Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-12-25
MARTINSBURG. W. Va. SATURDAY. DECEMBER Is lgo9
WILLARD IS NEW
HEAD Of B. & 0.
Began Career In 1879 As TrackwaIker
and Has Been RurIington's Vice
President Six Years.

President Six Years.
As there IS apparently no longe
any doubt that Mr.. Daniel WiIlar,
will, within a week or two, succec,
Mr.. Oscar G. Murray as president )
the Baltimore and Ohio, pen picture
Of the man and his career has beer
prepared.
At the Baltimore and Ohio office,
the succession is now admitted with
out reservation. The only point Is
the time Mr.. Willard will take charge
1t is admitted that in this regard Mr.
Murray will be given his own time. II
he is made chairman of the board
with authority over the new executive
ne may not be actively relieved until
some time after the first of the year.
1t will require week or two to induct
his successor into the position aud
place his hands firmly on the helm
Like w. c. Brown. James McCrea,
James J. Hill, George B. Harris. James
I. Harahan, F. d. Underwood and
many other successful railroad execu-
tives Mr. Willard was turned out of
the school of experience after course
which embraced nearly every branch
OF work from driving spikes and lamp
ing ballast to passing on questions OF
vital Importance.
Mr., Willard will enter his fftieth
year next month, which will also
mark his entrance into his tliirty-sec.
ond consecutive year of railroadina
track laborer on the Central Yer
mont railroad, advancing from there
to the position of fireman on the
Passumpsic road. From 1883 he was
for a year an engineer of the Lake
Shore. and for the next five years
served as brakeman, conductor, round
house foreman. engineer, train master.
assistant superintendent and superin-
tendent Of the Minneapolis, st. Paul
and Sault Ste. Marie, becoming as
sistant general manager Of the Balti-
more and Ohio in 1899.
When Frederick D. Underwood left
the Baltimore and Ohio to become
president of the Erie, he was not long
in sending for Mr.. Willard, whom he
held In high esteem. From the Erie
Mr. Willard went to the Burlington
as second vice-president in charge Of
the operating department of system
of over 5000 miles, where he has colt
tinued for about six years.
Mr.. Willard is not big man ply
sically; he weighs about 10 pounds
He is almost entirely self-educated
but one cannot be in his company
long without realizing that his edu-
cation is broad one. He stands very
high as an operating and mainten-
ance official, and his relations with
employees, OF whom the Burlington
| frequently has as many as $4,000. have
been of the most cordial description
: An official, who has been associated
! pretty closely with Vice President
Willard for a number OF years. said
/ of his personality: I'VE don't know
him as Daniel Willard, but as plail
| Dan Willard. You can be ASSOCIATED
| with some men in a business way fol
| 80 years and never care to see then
outside of office hours; but 1t Is differ
ent with him. He has fine, direc
way about him, and a likeable per
sonality that makes you want to keel
him among your friends.
"You don't find many railroad head
who have graduated from the pres
| dents office. Mr.. Willard is anothe
example Of the fact that the mos
successful executives in our bushes
are those men who have started !