The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-03-01
The RISE OF A
MESSENGER BOY
How BeIVidere Brooks Became
Western Unions Manager.
TELLS HOW HE SUCCEEDED.

Feels Responsibility to Big Telegraph
Company That Employs Him and
Does His Duty as Well as He Can.
Full Pledged Operator at Twelve.
From a messenger boy earning So
month to general manager of the whole
Western Union Telegraph company,
with salary said to equal that of the
president of the United States, is the
span just crossed by Belvidere Brooks.
sit took forty years to climb that
ladder. but ! reached it by telling the
truth and always having in mind the
interests of my employer" said the
new general manager in his office, at
New York, the other day.
So unaffected is the new head of the
$4,000 men of the Western Union that
one would think him still telegraph
operator and ready to send message
for you for a quarter. His rise is all
the more remarkable for the reason
that when he was eleven years old he
had to go to work, and his only edu
cation was the teachings of his mother
and what he picked up from the oper-
ators.
Mr.. Brooks is now just past the fifty
year mark, but he still maintains the
round, boyish face that is known from
California to Maine. He is ever smiling
and apparently getting the best out of
life that he can. Even as he talks
and he doesn't say much-his face is
wreathed in smiles
Comes From Texas.
'T'm long horner," said Mr.. Brooks,
shaving been born in Robertson coun-
ty, Tex, nearly ffty-one years ago.
When little more than eleven years old
got a place as messenger boy for the
Western Union company at $S a
month. 1t was net much money, but
was prouder of that than am now of
my place After working six months,
during which time | studied telegra-
ply day and night with the aid of the
operators, l could send a message, but
it took longer to be able to take one.
got over that difficulty, and, though |
was bit slow at first, | picked up
enough to do the work when the oper-
ator was away. and when l was
twelve years old l was a full fedged
operator.
"In those days telegraphy was little
known away down IN my town, and
when | walked home at night / re-
member the neighbors saying: There
he goes. lie can use that darn thing
that you can talk through with your
fingers | tried to explain it to my
friends, but they looked upon it as
something very mysterious. One day
was showing q friend how it worked,
and he got shock OF course it did
not hurt him, but he never touched
another telegraph instrument as long
as he lived He said the devil was in
it. / was then operating in Navasota,
and from there l went to Waco as
manager of the office. and soon after
that-to be exact, in 1851 was mar
ried Then went TO III Paso, thence
to Galveston and finally to Denver
where l was made Il general manager
of the western district until 1890
when ] was transferred to New York,
and on May |, 1902, l was made gem
eral superintendent of the eastern di-
vision, and today the board of direct
ors named me general manager |
am very proud of it, and l owe most
of my success to Colonel Robert G.
Clowry our president whom l have
known almost since I became identi
fed with the company
Felt Responsibility.
ut was on April that first went
to work for the company, but it was
no April fool joke. I had TO do it, and
did it well. From the first day l
felt responsibility to the company
and the feeling has always been my
guiding thought Work first and play
after, but always get enough sleep,
has been my motto l have been
hard worker, and my new responsible
ity, though far greater than any /
have previously assumed, seems no
greater than when l first went to
work as messenger boy. / am re-
minded of those days every day / go
home. for the first one to greet me is
my mother She is now eighty-three
years of age. and we often speak of
those days down in Nayasota."
Mr. Brooks has four sons--Gerald,
Belvidere junior, Bruce and Joseph,
Mr.. Brooks is a member of the New
York Athletic, the Lawyers, Railroad,
Columbia Yacht and the Lotos clubs.
He lives at 125 Riverside drive, New
York.