Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-01-04
MR.. FITZGERALD RESIGNS
AS General Manager of B. & O..
After January i,
DIFFERED WITH Mr.. POTTER
1t Is Thought New Berth viii Be
Provided-Resisnat Comes
As Great Surprise.

-A~eAtA" 81 VI tHS i4ndtiiiOlb dliu OJIO
railroad, resigned bis position satur-
day. the resignation to go into effect
January /. He win not, however,
sever his connection altogether with
the road, as President Oscar G. Muir
ray stepped in at the crucial moment
and assured Mr. Fitzgerald that an.
other berth would be provided for him
AT the present it is not known what
the new position will be.
The general managers resignation
was the result OF differences that
have arisen between himself and
Third Vice President George l.. Pot.
ter. These differences, it is said,
have existed practically ever since
Mr.. Fitzgerald was promoted to his
new position, and in view Of the fact
that the latter was always upheld by
the powers that DE Mr. Fitzgerald
preferred resigning than to remain
and be unable to act In harmony
with his superior officer.
Concerning the incident both Mr..
Fitzgerald and Air. Potter were reti-
cent. In fact. neither would talk at
all on the subject OF the general man
ayers resignation, and all information
obtained came through the Baltimore
and ohio's press bureau service
Il simply rendered my resignation
and it was accepted, was all the com.
ment that Mr. Fitzgerald would make
II can say no more he added, "and
no further statement will be made by
me"
Third Vice President Potter was
even more brief than MI Fitzgerald.
All that he would say was that the
general manager had sent him a let
ter resigning his position. and that
the resignation had been duly ac-
cepted.
According to a well-informed Of
fetal of road, the former general man,
ager held strictly to policy that
men should be advanced from the bot
tom of the ladder, while the vice
president favored giving positions to
collegiates regardless Of practical
knowledge.
Babe "5oys" Good-by.
The General Manager lid not tarry
long after handing in his resignation,
and, following a short conference
with Mr. Potter. he babe the boys
good-by and left his office. as he /
thought then. with the avowed inten-
tion of severing his relations once
and for all with the Baltimore ana
Ohio. E~
But no sooner had Mr. Fitzgerald
reached his apartments at Earl Court
than an entirely new phase had been
injected into the incident. President
Murray who had known all along
that things were not as harmonious
between the General Manager and Mr..
Potter as they might be, sent for Mr.
as soon as he was notified
that the latter Lad resigned, and was
with him for more than an
hour. ana before the conference ended
Mr.. Murray assured the General Man
ager that he would sees to it that a
new position vas provided for him.
President Murray gave as his rea-
son for doing this the long and faith
ful service that Mr., Fitzgerald has
given the Baltimore and Ohio What |
the new positionf would ne the chief
executive Of the road would not say,
but it vas made plain that the former
general manager would be well taken
care of.
From President Murray's office MIR.
was driven to Camden
station. where he left at 4:30 o'clock
Tor gip to Chicago. He was non
commitai concerning his trip, bat it
is understood that he has large finan
cial Interests i'm the Windy City and
that the visit concerns the holdings
here. Re win remain West inde1-
nitely.
The action Of Mr.. Fitzgerald in re
signing came like a thunderclap out !
Of clear sky to the hundreds Of en-
ployes in the Baltimore and Ohio
building, who frequently came IN con !
tact with him, and had come to love
him.
Always striving to attain a greater
perfection Mr.. Fitzgerald is now
one Of the foremost railroad
men in the country, and his thorough
knowledge of ra;lroading in all Of its
intricate phases was no better DISPLAY
ed than in the many improvements
which have been instituted since he