cal railroad men have interested them
| selves as much in it's success as in the
promoters singular personality. To a
| coterie Of these officials downtown Ell
| lington told how his undertaking be-
/ came an assured fact. He talked also
| about his plans for the immediate flu
ture, one or two remarks in this con-
nection being peculiarly characteristic.
II intend to be an elevator conductor
some time longer" he said. "Of course,
it's a pleasure to project schemes that
| will surprise people who underrate
ones ability and shock others whose
| interests are affected, but, as a matter
of fact. I like my present work best.
Then, another thing, I don't want it to
appear that stopped working as soon
| as success came my way"
Young Enington's Story.
| /. Young Ellington's unique career has
been theme of pungent interest to
railroaders and business men all over
the west. A year ago he presided at
the lever of an elevator in the Daily
| Bee building at Omaha at salary of
$40 week. AS far as anybody knows
he was without prospect of lettering
his condition. But Ellington is
schemer. While plotting people from
| one floor to another in the big news
paper building he busted his brain
evolving projects that later were to
bring him recognition and fortune. To-
day the elevator boy is president of a
railroad extending from Grand Island,
Neb., to Napier, Boyd county, S. D..
distance of 300 miles. His first years
salary will be $4,000!
The amazing part Of it all is that Ell
lington hit upon the idea of railroading
himself earned the money needed in
getting the first plans under way and
then interesting capitalists to the ex-
tent of securing adequate backing and
having himself appointed to position
with exclusive control and direction Of
1 the corporation.
Ellington says it is the easiest thing
in the world to become the owner Of
railroad. providing the promoter is will
ing to do lots of hard work. This sounds
paradoxical. He explains It by saying
that the man who counts work q hard
ship will never WIN success. In the
following narrative some Of the means
which the elevator boy employed in
building his line are mentioned.
Completed to Niobrara River.
| 1.-THE road is now completed from Ce-
dar Rapids, Neb.,N to the Mo
brara river. Ties and rails have
been scattered along the bed the
rest of the way and we expect
l to have trains running before spring,
All the time the work was going on
very few knew who was behind the en-
| terprise. Some of the newspapers pre-
4 tended to have information that the
/ line was an extension of the Burlington
| road, others that it would be incorpo-
rated into the Northern Pacific system.
Perhaps you think the people weren't
1 surprised when it became known that
| the owners of the line were only three
in number, and they mechanic, an
| Elevator boy and a bookkeeper
1.-THE discovery was made when we
were compelled to file with the clerk OF
| Douglas county at Omaha articles of
Incorporation for the Manhattan Pro-
| motion company, in whose name the
road was built, and the Nebraska Land
| and Townsite company which had su-
peryision of the land grants. Each con-
4 Germ was capitalized at 81 COO, 900. I was
one Of the directors; Ernest Stark, a
I mechanic in the Bee building, was an
4 other, and w. G. Mack, a bookkeeper in
the Standard Sewing Machine offices at
1 Cleveland, O..
4 Other lines have already made propo-
sitions to buy us out. They have Of
fered pretty big sums, but we have de-
cided not to sell. 1t was an easy thing
to build that road. The secret Is hard
work and making friends
Before Ellington projected the rail-
road he had many other irons in the
fire. He was prime mover In organic
ing the National Confederation OF Ele.
vator Conductors AND was Its first pres-
tdent.