The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-10-13
RAMSAY OF THE WABASH
Fighter of George Gould Is a
Practical Rail-
rOader.

Perhaps ar no point Is there more
real interest being taken In the pres.
ent fight between President Joseph
Ramsey Of the Wabash and George
(ouM than In pftsburg. says a special
dispatch from that city TO the New
YORK world Aside from Pittsburg be-
ing practically the storm center Of
trouble between tbe millionaire owner
nBd his hnstiing employee, Pittsburg
was the childhood home Of Ramsey. II
there ho mndo bis FIRST successes.
In the spring Of 1905 there walked
into the once Of Chief Engineer Baker
Of the Panhandle road in Piusburg a
callow looking youth who might Just
have escaped from a country school
room. Baker was busy and ut the time
curt. but he gave the visitor q minute.
Ramsey Is my name-.IOo Ramsey.
I live over here I'm Birmingham.
want a job" be said.
Birmingham is now South Pittsburg
what can you doT said Baker
shortly.
Il can draw things. I've been three
months to mechanical school, but didn't
learn much, and l want to get right
into the real work"
do you like 10 drawn asked Baker
while several well dressed clerks turn
ed away to grin.
Like it? You bet I do" said young
Ramsey. with a feeling that won the
heart OF Baker.
Report to me tomorrow morning"
And so il was thlrty-seven years ago
that Joseph Ramsey first entered a
railroad Office The Panhandle was
then worrying about new bridge 70
be built over the Muskingum river at
Zanesvillc o.. and the new boy "who
liked 20 draw" was put 60 work on the
plans. II was before the days OF blue
prints, and most OF the work was Ia
figures, and Ramsey turned out a
really creditable bit of work. so good
was Il that when the road was ready 10
commence TO erect the bridge Baker
called the young man ia and said:
Ramsey, can you build that bridge
for me?"
Yes, sir"
Take charge tomorrow morning"
The bridge was built by young Ram
sey and Is today n trong apparently
as when completed more than third
OF a century ago. Il was Ramscy's
first big work, aud he is very proud
of Il.
Il was but a short time after this
that General Negley. having a world
of money behind him, seut to Baker
for first class engineer TO build a
small railroad in the mountains OF
central Pennsylvania. Ramsey was
sent, and Negley simply went into
spasms when he saw the youthful en-
gineer He sent q hot message TO
Baker saying he had asked for an ex.
perienced engineer. not for boy.
you've got the best engineer
know. Hell build that road and do IL
right. You let him alone" was the siz-
zllng message sent back to Negley.
who reluctantly turned the work over
to Ramsey. So well was the work
done that the Engineering and Mining
Journal Of New York sent experts TO
examine the twelve miles OF road after
completion aud the result was a thres
page article on it filed with praise for
the young engineer.
Father Henrici Of the famous Econ
omite society got his eye ON Ramsey
about this time aud set him to work
mapping out q line OF road Tor that
| society, winch had decided TO invest
some of its millions IN tapping a rich
| coal field. This was abandoned after
/ the plans were drawn, but Ia the
meantime James H. Hopkins, now a
millionaire, of Washington, then head
Of the Pltisburg Southern railroad. Of
fered Ramsey a good position rs super
intendent Of the line. For more than
two years Ramsey handled this road,
a little narrow gauge affair running
from Pittsburg south to Washington
Pa. thirty eight miles
There were but two engines on this
/ little line. neither OF them weighing
| over twenty tons The line was sue
cession Of short curves aud high wood
en- tres ties. About the second week
after Ramsey took charge both the
little locomotives jumped the track at
different points on the line. Ramsey,
who at the time was al Washington,
Pa. walked into the yards Of tue
| Wayucsburg and Washington road.
with which the Phisbarg Southern had
connections. and finding one of thnt
] roud's two locomotives with steam up.
he climbed on board and took it out
on to bis own iine. leaving word for
the W. and W. people That hc had
borrowed one Of their engines. The
nervy young superintendent returned
the borrowed locomotive the next day
m person. and swore right back at the
enraged aad profane w and w. people.
who had been left high and dry for
twenty four hours by Ramsey borrow
ing a locomotive
q" bad 10 have an engine. ana / saw
yoi RS on the track and took IT, Here
1t is Much Obliged send rae The BIN
for one days rent Of q locomotive,
said Ramsey, and he staiked away.
The road would not give Ramsey any
money. and matters were 80 bad that
the superintendent was compelled 10
travel on the line most OF Dis lime in
order 10 be on hand when anything
happened Ills quick grasp on a Sit.
uation was shown Ia the summer Of
1891. when the only available locomo-
tive plunged over hill midway
between pittsburg and Washington
I Varnso- hoarI nbouf 10 efv miles agyaV