Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-07-19
DAVIS CAREER
As RA|LROAD[R
Chapter in The Long Life
OF Nominee For Vice
President. Vallery Not
Decided

%&@@%@& G$$&##%&#E&% G----&@{ #M##8E& #EG 4&
When Henry G. Davis was a boy
free schools were unknown in Mary
land, and necessity and a desire to
give to a younger brother educational
advantages that he could not share,
resulted in his becoming a bread win,
ner for the family at an early age. 1t
was to former Governor Howard, of
Maryland, that he owned his first EN-
ployment, and he lived at the Howard
home home working on his farm un.
til he was 10 years old. BY that time
the Baltimore & Ohio railway had
been extended to Cumberland, and
the increase in business called for
more men. DR.. Woodside, the super
intendent, was a friend of the Davis
family, and he made young Davis a
brakeman on a freight train. He
was soon promoted to be conductor
of a freight, and the energetic way in
which he took charge Of matters and
handled men in clearing UP a wreck
on the road having come to the per-
sonal attention Of Mr., Thomas Swami.
the president Of the road, he was given
another promotion and took charge of
a passenger train.
President Swami kept track Of MS
efficient young conductor, and when
he was about "a years of age gave
him another promotion, making him
superintendent in charge Of the rum
ming of all the trains of the road. II
was in this position that Mr.. Davis
had his first opportunity to display ex-
ecutive abilities on a considerable
scale and to introduce innovations in
lieved that there was no reaso why
been considered practicable to run
railway trains at night, and freight
train and passenger trains alike were
stopped at nightfall at convenient
stations and held over until daylight
the next morning. Supt. Davis be-
lievsd that there was no reason why
the trains should not move by night
as well as by day, and against the
Judgment of many Of the other officers
of the road, he made the experiment,
the first night train being u from
Cumberland to Baltimore. It was a
complete success, and from that day
to this there has been little difference
between night and day as far as the
running of railway trains is concern
ed.
Contrasted with the salaries re-
ceived by railway officials Of the
present day, the pay Of Supt. Davis
seems small, amounting to less than
800 per month, but it was sufficient
to enable him to assist his mother
and lay by enough to enable him to
marry. In 1863 he married Miss
Kate, daughter of Judge Gideon Bantz.
Of Frederick, Md, whose death in
December, 1902, after nearly 50 years
of married life. was a severe blow to
the former senator.
Began Business at Piedmont.
Soon after his mar iage, Mr.. Davis
became the agent of the Baltimore a
Ohio at Piedmont. He soon saw that
there we're excellent business oppor-
tunities at this place, and he estab-
lished his brother, William r. Davis,
as a shipper Of coal and lumber. 4
year later he resigned from the rail.
way and became the head of the firm
of Davis & Brothers, which for more
than a generation was to- play a most
important part In the development Of
Piedmont and the surrounding coun-
try in two states.
@&&.I 4M8
Mileage and Capitalization Of Roads.
The total single-track railway mile
age in the United States on June 80,
1903, was 2O7, 977.22 miles. having in.
creased 5.505.37 miles in the year end.
in gon that date. This increase ex.
ceeds hiatt of any previous year since
1890. The nineteen states and terri
tories for which an increase in mile.
age exceeding 100 miles is shown are
Arkansas. California, Georgia, ILL
nois. Louisiana, Michigan. Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina.
North Dakota, Pennsylvania. Texas,
Washington. West Virginia, Wiscon.
sin, Indian Territory, New Mexico,