The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-10-10

the muskets, from whose black mouths the
murderous fire had rushed. The bullets
fairly rained on the jackets of the engines,
crashed through the cab windows The
engineer on the head engine was shot from
his seat. Jewett, in hail of lead, climb
ed over the running board, pulled wide the
throttle, and whistled "off brakes" The
driver of the second engine, following his
example, opened also, and the train was
thus whirled out of range, but not until
Jewett had been badly wounded. A Sec
ond volley rained on the rearmost cars, but
did little damage. The enemy had been
completely outwitted. They had mistaken
the train for a pilot engine, which they
had planned to let pass, after which they
were to turn a switch, ditch, and capture
the train.
There was great rejoicing in the hun
cry army at the front that dawn, when
long train laden with soldiers and rations
arrived. The colonel was complimented
by the corps commander, but he was too
big and brave to accept promotion for an
achievement in which he had no part or
even faith. He told the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth; and,
when it was all over, there was no more
"Captain" Jewett. When he came out
Of the hospital he had the rank of major,
but was still assigned to special duty
Major Jewett's work became more i'm
portant as the great struggle went on.-
Other lines of railway fell into the hands
of the Federals, and all of them in that
division of the army came under his con-
troll. They were good for him for they
made him very busy man and kept him
from painting for the firing line. In con-
junction with General D., the famous army
engineer, who has since become a noted
railroad builder, he rebuilt and re- equipped
wrecked railways, bridged wide rivers, and
kept way open for men and supplies to
get to the front
When at last the little, ragged but ever
heroic remnant of the Confederate army
surrendered, and the worn and weary SOL
diers set their faces to the north again,
Maj jor Jewett' name was known through
out the army.
At the close of the war, in recognition
of his ability and great service to the
Union, Major Jewett was made brevet
colonel, by which title he is known to al
most every railroad man in America.
X = x x
Many opportunities came to Colonel
Jewett to enter once more the field in
which, since his school days he had been
employed. One by one these offers were
put aside They were too easy. He had
been so long in the wreck of things that
he felt out of place on a prosperous, we'll
regulated line. He knew of struggling
little road that ran east from Galena, Hi
nois. 1t was called the Galena and some
thing else, for Galena was at that time the
most prosperous and promising town in the
wide, wild West.
He sought and secured service on the
line and began anew. The road was one
of the oldest and poorest in the State, and
one of the very first chartered to build west
from Chicago. 1t was sorely in need of a
young, vigorous and experienced man, and
Jewett's ability was not long in finding
recognition. Step by step he climbed the
ladder until he reached the general man
agement Here his real work began
Here he had some say and could talk di-
rectly to the president who was one of
the chief owners. He soon convinced the
company that to succeed they must have
more money, huild more, and make bust
ness by encouraging settlers to go out and
plow and plant and reap and ship. The
United States Government was aiding in
the construction of railway across the
"desert, as the West beyond the Mis-
souri, river was then called. Jewett urged
his company to push out to the river and
connect with the line to the Pacific, and
they pushed.
Ten years from the close of the war,
Colonel Jewett was at the head Of one of
the most promising railroads in the coun-
try. Prosperity followed peace, the West
began to build up, the Pacific Railroad
was completed and the little Galena line,
with new charter and a new name, had
become an important link connecting the
Atlantic and the Pacific.
For nearly half century Jewett has
been at the front, and has never been de-
feated. The discredited captain of that
promising company of car boys has become
one of our great captains of industry" f"
He is to-day president of one of the most
important railroads in the world, whose
black flyers race out nightly over twin paths
of steel, threading their way in and out of
no less than nine States, with nearly nine
thousand miles Of main line. He has
succeeded beyond his widest dreams, and
his success is due largely to the fact that
when, in his youth, he mounted to ride to
fame and fortune, he did not allow the
first jolt to jar him from the saddle. He
is made of the stuff that stands
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