The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-08-21
MR. OSCAR g. MURRAY.
President Of the B. 4 o. z. 3. Company Begsr
Down in Texas.


Down in Texas.
Oscar G. Murray, president of the
Baltimore and Ohio, began as ticket
seller In Galveston, Texas, in 1872,
and has worked himself to the top oi
the heap. How did he doit9 In bis
own words-by plenty of hard work
and little brains. He advanced step
by step, until he came from the Big
-Four system to the Baltimore and Ohio
as first vice president in charge Of
traffic February IS, 1896.
Fourteen days later the company
was placed in the hands of receivers,
Mr.. Murray being appointed one of
them jointly with Mr.. John K. Cowen.
They rehabilitated the property and
returned 1t to the company in April,
1899, being officially discharged as
receivers by the court May IS, 1900.
Then Mr.. Murray again became first
vice-president. He has been presi-
dent of the company since January r,
1904.
His early railroad life was spent In
Texas and the Southwest, where he
chose to cast his lot and grow up with
the country, but by birth he is a New
Englander. having been born at
Bridgeport, Conn.,, May 20, I847.
His parents were Alexander and
Catherine Murray, who educated him
in the primary and high schools of
his home town.
Believing that the rapidly develop
ing Southwest offered many oppor-
tunities to the young man destined to
make his own way, Mr.. Murray went
to Texas and entered railroad service
at Galveston, In the passenger depart
ment of the Galveston, Houston and
Henderson Railroad. From ticket
agent at Galveston he rose to the posi-
ton Of assistant general passenger and
freight agent, and later general pas
senger and freight agent of the same
road.
In August, 1880, he was made gen.
eral passenger and freight agent Of the
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe road,
which position he occupied until De-
cember I, 1885. From that time until
September IS, 1886, he was traffic
manager of the Missouri Pacific and
the Texas and Pacific and other Could
lines in Texas.
Mr.. Murray's next advance was to
traffic manager of the Missouri Pacific
lines, with headquarters at st. Louis,
where he remained until October 80,
1888, directing the traffic affairs of
all the Gould lines. November 1,
1888, he became freight traffic mana
ger of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chi
cago and St. Louis Railway (the Big
Four) continuing as such until No.
vember I, 1892, at which time he was
elected second vice-president of the
Big -Four.
In the little over thirteen years since
Mr.. Murray entered Baltimore with
his gripsack and linked his future with
the Baltimore and Ohio about $780,
600, 900 has been spent on the road
mainly under his wise direction and
management.
Mr.. Murray's experience has been
that traffic follows the avenue of least
resistance. The lowest possible grade
and minimum curvature between Chi
cago and the Alleghenies has estab-
lished the Baltimore and Ohio in
command of the currents of traffic,
one moving west and the other COM
ing east, the natural route for the
movement of traffic of all classes be-
tween Baltimore, on the Atlantic sea-
board, and Chicago, the gateway of
the West.
So during Mr.. Murray S regime the
Baltimore and Ohio has grown into a
great and powerful system, with a
double track of new and heavy steel
rails from New York to Chicago (ex-
cepting several small gaps out near
Chicago that it is planned to fill in),
laid on new ties and stone-ballast road
bed of minimum grade and greatly
reduced curvature; new concrete and
steel bridges, new and enlarged ter
minals at New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Washington, Wheeling,
Pittsburg, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chi
cago, st. Louis and other smaller
places hundreds of new locomotives
Of modern make and greater hauling
capacity, thousands of new cars of the
best and latest construction and great
er loading capacity, and new passen-
ger stations at number of points.
1t was Mr.. Murray who gave Balti-
more an addition to its beauty in the
imposing 13-story general Office build
ing of the railroad company, and that
in the city of its birth. 1t was largely
Mr.. Murray who increased the gross
earnings from about $25 900, 900 dur
ing the first year of the receivership
to $88, $50, 900 for the banner fiscal
year in the roads history, ending
June 80, 1907. He has raised the net
earning from about SIS, 800, 900 during
the first receivership year to $40, $780,
600 for the fiscal year ended June 80,
1907, a period of just 10 years. The
number Of employees has increased to
about Co., and the salaries and
wages to about SIS, 200, 900 a year.
VALUE OF HOT MILK.
e ~ 4