The San Francisco call., 1904-12-04

II was reported in this city yesterday,
Oh what appears TO be good authority,
that L. o. Mccormick, former pas
scnger traffic manager of the Southern
Pacific Company and now assistant
Traffic director Of the Hartman lines,
win shortly return TO San Francisco as
vice president and general manager OF
The Southern Pacific. According TO in
formation received here, General Man
ager Bancroft was transferred here
pending negotiations between President
Hartman and Mccormick, and that
the latter official. who only recently re-
moved his family to Chicago, was final
=. persuaded TO accept the position Of
head Of the big Western road
The news. If true, viii be pleasing
To- not only all railroad officials con-
nected with the Southern Pacific Com
pany, but the general public on this
coast, which formed a strong attach
ment for the genial passenger traffic
manager Of the company during his
several years stay in this city. The
popularity Of Mccormick On the Pacific
Coast has no doubt deeply impressed
President Hartman, for few railroad
officials have succeeded in getting clos
er in touch with the shippers and the
travelling public on this side Of the con-
tinent than Mccormick. Another strong
point in his favor is that he made him
self thoroughly acquainted with the
needs Of the coast and is credited with
having done more toward advancing
its interests and especially that of Cal
ifornia, during his stay here, than any
other railroad man in the employ Of the
Southern Pacific Company.
Although spoken Of here as a pas
senger traffic man, Mccormick has
had considerable experience in other
branches Of railroading and is well
qualified to I'LL the position Of general
manager. His career as a railroad
operator began when he was a small
boy in Lafayette. Ind, where he hung
around the railroad station doing
chores without compensation. Later
he became a water boy to a section
gang, for which service he received
hardly enough wages to keep himself
IN suspender money. but his patience
was finally rewarded when the sec
ton gang boss unfortunately lost
leg and Mccormick was appointed to
his place.
Beginning with that appointment
McCormick's rise in the railroad
world was rapid. He was shifted
from operating to traffic departments.
but always advancing, until he finally
was made commercial agent of one Of
the big roads at Louisville. Next he
was made general agent of the Monon
read at Louisville, and later went to
Chicago as a general passenger agent.
II was about this time that the Gin
cinnati, Hamilton and Dayton road
was suffering from heavy competition
from rival lines and il sought to be-
come master OF the situation by TAX
ing Mccormick over as its general
passenger agent But the road could
not hold him. The Vanderbiits, dis
covering that he was q valuable man,
offered him big salary to join them
as traffic manager Of the Big Four.
The title was one Of the first Of its
kind conferred on a railroad man in
this country.
From the Big Four Mccormick was
captured by Hartman and sent TO this
city. where IN less than three months
he had become acquainted with nearly
every big shipper and travelling man
~ the GAdtE anu lldu SliAtItQ INTO every
public project designed to better Cali
fornia. He was A success from the
start, but just as the public had thor
oughly settled in its mind that il had
sEured a valuable adjunct 10 its list
oNbig men. J. c. Stubs induced Presi-
dent Hartman TO make Mccormick
assistant traffic director of the Harri-
man lines, with headquarters in Chi
cago. No one regretted more than f.
Q. Mccormick his removal from Cali
fornia and no one would more gladly
return TO San Francisco than the for
ner chief Of the passenger department
Of the Southern Pacific Company.