The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1904-03-14
AVERY TURNER.
Short Biographical Sketch of This
Prominent Railroad Official.

SeHeTdl mdndSeT OI Lne southern
Kansas Railway of Texas and the
Pecos Valley Lines, with headquar.
ters in Amarillo. was raised on a
farm near Quincy, Illinois He re-
ceived an academic education at
Quincy and finished at Cornell Uni
versity
In 1871 Mr. Turner entered the
employ of the Sni Island Levee Co.,
on the Mississippi river, in the engi-
neering department Then he enter
ed the engineering department of the
Quincy and Missouri Pacific railroad
company. From there he went to the
Atlantic and Great Western railway,
now known as the Erie road. at
Meadville, Pa, leaving there at the
time of the panic of 1873. After 1873
he was employed in the train service
on the Wabash and in the engineer
ing and construction departments of
the Burlington, leaving there to go
to Colorado in 1874, and prospecting
in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas,
and completing several contracts for
government surveys In that territory
Mr. Turner entered the employ of
the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe
railway in 1875 as rodman on con-
struction building from Grenada to
Pueblo, and became later successive
ly material foreman, brakeman, yard
master, freight conductor and con-
struction foreman for nearly two
years in Kansas, Colorado and New
Mexico. In 1879 and 1880 he was
employed as passenger conductor, be
ing promoted in 1880 to the position
as trainmaster at La Junta and re-
naming there seven years. In 1887
he was appointed assistant superin-
tendent of the middle division of the
Topeka and Santa Fe, un-
der H. r. Nickerson, at Newton, Kan
sas, leaving there in March, 1888, |
to take charge of the southern di- |
vision Remaining on the southern
division until 1890 he then returned
to Newton as superintendent of the |
middle division, where he remained
until 1897, when he was appointed |
assistant general superintendent at |
Topeka. In June, 1899, he took |
charge of the Chicago division-Kan- |
ent, returning to Newton in Novem-
Der, 1899, as superintendent of the |
middle division. and leaving there |
On January 1. 1901, on being appoin- |
ted to his present position as vice |
president and general manager of the |
Southern Kansas Railway Company
Of Texas and Pecos Valley Lines.
In May of this year Mr.. Turner
will have completed twenty-nine |
years of continuous service in the |
interest of the Santa Fe system.
sIr. Turner is man of excellent |
character, and does not believe in |
secular amusements on the Sabbath |
day The story is told that he was |
in the club rooms in a western city |
one Sabbath evening with several of
his friends enjoying quiet conver-
sation. when some one suggested |
that they pay game of pool or bill |
iards. Quick as a flash Mr.. Turner |
said, Not on Sunady." Later in the |
evening William Nicholson, the head
man of the Santa Eel
system came in and joined the par
ty. and some one suggested that they
play q game of pool or billiards. At
this point Mr. Turner spoke and
said. He certainly does not want
to play pool on Sunday" 1t is not
known whether or not Mr.. Nicholson
wanted to engage in the game. but
It is . fact that he did not play