Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-07
S1UDBS, MASTER Of TRAFFIC
Type Of the Men Who Build Up the
Great Railroads.
REAL GENERAL OF RA1LRoADNG
was a Freight clerk When Hunting
ton Found Him and Now Hes
Harriman'- Right Hand
Man.

hSh hAA NV Wv /
Harriman'- BiRht Hand
Man.
A man with sharp. piercing eyes and a
face smooth shaver and heavily lined sat
listening to the efforts made by the at
torneys for the government at a recent
hearing TO show that the combination OF
railroads formed by z II. Hartman was
illegal and should be dissolved under the
Sherman act.
AT different times the testimony had TO
do with the peach crop Of California, the
apples OF Washington, the mineral prod
ucts Of Arizona and the alfalfa grown on
the plains Of Kansas. but no matter what
the crop was or where is was grown this
man seemed to know more about II than
the lawyers or witnesses. This was be-
cause he was the railroad traffic director
Of one Of the biggest railroad systems Of
the country.
J. c. Stubs Is the traffic director OF
the Hartman lines. He Is perhaps the
best example in this country OF what the
railroad traffic man has become. because
with the lines acquired by Mr.. Hartman
Mr.. Stubs now controls absolutely the
traffic moving over 1900 miles Of fail
and boat lines. a far greater mileage than
It has ever before fallen 10 any one traffic
man to control.
II Is the business Of a traffic man Of a
railroad TO know not only all there is to
know about a railroad itself. how steep its
grades are, how many cars can be hauled
by one OF its locomotives and other things
about its operation. but he must also know
what crops are grown along its lines.
what crops might grow and what indus
tries can be fostered in the territory which
his system covers.
Many ChRnces to Fall Down.
In short, he must know about as much
as the census bureau and the Department
Of Agriculture combined. 1t would be a
poor traffic man, for instance. who couldn't
tell offhand just about how many peaches
we're produced in a state through which his
road passed. but when you are traffic
director Of a system covering with all it's
lines more than half Of the country this
Fbeoomes a pretty big job.
The traffic man of the big railroad
generally ranks next ito the president
Sometimes he is the president. for traffic
experts have had the ability recognized
by promotion to such places in many in
stances, as for example. President Ripley
or the Santa Re. In the case OF the
Hartman lines the president is not the
practical traffic man. Among railroad
men Mr.. Stubs is frequently spoken Of
as the traffic brains OF Mr.. Hartman.
and 20 him has been credited many Of
the latter's moves, most of which are in
spired by considerations of traffic. such.
for instance. as the requirement of the
Illinois Central and the stock purchases
in many of the important lines in the
cast.
In railroad circles Mr.. Stubs is held
up as a shining example Of what the
traffic expert has become in this country
through the consolidation of railroad
lines, any one Of which years ago used
to be considered about all a traffic man
could look out for. It is something of a
task to master all there is to be known
about the crops and industries OF such a
diversified character as is to be found
west OF the AlleEhenies, but Mr.. Stubs
is credited with having done so.
1T would surprise me-" said a railroad
official the other day, 'ff Stubs could
not tell me offhand how many figs there
|, we're growing this minute on the fig trees
Of California. for he's got the crop re-
!, port of every state In the west in his
head. That's why he's such a marvel"
, Must Inspire ~roducer
In a new country it is often the traffic
man WHIT inspires the farmers TO expert
] ment with new crops and miners to look
for new mines. That is because his con-
/ slant aim is to get more traffic moving
over his railroad, passengers as well as
4 freight. There are some who attribute
! much of CALIFORNIA; growth 10 the genius
Z of Mr.. stubbs in promoting new crops.
but there are also those who just as
2 vehemently hold that Mr.. Stubs by keep
ing up rates has retarded fl.
Stubs started in when a young man as
{ clerk in the freight office at Oakland.
That was back in the '7Os, when Coils p.
Huntington was building up his railroad
{ system. When he found out how much
stubbs could file away in his mead he
{ began to promote him rapidly until he
finally became the traffic director of the
Southern Pacific. and as such the man
who made the rates for the Pacific coast
and its two important outlets. II a town
didn't grow fast enough they blamed Il on
= Stubs then. 1t was ali because he didn't
make the right rate for it. 1t didn't matter
: how much its citizens put their shoulders
! 10 the wheel in its upbuilding, unless Mr..
: Stubs smiled and offered 20 help there
was a feeling that the town would stand
= stnl. That is why Mr.. Stubs for twenty
Y years has been a more important figure
2 in some new states than the president.
Y All Of the business Of a railroad. both
= passenger and freight. is under the traffic
u director. He Is the commanding general
3 OF a small army which has nothing 70 dc
With the actual operation OF the system
o He is there TO build no towns. to attract
immigrants and TO start them in business.
9 Judge of First Instance.
U II a town wants increased facilities. ar
q extra siding. perhaps, eventually il will bs
q up to the traffic man 10 say whether OF
D not the request be granted, though OF
course generally the president and the a.
: ~reetors must act formally upon his recon.
d mendation before it is authorized. Ane
) the traffic man will determine It Just II
d accordance with his estimate Of the amount
. Of increased business such a step may
n mean. an estimate formed after ne mai
) found out all about the town. its inhaoi.
. tsnts and their ways Of making a living.