The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-09
BOOST FOR THOMAS.
Has Been Made Supervisor of APP
prentices by the Santa Fe.

| On account of the growth Of the
! Santa F'e apprentice schools since then
organization three years ago, Frank w
Thomas, who as engineer of tests, was
at the head of the schools, has been re"
lieved of his work as engineer of tests
| and from September 1, Mr.. Thomas h u
| been appointed to the new position OF
supervisor of apprentices. In this new
position he will devote his entire time
| to the work of the apprentice schools
Mr. Thomas with Mr.. Purcell, super
| intendent of the local shops, planned
| and worked out the organization of the
apprentice school system in the Topeka
shops So successful was 1t here that
Mr. Thomas has extended it all over
the system, the apprentice system hav-
| ing been installed at almost every d.
vision point on the Santa F'e, where
shops of any size are maintained. L ne
system has extended over all the sys-
tenn. schools being maintained at Gle
burne on the Gulf lines, and at san
Bernardino on the Coast lines.
Mr. Thomas, who will now devote his
entire attention to the apprentice
schools. has long been one of the most
popular and most brilliant of the me-
chanicaI officials of the system. He has
been with the Santa Fe for about ten
years having come here from the Nor
folk & Western AS engineer OF teSts
he has handled one of the most i'm
portant positions of the Santa Fe in p
manner which put him to the front as
one of the most prominent mechanfcal
officials in sthe country. The engineer
of tests must first experiment with
every new departure in the mechanical
department. He must be entirely
familiar with the different tools in the
Shops the materials used In every
branch of railroading, and he must te
able to take the throttle and try new
engines for himself.
The apprentice school system which
is employed by the Santa Fe for the
training and mechanical education or
machinists and boilermakers places the
Santa Fe in the front rank as trainer
of employees. Good workmen in elth,ir
department are scarcity. The santa
Fe takes the raw youth, gives him FOUR
years of apprenticeship, but along with
1t gives him four hours every day N
theoretical work in the school room
This work is done under the direction
of special instructors. The comb1na-
ton of the theoretical and the practi-
cal gives the apprentice the best pos
sible education in his line.
AS soon as the apprentice mas conf
pleted his four years time, ne is gwen
a position in the local shops as full |
fedged machinist. Having been given
the best possible instruction in the
methods employed by the Santa Fe the
apprentice becomes the most value
employee of the machine shops SaEta
Fe apprentices have been sought D.
other roads. Efforts have been MADE |
by the large eastern roads to secure al-
prentices who have not yet served their
time. which shows that the Santa FEES
training is highly estimated by the
mechanical railroad world in general
The local apprentice school opened /
this week after a few months vacation
during the summer There are now one /
hundred and eighty-f1ve apprentices
who are working in the local shops ard
attending the sessions of the appre A.
tice schools. c. NJ Davis who was at
the head of the local schools until last
June. died few weeks ago in Indiana
of typhoid fever. His assistants ar.
now doing the work, but in few days
w. l.. Davis. the head of he Newton |
schools. will arrive in Topeka to take
care of this work Mr.. Davis is tho
oughIy competent instructor and has