The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-20

| III
General Manager II. q. Nudge, Who
Goes to the Rock Island.
On May 1. 1898, he was made gen
eral superintendent of the western
grand division, a. position he occupied
/ till June 10, 1894 when he was ap-
pointed general superintendent of the
eastern grand division. He held this
position till February 1, 1896, when he
accepted the position of general super
/ intendent of all the Santa Fe lines.
On January 1, 1900, he was appoint
ed general manager OF the Santa e
lines.
on May 1, 1905. he becomes second
vice president of the Rock Island
sThe Inspector writing in the Rail-
way Age in November, 1899, says:
/ One who has known Mr.. Nudge inti-
I mately thus writes:
Mr.. Nudge is a man whose gauge
! cannot be taken in cursOry survey.
! While he inpresses a stranger at once
| as being man of superior intelligence,
he grows as the measuring process pro
! ceedS. As he has worked his way step
by step through the intricacies of rail
road advancement, he has familiarized
himself with the many Vicissitudes the
various phases of railrOading present,
hence his fellow feeling for the men
who struggle with the environments
surrounding them. Employees cherish
his good viii and fear his displeasure-
Mr. Nudge is happily possessed of the
qualities which command not only the
the men on the line. He meets them on
equality, but with only one maxim,
duty to the company "
Mr.. Nudge is loved and respected by
every emplOye Of the Santa Fe. He is
almost as well known to many of the
Rock Island employees, and doubtless he
Will at once establish himself in the af-
tections Of the employees of that road
I as strongly as he is now esta blished in
the respect and admiration of the men
of ths Santa Fe.
At the time Mr.. Nudge was made
general manager of the Santa Fe the
State Journal printed the following
T story OF his first work as water boy on
the road:
The term ''self-made NAM is almost
too antiquated and stereotyped for
modern use, but it is a term that is
wholly appropriate in relation to the
Santa F'e general superintendent. It
Was II. z. Nudge. who by sheer perse-
Verance, raised the water boy to one Of
the most prominent positions in the
railroad world. 1t may have been
necessity, or it may have been a natur-
al inclination to take up that kind Of
work, which was the deciding influence
IN securing for Mr.. Nudge the position
OF water carrier to d section gang of
WOrkmen engaged in the construction
Of the Santa F'e west of Emporia. That
was in 1872 and he was then 16 years
of age. For an entire summer he ad-
miniStered to the thirst OF the labOrers,
but when cold weather came the water
boy as natural consequence found
himself out of employment. At that
time there was man named E. r.
Bartlett acting as agent and operator
for the Santa Fe at Carbondale He
took d liking to young Nudge, and
when he quit his job as water carrier
expired by limitation, he gave him work
at Carbondale. What Bartlett did not
care to do in his position as agent and
operator Nudge did, and the agent and
his assistant proved such good friends
that for over three years the future
general superintendent remained at
CarbondaIe.
During the three years at the small
Santa F'e station young Nudge was not
idle in his spare moments, and with
the assistance of Bartlett picked up the
art of telegraphy. When he left there
he left to take position as operator
at small station. From that time on
his railroad career represent a gradual
rise.
Mr.. Nudge is still a young man, not
withstanding his strenuous work of a
quarter Oh 4 century Tor the santa i e.
It is related that in all this time Mr.
Nudge has never asked for a promotion
and has never asked for an increase in
pay. 1t is equally true that he has fre-
quently changed his work for smaller
pay in order to increase his experience
and knowledge of the railroad business.
Mr.. Mudge's resignation as general
manager Of the Santa Fe makes a va
cancy for an appointment on that road.
1t is of course not known who viii
/ succeed Mr.. Nudge as general manager.
/ but ii is unO6iciaIly stated that the ap-
/ pointments stands between J. z. Hurley,
J general superintendent of the Santa Fe
and w. G. Nixon, general manager OF
( the Santa Fe gulf lines.
! President E P Ripley is in California
/ ana Vice President J. W Hendricks is
at Las Vegas or Albuquerque. He is
making trip to California. Doubtless
/ the appointment VIII not be announced
till Mr.. Hendricks reaches California
and consults with President Ripley on
the matter
The belief is general and seems to be
Ven rounded that Mr. Hurley VIII be
the man selected to succeed Mr. Nudge
Mr. Hurley has been closely associated
! with the latter for several years and is
thoroughly conversant with the details
and plans of management of Mr.. Nudge
ana mis- appointment would be but the
natural sequence of events.
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