Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-10-16
R NEWS
w. J. Black Promoted to Passenger Traffic
Manager Of the Santa Fe

Geo, T. Nicholson, third vice'pres'
ident OF the Atchison, Topeka 4 San
10 Fc, had promoted W. j. Black OF
Topeka from the position OF general
passenger agent of the road with
headquarters at Topeka. to the place
Of general passenger traffic manager
with offices In Chicago. That Mr..
Black would receive this position was
Il general impression among the san
ia FEE officials when announcement
was made last week that Mr.. Nichol'
son had been elevated from the place
to the position of third vice president.
Nj. Black has been general passenger
AGENT since 1897 and his work In this
capacity has been of a high order.
During the last fiscal year the gross
earnings of the Santa Fee We're mater
ially larger than they were be-
fore and this despite the fact that the
amount OF freight handled was less
than during the previous year. There
fore the increase In the gross earnings
OF the road had to come from an In
creased passenger traffic and Mr..
Black was greatly responsible for this
increased traffic. So his promotion
cores as q well earned reward. He
has the reputation OF being one OF the
foremost traffic men In the railroad
world and Is known among high rail
road officials as a hustler" Mr.
Mack is a Santa Fe man. who. was a,
Santa Fe boy. and his training with
the road has heen almost exclusively
in the company's offices in Topeka.
His rise has been a rapid n and his
lilsr bic jump in the service was due
to his hustling qualities that are SO
much admired by the big railroad men
OF the day. Some years ago when NJ.
Nicholson was general passenger
agent of the read. with his office, in
Topeka. there was a special meeting
Of the directors Of the road In Bos-
ton. They wanted some voluminOus
iifor nation concerning the passen-
ger department and wired Mr.. Nichol.
son one afternoon TO have 1t prspa,.
ell so that II could leave Topeka IN
the early mail the next morning. Mr..
Nicholson replied that it would take
two or three DAYS to get up the irfor
IHdtlOH. lie .ulTeCtOTS Sdlu tHd' IL
must be fixed up for them in the time
specified and Mr.. Nicholson in his
uuandery happened to think that if
the thing could be accomplished his
clerk Black was the only one who
could 90 1t. Black was called In and
told what was wanted. He got the
material, shut himself up In a room
and went to work. The information
wanted by the directors was gotten
off on the mail that they had specified
hut Mr.. Black had had to work all
night to prepare it. Mr.. Nicholson be-
came the firm friend of Mr.. Black af-
ter this and his promotions in the Of
flee followed fast. and when Mr..
Nicholson was elevated from the po-
sition of general passenger agent to
that Of passenger traffic manager, Mr..
Black stepped into his shoes. His
new position will mean to him a sal
airy about double that which he is re
ceiving now. He is now in Chicago
where he went to attend a meeting OF
the transcontinental passenger asso
citation but he is expected to return
to Topeka shortly and he will then
make preparations to leave for Chi
cage for good AS his appointment is
effective at once.