The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-07-21

you WIFI q liCoodbC ACet III ~
great consideration. Twenty years
from now, or less. he may be a power
In the world of and you may
have to deal with him.
For be it known that the telegraph
messenger boy. he who furnishes so
much inspiration for the humorists. the
wits, and the comic artists, does on
occasion come to be a power in the
commercial world, and that with a
frequency which suggests the messen-
gers bench in a telegraph Office as one
of the favored places on which to plant
the foo of the ladder.
The number of men who have risen
from the ranks of the lead@n heeled
Mercury of the street" to magnates of
the first power in the world Of teleg-
raphy, railroad. and business leaves no
question as to the chance these boys
youngsters who answer messenger
calls and deliver messages are of the
kind that see their chances, accept
them, n thus rise.
Places Held by Messengers.
Go to the general office Of any large
railroad, even into the presidents Of
flee, and there will be found the ex-
messenger. Any main office of the
large telegraph companies will yield
up a large number of officials. from
the president Of the company down
through the various grades, who
that they nee wore a uniform .and
badge and ran errands in the street.
Here is a partial list of the men
who started as messenger boys and
made good:
Andrew Carnegie, iron master and
patron of libraries.
Sir William Van Horn, president of
the Canadian Pacific railway.
Marvin Hughitt, president Of the
Chicago and Northwestern railway.
" A Gardner. genera ger of
the Chicago and Northwestern railway.
Col. Robert c.. ClNHry, president of
the Western Union Telegraph COM
pany.
T: P: Cook. general superintendent
of the Western Union Telegraph COM
pany, Chicago.
f. II. Tubbs, superintendent Of the
Western Union Telegraph company,
Chicago office.
Albert j. Earling. president Of the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul rail
way.
Henry r. Williams, general manager
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul rail
way.
Benjamin L. Winchell, president CHI
cago, Rock Island and Pacific railway.
W. G. Drown, vice president New
York Central and Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern railway.
This Is not a bad record for the mes
senger boy. He stands before the
country amply vindicated of the SLAM
derous charges unfeellng jokesmiths
have hurled at him and his alleged pen
chant for moving slowly. He IS one to
be reckoned with, and apparently he
has better nance for success than the
young men in ANY other lines of oc-
cupation.
About fifty years ago a puny, spind-
leshanked Scotch lad stepped into the
managers office in a Pittsburg tele-
own ~, n n n nrH ocl.aH For. NyNyly He
was a little over - years of age, and
he was given employment as a mes
senger. Within the last few years this
eX-messenger has given away s55,000.-
900 to found libraries II otherwise is
trying his hest to avoid the disgrace OF
dying rich"
81 liked The boys looks" said the
man who gave Andrew Carnegie his
first job as a telegraph boy. H was
small and young. but he was full OF
spirit. In a month he asked me tc
teach him biography. 1 adopted hin
as a pupil and he made rapid progress
He always was practicing at his Morse
when hes was not actually at work
He displayed r narkable skill as a tele-
grapher within a few MONTHS
1t was not long before Carnegie was
holding down a key in the Pittsbure
offices of the Pennsylvania railroad. He
rose from telegrapher to train dis
patcher. then to chief dispatcher. He
saved his money invested 1t In oil anC
coal lands, and the rest Of his history
is too well known to need repetition
He might have attained to the great
wealth and position he possesses today
by startint in some other way thar
cunning messages, but the fac remains
thai it was through his position as
messenger hat he became a telegraph
er, and from a telegrapher that he be.
gan his climb to riches.
Marvin Hughitt began work as {
messenger boy in an Office at Auburn
N. Y, about the same time Carnegie
started in Pittsburg. 1t has not beer
told what salary Andy began with, blu
1T is certain he did not, earn less thar
Hughltt. h was given a couple Q
hours of instruction in the art of send
Ing Morse as a sole remuneration. HI
was an operator at is, went to Chi
cage. became superintendent of
small telegraph company. and wa
made superintendent Of telegraph 0
the Chicago and Alton. He is now hea'
of an army of employees and with 800
miles of track to preside over. /.
From $12o to $4,000 a Year.
Albert J. Earring earned his first pa,
as a messenger boy In the Western
Union office at Watertown, Wis, at l
years Of age. He learned operating, a
did most Of the men who rose from tn
ranks in this line. He was an eXper
at the key during the war time II a
81 years of age was a train dispatcher
He entered the employ of the st. Pau
road in 1867 and since that date ha
never been off the pay rolls OF the com
pany.
Benjamin l.. Winchell began life as
messenger in a little telegraph office a
Hannibal, Mo-, at $40 a month. MI
Winchell perhaps IS a better exampl
of what the messenger boy of toda
can do than any nan hitherto mer
toned. He is only 45 years old and be
gan his career about thirty years ag,
He went Into the clerical department c
the Hannibal and st. Joe railroad an
was chief clerk within a few years
From then on his progress was gradus
until recently. when he vas made pres
ident of the roa at n salary Variousl
placed at from $50. 900 to SAC. 900.
Mr.. Winchell Is enthusiastic over tn
chances Of a messenger boy and give
this advice: Everything north doin
Is important. DOM think You haven
a responsible position until YOU al
promoted. Do everything well. Tn.
is the only rule for the ambitious your
man to follow
Undoubtedly Colonel Robert {
Clowry is the best representative of IL
messengers who have risen IN Il
world. In 1852, the 18-year-otd son OF
poor widow. he entered the emplcymci
OF. the company he now heads, as me