The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-28
..BUsv DRIVER A GREAT MAN.
w. Y. Morgan's "Reminiscences Of Boy
hood Days With J. E. Hurley.


hood Days With }. E. Hurley.
W. Y. Morgan, writing editorially in
his paper, the Hutchinson News, re-
lates a personal "reminiscences of lin
Hurley who becomes general manager
of the Santa Fe. Mr.. Morgan, i'll his
characteristic manner, draws some apt
conclusions from the story of Mr.
Hurley's career, and points with
pride to his early association with him
Mr.. Hurley's rise is an incentive for
every man to do the best he can. Mr..
Morgan says:
Something like a quarter of a CEN
tury ago the editor of the News was
a small boy. Jim Hurley was a big
boy in the same little Kansas town,
Cottonwood Falls. Jim drove the bus
and you know the bus driver is al
ways a great man to the boys. Using
the knowledge gained since that time
I suspect that Jim was working for
his board and about a dollar a week
he cracked the whip over the pony
team that hauled the "bus" from
Strong City to Cottonwood Falls.
EVERYBODY liked Jim and although the
position of driver was of high dignity
he never lorded it over the rest of US
boys like most drivers do I remem-
Der that Jim was reliable. At that
time the trains nearly all came and
away left a cali for Jim to get them.
I remember that the caution used to
be given to "be sure and tell Jim as
he never forgot. For a number of
years I rode back and forth between
the town and the station with various
and sundry drivers. Jim was one of
the few who always took an interest
in your catching the train-and he
never missed it. Jim never got be-
hind and had to lick his team and
scare his passengers. I don't reco1lect
that Jim was an angel and presume
he had his troubles and faults but to
my memory the characteristics he
possessed at that time were cheerful
ness and get-there-a ctiveness. His job
was hard one for he "met all trains
and it was nearly two miles to the sta
ton with bad roads and a rfckety rig.
went away to school and lost sight
OF Jim. He had made some acquaint-
ance with a railroad agent or brake
man and got better Job Soon I
heard of him and he was going up,
frequently two steps at time. Now
he is general manager Of the Atchison.
Topeka & Santa Fe railroad and rides
in his private car through the station
at Strong City where he and I, have
waited for many a. train, sitting in the
old bus telling boy stories and talking
boy talk And all men who have ever
been boys will appreciate this fact
to my boy mind at that time Jim Hur-
ley, the general manager and driver of
the Cottonwood Falls & Strong City
Bus, was just as big a man as Mr..
James e. Hurley, general manager Of
the A T. & s. F. r. r.
could point out the moral to the
boys of the present generation If did
not fear they are like the boys of my
time, who hated stories with morals.
I could tell of the boys who did not
have to work at all and who now
would like a job with jim. 1 could
point out the fact that jim always
made good in the place he was in and
was ready for the next higher when
the time came. But will not 1noralize
or preach. I will simply say that Jim
Hurley is a good railroad manager
just as he was a good bus driver.