The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-09-10
A RAILWAYS NEW MOVE
Erie Roads Plan to Promote
Its Employees.
AN AGE LIMIT AGREED UPON.

AeNWMNHANA " ANHAH1 AA~-sAAtANAA = ~
en to Protect old Men.
The Erie railroad has promulgated
an order calling for the designations Of
all clerks recently engaged who at the
age Of thirty-hve have not advanced,
says the New York American.
The designations must be forwarded
to the Offices Of the company within a
few days, because the officials feel that
there is no chance for men who at
thirty five have not demonstrated their
executive ability.
The men who are doomed to leave
are those who have entered the COM
Ipany's employment since May l, 1901
and in an apologize way the officials
say that there are comparatively few
who will be affected IN the future,
however, no man who has reached the
age limit win be given employment in
4 the clerkship grade by the big railroad.
Men who have become thirty-ive
without succeeding at something else
have little chance to take up railroad
work" is the explanation Of Secretary
I Granville a. Richardson.
President Underwood, however. does
not put it in the same way. He says:
4 "The road owes a duty to men in its
employ for the major part Of their
lives. tbs constantly making provision
| for these men. 1t is an injustice to
them to have men who have seen
their best days In other lines enter our
employ 1t is TO protect our old en-
Iployees that the order is issued. It is
fair to assume that a man who has
worked at some other business for the
better part Of his life is too well
grounded to be Of special value to a
railroad company. The aim is to en-
ploy young men who wish TO make rail-
reading their business"
''The employment and training Of
railroad employees is great problem,
which can best be appreciated by those
who are frequently the victims of bad
Judgment in railroad offices This Is
what we are trying to remedy" said
Secretary Richardson.
we do not say that man who has
been fiji the railroad business for some
years is useless at thirty-fve if be has
not advanced, for he has at least learn
led the routine. The fact that he is still
In the business. however, shows that
there has been some defect in the sys-
tenn that kept him when he was young.
He should have been dropped long be-
fore
"Railroading principles should be
taught while the brain Is young. The
younger the better. and in the future
any man who asks us for employment
will have to give a very strong explana-
ton of why he has failed IN other ca
Ipacities if be is anywhere near thirty
Eve.
"0ur idea now is to get as many
bright young boys as possible to 60 on
the lowest rounds Of the ladder to adj
vance the Others to the vacancies that
win be made BY always having good
material ait the bottom it will be posi-
Ible to advance the various grades as
the good jobs at the top are opened, In
stead Of going to other companies to
get high saIaried men while our own
wonder why It happens that way.
First, we want to protect our old
men, and, secondly, make it unneees-
sary to go to other Offices for good em-
Iployees"
In view Of this action of the Erie il
lis interesting to note the men who
lhaye accomplished things after tile age
Iof thirty-five.
| julius Caesar was thlrty-nine years
old before he received his first impor-
Itant military command
/ Oliver Cromwell was d very unimpor-
liant figure until he was nearly forty,
when he girded on the armor which a
few years later began to Identify him
with England's history
| Christopher Columbus was nearly
forty when he went to Ferdinand and
Isabella with his plan for the discoy-
cry Of new continents, and it was not
until he was forty-six that he started
ION his voyage
/ General Grant was town character
in the west until he was almost forty.
/ George Washington had settled back
into the indolent life Of a Virginia
planter when, at forty-two, lie was
called upon to undertake the great
work which resulted in our freedom.
Admiral Farragut was still a navy
captain at fifty-four, and It was in the
later years Of his life that he became a
distinguished admiral
At forty Lord Nelson had done little
land was involved personally and POI
litically. vet seven years after he died
on the deck Of the Victory one of Eng
lands most famous men.
| William the Conqueror was forty
when he was crowned king Of Eng
land, and he afterward earned bis title.
| Napoleon at forty and in the FIVE
subsequent years of his life was at the
height of his career.
Martin Luther was thirty-eight be-
fore the world began to hear from him
in way that changed religious his
tory.
! Abraham Lincoln was forty-nine
when in his discussions in his sena-
torial campaign the country first heard
bis antislavery utteranees.