The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-24
How a Kansas Boy Made Good
on the Santa Fe.
Rose From Depot Helper to Gen.
eraI Superintendent.
STARTED IN GIRARD.
Some Claim 1t Was ed Max
sons Luck" That Helped.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad World.

This months Santa Fe Employees
Magazine reprints an article publish
ed in the Toronto (Kan.) Republican
concerning Ed Maxson. who began
work for the Santa Fe railroad as
helper to the depot agent at Girard
and is now general superintendent OF
the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe. The
article says:
Some ten days ago a private car
came in on the Santa Fe and was
sidetracked down by the depot. 1t was
the private car of w. E. Maxson, gen.
eral superintendent of the Gulf, Col
orado & Santa Fe. who was stopping
to take Sunday dinner with his father,
Dr. D. W. Maxson. That afternoon the
car sped on its way and bystanders
remarked, ED is one of the lucky
kind, isn't her" We've been thinking
about that since, about the luck of Ed
Maxson.
A long while ago Ed Maxson was
Kansas boy, environed pretty much the
same as other Kansas boys. He work
ed on farm, and he went to school
when he could, and he saw the same
hard times and had the same fun as
ether Kansas boys. And Ed Maxson
took-a course in Kansas college, In
the course of events. as other boys
have done by the hundreds-by the
thousands.
He came out of college and married.
and life was all before a young couple
who had health and ambition but no
money, as has been the case with other
young married folks. He cast about
depot agent at Girard, Kan. And Ed
Maxson helped unload freight cars and
build the fires and sweep the floor OF
the little OLD depot and was general
roustabout. While there he absorbed
telegraphy and a knowledge of the
agents duties, and once when the
agent was all balled up in his monthly
report, Ed Maxson, who had taken
business course, Strengthened out the
looks The auditor who went over the
books saw at once a different man had
been at work, and he inquired about
it, and after a bit EdMaxson was sent
as relief agent for a few weeks at $50
per month to the little town of Geneva.
He had been lucky enough to know
how to keep books, and now, through
pure luck, of course, he happened to
know an agents duties and telegraphy.
In few weeks the company offered
to make him agent at Geneva with
salary of SIS per month. So Ed Max
son packed his household goods and
brought them and his wife over to
Toronto, where his father lived-a mar
ried man out OF a JOB Inc so montn
didn't look good to him. He was here
awhile doing nothing and then the
company gave him a place at Protec-
ton. way out in Comanche county
Protection is on the branch road that
runs to nowhere in particular. It hap
Dened to be Eds luck to have to live
in part of the depot for a couple of
years.
And then he was made relief agent
and was sent to Purcell Ok where
comparatively large force of men was
under him. He found the road was
Icing robbed right and left. Probably
the man before him knew it. If he did,
he never made any kick about 1t. But
Ed deported the matter to the COM
pany, and the company gave him or
ders. and in a short time there were
but two men left of the original force
OF 30 Ed was a lucky fellow to have
the nerve to tackle the grafterS. |
Mighty lucky.
And then in the course of time the
company made him superintendent of
terminals at Galveston. People were
beginning to notice that Ed was lucky.
The great storm swept over Calves
ton. It left Ed Maxson without roof
tc cover him, without household goods,
with nothing but his wife and chill
dren. And the terminals were wrecked
and the wharves were swept away, and
there was panic and decentralization in
terminal affairs. But Ed Maxson was
lucky enough to Immediately employ
men and teams and to telegraph for
material; lucky enough to be able to
stay awake day and night for a week
Looking after the ruins in which mil |
lions had been invested. And shortly
after, the luck of Ed Maxson found him
O general superint endent. And now lots
of people speak of the luck of Ed Max
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