The Washington herald., 1909-02-21

train on 10 GalesbuTg ourselves. jim he
said quietly.
Why. Mr- Brown began the train
master. who. attired in patent feathers
and a light overcOat didn't relish the
/ idea
Jump in. jim interrupted the super
/ iuteDdent- There was something in
Browns tone that stopped further pro
test. and he climbed into the cab. With
the trainmaster acting as fireman. Brown
ran the train into Galesburg on schedule
time Il Is probably the only instance on
record OF a high railroad officer running
the engine that pulled his private car
Took IL as n joke.
On another occasion. shortly after he
had become general manager. one of the
/ cars Of the train on which he was travel
/ ing ran OF the track Seeing that some
difficulty was experienced in getting Il
| back IN place, Mr. Brown. without max
ing known nis identity, offered a sUgges-
/ ton. No attention was paid 20 him. He
/ repeated IL The conductor looked sCOTn-
/ fully on the man he supposed g mere
( raeddler- But the car refused % bulge.
I Then Mr Brown. irritated az the delay.
! ignored the conductor. and turning 70
/ the brakeman said. DO as I say. This
train has been stalled here too long al
I ready Recognizing the tone 81 au-
thority they obeyed. and in twenty min
utes the train was proceeding When the
I conductor learned that il was the new
/ general manager whom he had ignored,
/ he confded 20 a feIlow-condUctor his fear
/ that he would be discharged. 'Oh. cheer
| up was the reply i knew him ten
/ years ago up in Iowa He'll take II as
a joke" And so he did
/ Another incident of his life in Missouri
I is related 10 show his readiness TO par
/ ticipate in any work which he called upon
+ his subOrdinates 10 do. no matter how
I great the personal danger entailed- IN
formation was received that a hOld-up Of
I the Omaha train out OF Jefferson City
/ had been planned for a certain night
I The general manager at once determined
/ 10 outwit the robbers by sending out a
/ decoy train, loaded down with police
officers and deputy sheriffs Mr.. Brown
/ himself accompanied Il. The train was
/ tagged and the robbers proceeded with
their work until they were met with a
I storm OF bullet-which killed three Of
/ them outright IN the battle which fol-
/ lowed the general manager was In the
I thick OF the fray. emptying two revolvers,
4 and himself leading the chase that re-
/ suited in the capture Of several OF the
gang
Matters of Detail.
Il is one Of Mr. Browns policies 70
leave matters Of detail as far as possible
10 be worked out by his subordinates
1 He enjoins the same policy on those who
/ possess authority under him, believing
that in that way the most effective work
/ can be achieved He believes that it
makes for efficiency 70 throw every man
as far as possible on his own responsible
ity. This method. he holds. not only In
{ spires confidence. but gives a man the
/ opportunity 10 put his own ideas into eT-
/ feet. with the results that newer and
more effective ways OF doing things are
often discovered
/ President Brown belongs 10 that class
Of railway presidents who are known as
/ operating presidents 20 distinguish
them from the financier class who are
experts on railroad securities. but know
little Of practical railuoading. Mr.
/ Browns personal idea Of the distinction
/ between the two classes OF railroad Off
Gers was well expressed by him in the
I course Of talk a short time before his
own advancement took place.
EnE QdE = past he SAID. Wnen 2
railroad director could walk Into head
quarters and ask that his son or nephew
be placed In one Of the chairs uear. the
top The man who has worked himself
up from the lowest positions. performing
the minor work al the bottom with loyal
" and efficiency. is the practical man
4 for whom there Is always a place at the
TOP. He has known possibly how 10 drive
I a locomotive. how 10 throw switch
how 10 distribute cars on siding. how
20 handle heavy freight OF direct flying
IT,; expresses from g dispatcher's Office.
That has given him a fiTst-hsnd insight
into the multitude Of small things that
\ make Up the great working industrial
whole He brings with him 70 higher
II and responsible position a training that Is
i Of immeasurable assistance 10 him n
/ solving the enlarging problems that con
front him. Il is the man who starts at
the bottom who IS best able 10 solve the
4 big railway problems Of to-day when he
! does get TO the top