Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-09-12
do larger things arrived Brown was

do larger things arrived Brown was
the maj. of honor.
In 1902, when the New York Cen
trail and Hudson River Railroad was
so unfortunate as to have fatal acc!'
dent In the Park Avenue tunnel, the
necessity fer radical changes In the
operation of trains in and out OF the
Grand Central station was so appar-
cnt that the board of directors wise
ly cast about for man of the hour
Brown who had risen by this time
to be vice-president and general man
ager of the Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern Railroad, was selected. HIS
was brought post-haste from Cleye-
land to New York. Seldom in the his
tory of railroading were changes
made so quickly. The road had errei
at the cost Of life; mistakes must
not be made again.
A reference to the conditions exist
ing when Brown was brought to New
York shows an unusual and pictures
que background for his unceasing
energies. He was given free rein. not
he so stipulated, but because his
elders recognized in him just such
man as Grant proved himself to be
a man of initiative and selfreliance.
He was made vice-president In
charge of operation, and his jurisdfc-
ton embraced not only the New York
Central but the Lake Shore, the
Michigan Central and the Big Four.
He made his selections of aides TO
help him carry out his work, and thus
organized. Brown set out to stack
wood for the New York Central. He
hasn't finished stacking yet, because
the rack" is large one and many
demands are made upon his time. In
commodities, for electricity have come
incidentally. he must be Stacking"
others to his aid, and there will soon
be no fuel.burning locomotives to
stop at the pile Of thr New York Cen
trail, for Brown, with his subordinate
"wood-stackers, has as the world is
aware, undertaken one of the most
daring innovations known to railroad
ing-that of substituting electricity
for steam
AS he remarked to me Gin three
years it will be possible for children
born near the Grand Central Station
to pass their lives in that vicinity
without ever having seen a locomo-
tive
This will give one better idea as
to how complete the innovation is to
be-what big thing this two-job
boy" is working on.
| There is even more to be told, for
lin 1906 the New York Central requir-
ed the services of man who should
become an active-mind you, active
godfather Of all the New York Ger
trail lines. Therefore, Mr.. Brown lit
seems quite natural to say there
fore" Mr.. BROWN was elevated to
the position of senior vice-president
of the. New York Central lines, com
prising the Lake Shore, the Big Four,
the Michigan Central-but why give
the census of railroads?
Naturally Mr.. Brown didn't jump
from wood-stacker at Thompson to
vice-president of the Lake Shore. One
winter with Hayes found him master
of the Morse code. Then the Brown
family-the senior crown was a Bap
list minlster-moved to northern
Iowa, taking the future vice.presl
dent along.
| About this time the st. Paul road
absorbed the Racine and Mississippi
and Brown was given his first oppor
tunity as an operator. He was placed
on the Iowa and Dakota division a:
pioneer" Cor traveling) operator
duties being to open new stations.
1t was in 1869 that he worked fo1
Hayes, and in 1870 he received his
appointment as operator, so that il
less than year he had PRACTICAL!
Caught up with his master Now
with figures and the fact as mention
ed above, that Brown was sixtee'
years of age when he went to work
in 1869, it is easy to see that he ha
yet time for even larger accomplish
ments and greater dignities
His promotions were always rapid
Three years after his first appoint
ment as operator the Illinois Contra
got wind Of his ability and he wa
, made train-dispatcher at Waterloo
Iowa, In 1875 the Rock Island wan,
, ed and got him. and he remained a
!, train-dispatcher at Wilton until 1866
: when he took service with the Bur
ington. remaining with that syster
until 1901.
Briefly he was chief train di:
patcher of the st. Louis divisio
qSSO); train master same divisio
QSS7, general manager Missouri line
with headquarters at ST. Josep
ds9o) and financially, in 1896, gen.
raj manager Of the entire Burlingto
system, with headquarters at Chicag
1t was in 1901 that he was made vic
president OF the Lake Shore.
Mr.. Brown could hardly be Gale
an idealist. He believes in workin
until ones opportunity arrives an
then bouncing upon it, as opposed
selecting a hieh ideal and continual
striving after it to the neglect of Il
work at hand 1t is on of his p
theories.
It was the practice OF this san
theory that called attention to h
zone the spot" characteristic whe
he was superintendent of the low
lines of the Burlington during II
engineers's strike in 1888. TRAIT
and even passage Of mails was di
turbed
Superintendent Brown. during tt
strike waged his war from the fal
GUS ''iron-clcd" car No, 80, which hi
formerly been ths pride of hat "a