The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-10

confidence placed in him is best evil
denced by the revolution of things he
has worked in the car shops operated
by the company. From antedated
equipment and customs, Mr.. Garfield
wrought out such changes in the
Scranton shops, by the Introduction of
up-to-date methods and machinery,
that the place is scarcely recognized as
the plant of old.
Mr.. Garfield was master car builder
OF the Chicago, Rock Island and Pa
cific railroad for several years prior
to 1896, when he became the Chicago
representative of the Standard Rail-
way Equipment company, and from
there came to the Lackawanna rail-
road in April, 1899. He is the patentee
of several articles of railway equip
ment, a practical mechanic, and is
thoroughly conversant with the needs
of the road. In the formation of the
Scranton Car Builders association, re-
Gently, Mr.. Garfield took an active
part and was unanimously chosen its
first president. He enjoys the conf
dence and esteem of the men employed
by the company and is an organizer
of marked ability, having repeatedly
demonstrated that fact since he joined
the LackaWanna forces.
To have to begin life's battle as a
doortender in the mines of one of the
biggest coal companies in the country,
and, at the age of thirty-eight to be-
come general superintendent of that
company, is an achievement that makes
the average man wear plumes. But
Colonel Reese A. Phillips to whom this
most envable extension has come is
not an average man, and in the matter
of vanity is very far removed from the
average. 1t can be safely predicted that
no one will ever discover from any
change in the colonels demeanor that
he has come into a position at the
head of $4,000 men in twenty-six col
lieries with an annual output of $780,
900 tons of coal.
Colonel Phillips career is one that
might we'll be held up for the emulation
and encouragement of the young. In
1874 he secured job in the Jersey mine
as doortender at seVenty-fve cents a
day He kept pushing ahead from one
position to another acquainting himself
thoroughly with all the ins and outs of
practical mining and in the meantime
studying during his spare hours to fit
himself for the best positions the oc-
cupation of mining could afford. In
1885, he Joined the company's engineer
corps, and perfected himself by prac-
tice and study in this branch of min
ing For a short time he worked with
the Philadelphia and Reading company,
but returned to the Delaware, Lacka-
wann and Western company in 1888
and continued with the surveying corps
until 1887 when Superintendent Benja-
min Hughes made him assistant fore
man at the Dodge under the late Ed
ward James. Four years later, he
succeeded Hon. John Il, Williams, as
foreman at the Oxford, and after two
Years was transferred to the Pettebone.
as superintendent. A few months later
hewas selected as an assistant general
superintendent to succeed the late
Thomas j. Phillips.
When Il. Il, Looms became the su-
perintendent of the Delaware, Lacka-
wann and Western coal department he
retained Colonel Phillips as an assist
ant superintendent, and before many
months passed the colonels merit made
him the right hand man of the new
head of the department.
The appointment of Colonel Phillips
to succeed Mr., Loomis as the local