New-York tribune., 1909-03-28
pFG4N At THE BOTTOM.
Iozr Railroad Presidents Climbed
to the LADDERS Ton.

s,- serve 10 call attention to the large per
...ape Of american railroad executives who
t..re climbed to their present places from the
,,,st rounds Of the ladder of human endeavor
,,,rh their native ability. Mr.. Newman forty
.o-s ago began his railway career as a brake
- IN the Texas & Pacific Railroad The ca
or of W. c Brown. also, has been one of
.,.,hjng from a humble post to a high one
-5,rn in cS53 in Herkmer County. n Y. his first
md on the railroad ladder was that Of q sec
+a,r hand on the Chicago. Milwaukee & st. PauI
10 studied telegraph operating in his odd mo-
,arts and before he was seventeen had OBJ
+a4ned place at the key. He is now ffty-fve
,.sars old Mr.. Newman, his predecessor. being
now in his sixty-second year.
.rbe chances Of a brakeman rising to the no.
.i.f,D Of president of a railroad are as good TO-
day, as they ever We're" Mr. Newman is reportad
10 have said once 1t is simply question of
hard work. perseverance and attention TO duty"
He added however: Unless a man has nIucl,
unless he has fiery energy. unless he has tbe
strength Of q Hercules. 1 say when he talks 10
NE about railroading vocation: Don't"
Let II be understood that in the United States
II is the workingman who having begun at the
bottom. ends in the important posts at the ton
Of our railroads and our great industrial enter
rrises The Gay Of favoritism and of family has
Is
a good rule for every wOrkingrnan who is ear
nest In his ambition" This is Mr. Rrowp.s
quoted belief abou; the opportunities offered the
man at the foot Of the ladder in the American
railroad world.
In looking over the list Of executives OF the
great railroad systems Of America one IS sur
rrised al the proportion Of them who illustrate
The views Of the eX-president and the new presi
dent Of the New York Central lines Compare
tively few of them started with financial or So
cial influence OF the presidents Of thirty-four
Of the more prominent railroad systems of the
country, tr-enJy-eight started at the bottom Of
the ladder financially and in every other sense
except capacity, and worked their way up the
leadership Merit evidently counts when in
vestors in railroads are looking for men to man
age their roads Apparently the man who starts /
at the telegraph key OF as a brakeman has a /
better opportunity than has man in any other
branch to rise 10 the helm The careers of men |
holding places Immediately below that of presi- /
dent amplify the evidence regarding the posi- |
bities Of starting the bottom Compare /
lively few in the list Of thirty-four had college
training.
George =. Baer. Of the Philadelphia & Read |
ing. began his career at the age OF thirteen as a
printers devil in the Office Of a country paper /
in Pennsylvania. Typesetting through the day
tirne, he studied nights and eventually qualified |
himself as d lawyer In 1870 he became resident /
counsel Of the railroad Of which he is now presi- /
dent Edwin Hawley of the Iowa Central and .
other railroads. who recently obtained control Of
the Chesapeake & Ohio and whose roads are /
spoken Of as the Hawley group. was a farmers /
boy from up Chatham way" At the age Of .
seventeen he came TO New York TO make his /
fortune, and started an errand boy at 81 a |
week in the office Of the Erie Railroad
B, F. Yoakum, chairman Of the board OF the .
Rock Island system, gained his first railroad .
experience as a driver in a construction gang
On a Texas railroad. He did well in this /
capacity that ne was recommended for appoint !
ment a brakeman
W A Garrett, executive Of the Seaboard Air /
Line, began his career in a ticket office Of the !
Ohio G. Mississippi Railroad.
Charles Melville Hays. president Of the Cen |
tral Vermont and active head of the Grand /
Trunk Of Canada as 5ts general manager. and /
started Is q clerk at so month IN the passen- /
ger department Of the old Atlantic & Pacific |
Railroad ,.
Samuel N FELTON,, formerly president Of the |
Chicago & Alton and now president Of the .
tiexican c CsntraI began his railroad service at |
the age OF fifteen a rOdman-
Alpheus g. Stickney. president Of the Chi |
cago Great Western, who born IN Maine |
IL 1862. Joined the stream of Western migrants /