The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-04-05
A GREAT RAILROAD MAN.
Sketch Of tho Career Of President Hughitf
of thesNorthwestern Road. !

Sketch Of tho Career Of President Hughitt
of thesNorthwestern Road.
Chicago Tribune: Forty-seven years Of
practical experience in all the details Of
railroad operation, and twenty-nine years
Of these devoted to the service of one
line, Is the. record Of President Marvi1
Hughitt of the Northwestern system,
With nearly 5000 miles OF trackage. $780,
000, 900 of property. and an army of em'
ployes under his supervision, stranger
might be inclined to wonder that the
farmer boy Of fifty years ago grew uni
aided into 1t. But moment In the pres
ence Of the quick. alert, tactful, consider
ate man gives the keynote OF his sue,
cess to the reader of men.
Out Of the self-possession of the man
comes the assurance OF MS powers, until
one believes the assertions of the rail.
way world that probably he Is one OF this
oldest railway managers on the continent
With his square jaw, firm mouth and the
nose which Napoleon always insisted
upon for ability. President Hughitt has
figure In keeping. Yet with it all Is q
sensitiveness and diffldence that arc HARD
to reconcile.
Marvin Hughitt was born In Genoa
,Cayuga county, N. Y, in 1888. His father
owned farm near the village and the
boys early life was passed there. He
experienced tI6 -COHIlOn, HuHuEuul eAs
istence Of the farm boy. He went to
school when the work of the farm did not
interfere. He had some instruction, even,
in school that was dlgnified with. the
name o< seminary.
But farm work, and above all, the mo.
notony OF farm life, palled on the boy
1t was an insufficient outlet for HIS &C.
tivities.
About that time Professor Morse, was
making the influence of the electric tele.
graph felt In the world. It appealed to
young Hughitt, as 1t had to scores Of
others, and he went to Auburn, where he
got a place at key and sounder.
At his inquisitive age he learned
quickly. He was an operator In an un.
usually short time. and within a year he
was regarded as. an expert. Then the
west appealed to him, and at the age OF
II he came to Chicago.
The Illinois and Mississippi Telegraph
company had headquarters in Chicago
and Judge J. D. Cation was president OF
1t. In 1854 young Hughitt applied at the
office for the position OF operator, and
was taken on the force.
1t was not long before the young man
from New York was remarked in the of.
flee. From the gossip of the clerks hi
came to the notice OF the officials OF the
company, and when vacancy came he
was made superintendent of the office.
- VI . i <
The railroad systems OF the west were
in their infancy at that time There had
not been either time or opportunity to
educate men to the business. The fact
that telegraph company had good
superintendent took wings and the st
Louis and Chicago railroad-now the Chi,
cago and Alton--offered young Hughiti
the position OF superintendent OF tele.
graph for the line. This position EN-.
braced the work of traln dispatcher, and
1t was in this that Mr.. Hughitt got his
first inking of railroading.
He took to the new work with his ma,
tive enthusiasm. When the road finally
was absorbed by the Chicago and Alton
system he went over to the service Of the
Illinois Central road, acting as trainmas.
ter for the southern division, with head.
quarters at Centralia, Ill.
1t was at Centralia that Mr.. Hughitt
found opportunity for piece of work
that attracted widespread attention.
War was on. A large force Of troops
with arms. ammunition, artillery and sup.
plies was to be moved as quickly as posi-.
BILE from st. Louis to Cairo. The govern.
ment made a reouisition on the Illinois
Central to do the work TrainmasteI
Hughttt was instructed to see that the
work was carried out as quickly as pos
sible, and with as little loss OF regular
traffic as might be possible.
Hughitt took the train dispatcher's table
at Headquarters. realizing the task before
him, but unwilling even to divide respon.
slDllity with any one else. For tfirty-six
hours he sat at the table and when he
gave uD the key the last troop train was
In Cairo.
Scarcely had the train dispatcher rested
from this long shift when another order
came for him to see to moving the same
troops from Cairo to Virginia. SO far as
the Central's lines extended. Then for
another stretch Of thirty-six hours he sat
at the dispatcher's key, moving trufns
without hitch. When he was done not
train In the regular service had been
delayed or abandoned few days later
Hughitt received an order to report al
the general offices In Chicago as assist.
ant superintendent of the Illinois Central
read.
In 1864 Mr.. Hughitt was made general
superintendent of the system. position
which he retained while John M Doug
las was president. On Douglas, retire
nient Mr.. Hughitt became Superintendent
or the Pullman Car company but soon re-
signed to become assistant general man.
ager of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and ST,
Uaul road.
On February ], 1872. Marvin Hughitt was
appointed general superintendent of the
Cn1cago and Northwestern railroad Colo-
mel James II. Howe was manager. and
because of his lack of practical knowl,
edge he asked for the assistance Of Mr..
Hughitt Virtually this made Mr.. Hughl
1T the manager of the road and when ii!
n. Porter had succeeded Howe and re.
tired In 1876 Hughitt was appointed gen-
eral manager in fact.
By this time Mr. Hughitt's ability and
value to the road had been recognized. In
1880 the directors elected him second vice
president. In 1882 he was made president
OF the Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapolis and
Omaha line, which was one Of the feeders
or the northwestern. In 1884 he was elect
ed president Of the Fremont EIkhorn ana.
Missouri Valley railroad, another de-
tendency of the sYStem and ha a1IaxI 49,