Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-06-03
TOM FITZGERALD
Governors of Two States and 400
Admirers Were at Banquet.
FEAST AT FAIRM0NT
Railroad Magnates and Humble En-
ployes Set Side BY Side at Fes-
tive Board Saturday. q


The employees of the Baltimore a
Ohio railroad rendered banquet to
Mr.. Thomas Fitzgerald. the general
manager of the road. in the Iarand
opera house. at Fairmont. W. Va,
SATURDAY. night. The occasion was an
expression of qualification over Mr..
Fitzgerlds's well-earned promotion to
his present position.
The rev general manager knows
more men personally in the service of
the road, from the track walker to
the officials combined. To all en-
ployees he mas ALWAYS been and always
will De known as tom" Fitzgerald.
Starting as boy carrying water 10
workmen on bridge in 1866, he
began making friends. until now the
number includes practically everyone
| in the service of che Baltimore a.
Ohio system. While he is u strict dis
ciplinarian. he has always believed
that the men are entitled to considera-
/ Gion.
The men all over the system praise
President Murray for promoting Mr..
Fitzgerald to general manager, and
rejoice over having such good and
+: capable man in the position. With
this general good feeling. q movement
was started some time ago by the EN-.
plovees on the Baltimore division,
where Mr.. Fitzgerald was formerly
superintendent, to tender him q BAN
quet. but this plan was soon swept
ont of their hands bv the men all over
the system insisting upon having a
part in the celebration and showing
their esteem for the man. To do this
it was necessary to hold the banquet
at some central point on the system.
SO that none of the men would be
away from work more than twenty
four hours. Fairmont was thus
selected, and the frat intention was
to have it take place at one of the
hotels, but it was soon found that
none of them could accommodate SO
large a number of persons. The Grand
Opera house was thus selected aud
temporary floor erected over the seats.
There were more than four hundred
persons seated ut the tables. including
Presid mt Murray and the governors
of Mary land and West Virginia, who
shared with Mr.. Fitzgerald in the
manv nice things that were said and
done. The general feeling throughout
Fairmont Saturday night was that
there are not two more efficient and
popular railroad men in the country
for the Office they are filing than
President Murray and General Mana.
ger Fitzgerald.
The prominent people at the ban
quet included President Oscar g.
Murray, Governor Edwin Warfield OF
Maryland. Governor W. NJ. o. Daw-
son, of West Virginia; Ex-Governor
A. B. Fleming. of Vest Virginia:
First Vice. President George r. Ran
dolph. Second Vice. President Hugh l..
Bond, ir., Vice. President George L.
Potter; Fourth President j. V.
McNeal, assistant to President George
M. Shriver: General Superintendent
OF TRANSPORTATION Arthur Hale. Chief
Engineer d. ID. Carothers. General
Superintendent of Motive Power j.
Il. Muhfield and others.
The menu was handsomely gotten
up and bound in leather. with an oil
painting of the capitol building at
Washington and the words Banquet
to Mr.. Thomas Fitzgerald by the
employees of the Baltimore g. Ohio
Railroad May 81. 1906" 10 gold on
the front. On the first page was an
excellent picture Of Mr.. FitzRerald,
and in the corner was another picture
of little barefoot boy walking along
the railroad track carrying a bucket
of water. intended to represent Mr..
Fitzgerald when he started railroad
ing. The next page contained pictures
of the president. assistant to the pres
ideut aud four vice. presidents OF the
road. On the page with the menu
was a picture. of signal post. show
ing the signals in position, indicating
that the track was clear and all right
to go ahead. The coat of arms of
Maryland appeared, on the next page.
with the list of toasts. On other pages
appeared the coat of arms Of West
Virginia and the United States. Mr.
X. d. Walker was toastmaster.
| Among the guests at the banquet
were Mr.. J. G. Hutsler and Mr..
Charles Burch. OF Martinsburg.