The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-16
William Sproule Assumes Traf-
fic Management of Guggen-
helm Corporations.
SALARY ATTACHED TO
POSITION IS $4,000
Will Control Traffic Operations
In Both Hemispheres of
Western Continent.

SAN FRANCISCO. Aug, 16.-Frcight
Traffic Manager William Sproule Of the
Southern Pacific company has been Of
fered and has accepted what is prob
ably the highest Industrial traflc posi-
tion in the country. October l next he
assumes the traffic management OF the
American Smelting and Refining company,
tho American Smelling Securities COM
pany, the Smeters Steamship company
and score Of smaller corporations, in
Guiding railways In Nevada and Alaska
and smelters and mines in both hemi-
spheres OF the western continent. On
the Pacific coast alone these companies
own smelters at Tacoma. Everett, San
Francisco and Selby. Their properties
In Utah. Colorado, Nevada. Mexico and
South America are immense. Their hold
ings In South America are valued at
a hundred million dollars or more.
Mr.. Sproule has been regarded as the
foremost freight traffic man west of Chi
cago since J. C. Stubbs was taken East
and,made traffic director OF the Hartman
lines. with their 30. 600 miles OF rail and
steamship lines. MIR. Sproule entered the
service as a clerk in the freight depart
ment In 1882 and leaves 1t In the highest
traffic position in the West, after twenty
four years OF continuous service. having
occupied every round Of the ladder from
the bottom to the top. 1t Is known
that President Hartman and Traffic Di-
rector Stubbs were extremely reluctant
TO accept his resignation, though It Is
said that Mr. Hartman is, with Jacob
Schif, his associate in the Hartman
lines, large stockholder in the smelter
properties Of which Daniel Guggenhem
is president. and therefore has not alto
gether lost Mr. Sproule's services.
IT is said that the offer made Mr..
Sproule is most fattering, and. though
little information on that subject can
be secured directly, 1t Is believed car
rles with 1t a salary of $4,000 per year.
His headquarters will be at II Broad
way, New York.
Tribute to Hartman and Huntington.
Mr. sproule will be greatly missed In
the commercial circles of the coast and
particularly In San Francisco, where he
was a leading member OF many i'm
portant commercial organizations and
known as an unexcelIed after-dinner
speaker. He said tonight:
THE nature Of the offer from the COM
panes under the direction OF President
Guggenheim is such that one can hardly
refuse and Is the only reason for my
leaving. Service with the Southern Pa
ciiic for twenty years, with two such
master minds as c. P. Huntington and e.
H, Hartman controlling It's destiny, has
been most interesting and agreeable. and
l break my present business and per-
sonal associations with the keenest re-
gret.
Under Mr., Huntington l saw the de-
yelopment Of California follow upon the
construction OF the railroads wherever
the trafic promised; under Mr.. Harri-
man has come the second and greater
era Of development coincident with tho
spending OF many, many millions in the
reconstruction OF these roads at the
vital period, when commerce existing and
soon to exist demanded greater IA
cilities. California has been very
fortunate In having man like Mr.. Har-
riman at the head OF its greatest
transportation lines in the present
crisis. This IL will realize more and
more as time goes on, but doubt II the
producers and business men OF California
will ever fully understand how important
a factor in the development OF the State
has been MIR. Harriman's bold expendi-
lures to improve the transportation SER
vice The rail lines OF ten years ago
could not at all give the necessary SER
vice to the California of today. / would
like to stay in San Francisco and grow
up with the city again. but IL cannot
1t will have always my best wishes and
hold my keenest interest"