The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-12
Men ARE MOVED UP
Changes in Rock Island Operat-
ing Department.
M. McKernAn Promoted to PO-
sitiOn of superintendent,
PLACE FOR MIR. KERR.
He Becomes Trainmaster With
Headquarters at Topeka.
ID. COughlin Will Look After
the Block System.
PLACE FOR MIR. KERR.

Changes in the operating depart
ment of the southwestern lines of the
Rock Island railroad. have been made,
announcement of which is made today.
NJ. McKernan, who has been train
master of the Rock Island at Topeka
is elevated to a position of superin-
| tendent of a new division that is being
made on that portion of the lines
known as the Choctaw district. re-
arrangement of the territory under
| the jurisdiction of the various super
! intendents in that district is being
| made, and it can not be announced In
| this connection today what the ter
ritory will be under Mr.. McKernan's
| direction.
| C. I. Kerr, who was service inspec-
| tor, reporting to General Manager d.
E. Cain, before he went to the Denver
& Rio Grande, has been appointed to
the position of trainmaster of the
Rock Island at Topeka with jurisdic-
ton over what is known to the ROCK
Island employees a s subdivisions 3 ana
II and the Kansas City line, being the
territory in the Kansas division.
D. Coughlin. has been assigned to
the work of experimenting the estab-
lishment of the block system on the
Rock Island lines between Topeka and
Harrington. AS fast as the arrange
ments are perfected, Mr.. Couglin will
instruct the agents and operators In
the methods of handling the business
under the block system.
The Rock Island management has
decided to extend the block system of
train dispatching over all the impor-1
tant lines of the road that are not al
ready so equipped. The northern line
from Chicago to Denver, being the
line through Iowa and Nebraska has
already adopted the use of this plan,
the safest known to railway men for
handling trains. AS soon as the work
of installing this system between To-
i fr0er 10 1fNr nj a cd q
work will be extended eastward till the
line to Chicago is completed as far as
Davenport, from which point the ROCK
Island has a double track to Chicago
Mr. Coughlin will have charge of the
work of instrueting the operators. on his
division also ----s-=--.--.- =
The decision of the Rock Island to In
stall the block system on these lines
necessitates the employment of many
additional telegraph operators. 1t be-
comes necessary to employ both day and
night operators at every station, for
the reason that the distance between
each station constitutes a block, and
every operator at every station both
day and night keeps a train sheet on
which they keep tab of the trains in
the blocks adjacent to them in each
direction.
Z Following the installation of this sys-
tenn on the lines east to Chicago, work
will be carried out installing the sys-
tenn south from Herington on the line
extending into Texas.
Mr.. McKernan, who leaves Topeka
to become superintendent with head |
quarters at Fort Worth. has served in
railway work successfully as engineer,
conductor, yardmaster trainmaster.
and superintendent Of terminals, and |
now becomes division superintendent. |
He is regarded as one of the best of |
the operating men on the southwestern |
lines of the Rock Island.
q T Kerr. is another exceptionally |
clever railway man. He is young yet |
being but IS years of age. but he has
worked his way up unaided by any 9TH !
er means than his own merit.
Mr.. Kerr began his railway career |
as a messenger boy for the telegraph |
department and the agent of the Santa
Fe railroad at Caldwell. At odd mo-
ments he learned telegraphy. He soon
became an operator and was appoint
ed to an operators position. He was
promoted to be a station agent, and
held positions of this character at
many points on the Santa Fe lines, the
last place at which he was agent being
at FL Paso. In 1901 he was called
from Ell Paso TO enter the office of J.
E. Hurley, who was at that time gen.
eral superintendent of the Santa Fe at
La Junta, as transportation clerk.
When Mr.. D. E. Cain succeeded Mr..
Hurley at La Junta in 1902 Mr.. Kerr
was appointed chief clerk, a position
he held till 1905 when he was elevated
to the position of trainmaster of the
Rio Grande division. He remained in
that capacity with the Santa Fe till
Mr.. Cain went to the Rock Island as
general manager, following Mr.. Cain
n the fall of 1905 to become his chief
,lerk. On July 1, 1906. Mr.. Kerr was
appointed service inspector reporting
% the general managers office.
Effective at once he has been appointed
of the lines under the juris-
fiction of the superintendent of the Kan
sas division
Mr. D. Coughlin. who takes charge of
he construction work incident to the in
stallation of the block system, began his
-ailway career on a small Illinois railroad
n 1886. This road was absorbed by the .
Santa Fe and Mr.. Coughlin has served {
hat company in the capacity of agent /
IT various stations. operator, dispatcher. ,
,hief dispatcher and trainmaster at vari !
'us points, Joining forces with the Rock
Island in 1906.
Franklin Bogue, who was chief clerk
o d. E. Cain before he resigned as gem
rial manager to go to the Denver & Rio T
Srande, has been appointed transporta- !
ion clerk in the office of General Super 7
ntendent w. s. Tinsman at Topeka. !
To Inspect Leavenworth Post. :
Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Jan. 12- {
Word has been received here by the {
officer stating that Major I
General Augustus Greedy. now in COM