Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-11-26
A builder of RnIIrnndr

Mrs. Thedosia Beacham, the builder of
railroads, fills a unique place in the field
of woman's endeavor. She is the only
woman in America, perhaps in the world
who has engaged TO a large extent in the
construction of the great steel highways
She is in a class OF one
She has made railroads, blasted rocks
dug up primeval forests. cut through the
foothills, filled in the valleys and reared
bridges in something like half score of
states. She has directed men and mules
and steam and dynamite have been forced
to sefve her ends She has figured on con-
tracts whose prices ran into the hundreds
of thousands Of dollars. Her intellect and
financial ability have been matched against
some of the countrys greatest railroad
magnates and she has not suffered by such
encounters. She is person of pluck and
energy, of finance and diplomacy.
But Mrs. Beacham's life, strenuous though
the latter half of it has BEEN has proved
to her liking and she has achieved some
fame as well as fortune. She is probably
the wealthiest woman in her native state
of Michigan.
Mrs. Beacham's present contract in Viz
GINA is the building of five miles Of road.
from Kllby station westward. AS large as
this undertaking might seem to an average
AAAeiAt AAON " iltllllOll woman s viewpoint.
1t is a relatively small job TO Mrs
Beacham. The road on which Mrs
Beacham is working is the Tidewater.
which will connect the coal fields with the
sea, and the general contractors for the
first 100 miles of which were Sands &
oliver OF Roanoke, Va. Because of other
contracts which prevented their compile
ton of the roadbed on time the Roanoke
firm has been relieved of the thirty-two
miles between the sea and Kilby, where
Mrs. Beacham's section begins.
Though Mrs. Beacham declined to tell
exactly what her yearly earnings are, It
was learned from other railroad sources
that she makes $4,000 and upwards an
nually. Last year she cleared about 1000
and this year may do better. Mrs. Beacham
says her biggest contract was with the
Tennessee Central railroad in 1900 She
made about $4,000 or $4,000 on that and
1t took nearly year to do 1t.
Mrs. Beacham expects to soon finish
her present contract Then she will
go to Tennessee and take part in
the work recently contracted by Will
liam j. Oliver with the Southern railway
The price OF divers most recent contract
with the Southern is 100000, but he has
on hand other unfinished jobs with the
same system. Mrs. Beacham has been al
lied with Sands & Oliver for years and
is one of their most capable and dependa.
BILE subcontractors She is held in the
highest esteem by railroad officials and is
regarded by her employers with degree
of respect which almost approaches rev.
erence.
Asked If railroad work was congenial
Mrs Beacham said she did not so particu
larly admire the calling, but that the
financial remuneration was good and she
did not expect to be a contractor always
She expects to retire next summer to g
farm near Kalamazoo and abandon the
strenuous life for all time She says Kala
mazoo celery is good for the brain.
She is truly a remarkable woman Some
OF her most prominent personal charac
teristics are her energy, vivacity, deer
mental penetration, and her Judgment OF
human nature. There is brightness and
rare intelligence in her eyes and n notice.
able determination about her mouth.
She is versatile woman. After hearine
her counsel a workman or reprimand a
recreant with searching eyes and a voice
that compels obedience and silence one
could hardly believe that she can change
in second to person so mild-mannered
and OF such convincing gentility She
finds time to read a great deal and keeps
up in surprising degree with literary
doings as we'll as current events.