Arizona republican., 1903-08-09
MOTORMAN NOW A MAGNATE.
Career of the New President of the
 New Orleans Street Railway.

1 New Orleans Street Railway. | From the rear platform to the presi- dency of q great stree railroad system. ! capitalized at S0 million dollars and op- era ting one of the finest consultations in the country, is the record of E,lwyn C. Foster of Boston. who was installed president of the New Orleans Railway | company in the presence of large | throng of prominent people from over i the country. Among those present were: Charles s. Rairchild eX-secretary of the United States treasury in Grover 1 Clevelands g cabinet and president of the ! New York Security and Trust company. which financed the New Orleans deal: | w. w. Miller, first vice president of the | company and the general counsel for | the Fairchild interests, New York: Col. | Joseph H. De Grange. General Manager John G. Woods and the entire local directory. W. D. Mahon. international president of the Amalgamated Asso- ciation of Street Railway Employees of America, Detroit, Mich., was here rep resentng the interests of the employees. | President Foster came in from Bos- ! ton, where he was vice president and general manager of the Boston & Northern railroad, and took quarters at
 
 tive command of the local properties without show or ostentation.
 | Foster is not man of show. He has l had the most unique railroad career of any street railroad magnate in the country He is one of the few executive heads who, if occasion demanded, could fill any position on the road, from lay ing a bit of track to that of president. He is 42 years of age, native Of Pea. cock, N. H., and is self made from the ground up, having been self supporting since he was Is years of age. Leaving the New Hampshire farm, he went to Lynn, Mass, where he worked in a grocery store for three years. He got into the milk business and then went to the old Lynn and Boston horse car line, with it's most primitive equipment. where he became a conductor. This job of taking fares paid him s1.50 per day, not q very princely salary, but bet ter than the milk wagon. He proved to be so good conductor that he was l taken off the rear platform and made an inspector, 9 position that paid but little better. There he attracted the attention of the owners of the road still more, among those becoming inter- ested in him being the late Amos r. Breed, who eventually made him sti- perintendent of the road.
 Becoming convinced that the trolley car was d success, MT. Foster utilized the shops of the General Electric com pany. located in Lynn, to carry out his experiments and he soon had branch road equipped with trolley cars, it be- ing the first in New England and the second in the country.
 Then the trolley car swept the coun- try and the Boston & Northern railroad was organized, absorbing the old Lynn and Boston line. The business expand ed and Foster with it. He was made vice president and general manager of this great system O. lines having au- tholity over S63 miles of track and com manding an army of 5000 men.
 He is a great organizer and leader of imen. He was never had trouble with his employees and has always managed to make them feel and know that he was their best friend. for he has come up through al the stages and knows every step they have taken, every hardship they have endured and just what it all costs.
 In all his years as an executive head he has never had a strike of his men or any serious labor trouble. His motto has ever been. Give me your hand and come up with me-
 :. Higher positions have always been filled from men who were in the service of the company. The goal of better things has always been held out to the men. The policy will be inaugurated in New Orleans, where it has never been carried out so fully as Mn Foster prob ably practiced it. His office is always open to his men. No matter where he meets one of them, the employe feels at perfect liberty to hold a conversation with the president of the company.
 The men here gave him a welcome that will not soon be forgotten. The 5000 employees of this system are more than pleased with the presidential se- lection. One of his first duties after get ting settled down into the presidency will be to officially lend his aid to grand picnic the employees are giving at the fair grounds, where voting contest vii decide the most popular employe in the whole service. Presi- dent Foster will preside over the ballot box and will count the votes, to the in itense satisfaction of the men.
 ''The secret of my success" he once remarked, lis that l have never been man who took care of himself in his holding men whom others may want for better positions. If a railroad man comes to me and wants a man for a certain position and l have him, al- though he Is very useful to me, I ad- wise him to go if it is for a better h."-NeW Orleans Letter.