Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-02-02

them nave unlocked the door to sue
cess Is the telegrapher's key. Probably
more of the successful railroad men
started in the business as telegraphers
than in all other departments com
bined. The principal avenue to sue
cess is the train dispatchers office.
superintendent are constantly on the
lookout for operators who show special
alertness, GOODNESS and clearness of
head, and such operators are advanced
speedily to the dispatcher's office. The
dispatcher must have initiative and
Judgment which is not hasty. He must
know how to handle men, for every OPP
orator and every conductor and engi-
neer is under his orders. He must
plan his campaign and stick to it. He
fights a battle every hour Every train
represents q regiment of soldiers, and
the dispatcher must move them all so
they will not meet or they will at once
plunge into conflict The train dis
patcher has more annoyance and anX-
iety every hour than any other per-
son on the road has in three. The man
who can stand the strain to which he
is subjected and make no mistake is
capable of harder work. Many dis
patchers become nervous wrecks. Those
who do not are watched by the man
agement and when a vacancy occurs
higher up the dispatcher gets it.
Changes in conditions are rendering
their work less eXacting.
Telegraph operators are paid on west
ern roads from $3.50 to So per month.
Train dispatchers get around $120,
chief train dispatchers from $40 to
$3.50. The pay of assistant superin-
tendentS varies from $50 to 5000 per
month, that of division superintend-
ents on the big railroads from $500
to $4,000 per year. The general SUI
perintendent of a big system gets So
600 OF upward, the general manager
from $4,000 to $4,000. The salaries
of vice presidents in charge of opera
ton, like those of other high railroad
officials, vary widely, ranging from
$4,000 to three or four times that
amount.
Great railroad men who started as
telegraphers and became dispatchers
and superintendent are numerous. Sir
w. c. Van Horne, formerly superin-
tendent Of the Canadian Pacific and
Canada'S foremost railroad man, is an
example. He is native of Will COun-
ty, H., and 40 years ago began his
career as an operator. Marvin Hugh
lit, president of the Northwestern, en-
tered the service Of the Alton road 80
years ago as telegraph operator. Al
bert J. Farley, president Of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul, started in 40
years ago as telegrapher on the road
of which he is chief. Henry Irving
Miller, president of the Chicago East
ern Illinois, and the EvansvilleTerre
Haute roads, was a telegrapher, and so
was Alfred ]. Davidson, president of
the St. Louis & San Francisco. Mil
ton III. Smith, of the Louisville & Nash
Vile; Thomas NJ. Emerson, of the At
lantic Coast line, and Chas. r. Hud-
son, of the Mexican Central, are other
presidents who began at the clicking
keys. William A. Gardner, vice presi-
dent in charge of operation and main
tenance of the Chicago & Northwest
ern. and who controls the handling of
more trains out Of Chicago than any
other man, was a telegraph OPERATOR
and w. G.. Brown, senior vice president
Of the New York Central lines and op-
Grating head, east and west, Of all the
Vanderbilt lines, is another Instance Of
the teIegrapher who advanced Other
operating vice presidents who started
as telegraphers are II. u. Nudge, Rock
Island; e. w. McKenna, Chicago, Mil
waukee & ST. Paul; Russell Harding
formerly Of the Missouri Pacific and
later with the Erie; Andrew A. Allen
KATY" w. H. Bancroft, Oregon Short
Line: Frank Barr, Boston & Maine ;
Edgar Van Etten, New York Central ;
Percy r. Todd, New York, New Haven
& Hartford c. H. Ackert, Southern ;
George E. Evans, Louisville & Nash
Vile; Charles n. Levey, Northern Pa
cific: j. ]. Turner, Pennsylvania ;
d
ern: George A. Clark, Colorado South
ern and New Orleans & Pacific.
The Route of Promotion.
The list of high railway officials who
started at the telegrapher's key could
be heightened almost indefinitely if to
It were added the names Of the general
managers and general superintendent
of the big lines and Of the presidents
and vice presidents of the smaller
roads who began as operators. The
regular order of promotion in the ope-
rating department of most well-organ-
lied roads is through the grades of
train dispatcher, train master, assist
ant superintendent, division superin-
tendent, general superintendent, assist
ant general manager, general manager,
and vice president in charge Of opera
ton; and, other things equal, the vice
president in charge of operation al