The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-18
Former Chief Engineer Is in
Charge of Maintenance.
TO TRY A NEW PLAN
Numbering Vice Presidential
Officers Is Abolished.
Both New Positions Are Filled
by Promotions.

A reorganization of the executive OF
fcers of the Atchison. Topeka q SANTA
Fe railroad has been determined upon
Nv the directors and will become Ell
fective or October 1. After that GATE
two new vice presidents will be addeo
TO the organization ny the promotlon
OF w. B. Storey, Jr., formerly Iocateu
at the head of the engineering depart
r1ent in Topeka and now CHER engineer
and w. E. Hodges, general purchasing
agent. The present system OF oeslg-
mailing vice presidents as second thlro
end fourth will be discontinued arter
that date. There has been no first wee
president for several years since the
resignation Of E. D. Kenna, who IS now
in Italy.
Under the new plan of organization
the various vice presidents Will De dlS-
t1nguished by the department oxgr H
which they have jurisdiction: j. W
kerdrick at present second vice FreSl-
dent, is in charge of the operating de-
partmert, which has jurisdiction over over
all the details relative to getting the
trains over the track. and handling the
@o1iunlent George T. Nicholson, Tor
Inerly general freight agent in Iopeka,
now third vice president, Is IN cnArse
OF the traffic department with JurlSo1c-
tion over rates and the getting OF puSi-
ness. w. B. Jansen, fourth vice presl-
dent. acts as general assistant to Presl-
dent Z. P Ripley.
The two new vice presidents are both
located in Chicago. Mr. Storey Will pc
in charge of all construction work. He
will ;hus have juricdiction ever some
of the work formerly handed oy tn5
general managers. While being reHeEeu
OF some of the maintenance work. MI
Hodges will have charge of all pur-
chases Of supplies and the mainteEahce
of stores While no official announce
1nert has yet been made. 1t is Hkeiy
that other appointments will be maze
before the end of the month.
In discontinuing the system OF num-
tering the vice presi 1ents the santa
F'e is following the system adopted q
Few wears ago by the New York Cen
trail lines and the Chicago & North
western, which now have The vice presl
dents in charge of the accounting, op-
Grafton, traffic, construction ans the
like, with no title indicating the superb
GRITTY Of one over another.
The Pennsylvania still follows the old
eystem and has five vice presidents Tor
the Pennsylvania railroad and four for
TIE lines west of Pittsburg. The Santa
recent meeting in New York.
Willi1m Benson Storey, Jr., began
his railroad career in 1877, when he was
20 wears of age. He was first employed
ms an axeman on the Southern Pacific
railway. After a year of hard work
he left and went to the University OF
California wfere he graduated in 1851
He then returned to railroad work, en-
tering the eGgineerins department OF
the Southern Pacific. Here he served
as rodman, ievelman. tranS1tman ana
assistant engineer until 1898. After this !
he was with the United States hydrau-
lie commission as assistant engineer.
1r 1895 he became chief engineer and
general superintN' dent of the sam
Francisco & san Joaquin Valley rail-
way. IN 1900. after this road was ac-
{ uired by the Santa Fe he was ap-
pointed chief engineer of the Atch1so1.
proper With headquarters here in To-
peka In 1905 he was appointed CHER
engineer Of the entire system with
in Chicago, being sue
ceeded in his position here by c. A.
Morse who still holds it.
Walter Edward Hedges began his
career in 1881 when as a young
man he became a clerk in the general
su2erintendent's Office of the Burling-
ton. He worked his way up by the
regular stages until in 1889 he was ap-
pointed assistant to the general man
ager He held this po; itton until 1895,
ness for a time to accept a position
as traffic manager for Frazer & Chal-
rrers, a large Chicago house. In 1896
he returned to railway work, this time
to President E. P. Ripley of the Santa
Fe. A year later he was given the po
cition of general purchasing agent,
which he will hold until he becomes
vice president on October 1. He is
we'll known in Topeka as the duties of
his position bring him here at least
three or four times every year, and
generally much oftener.
Both these promotions will be popu-
lar ones with the Santa F'e's immense
army of 10000 employees, as all of
-hese officials are very popular.