Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-03-10
THE RISE OF A
MESSENGER BOY
How BSlyIdere Brooks Became
Western Unions Manager.
TELLS HOW he SUCCEEDED.


Company That Employs Him and
Does His Duty as Well as He Can.
Full Pledged Operator at Twelve.
From a messenger boy earning SIS a
month to general manager of the whole
Western Union Telegraph company,
with a salary said to equal that Of the
president OF the United States. is the
span just crossed by Belvidere Brooks.
at took forty years to climb that
ladder, but | reached IL 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 a telegraph
operator and ready to send a message
for you for 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
FOUND, 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.
I'm long horner," said Mr.. Brooks,
"having been born in Robertson coun-
ty Tex, nearly hfty-one years ago.
When little more than eleven years old
| got place as messenger boy for the
Western Union company AT IS
month. II was not much money, but |
was proudcr 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. | could send a message. but
ii took longer 10 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 | was
twelve years old | was a full hedged
operator.
in those days telegraphy was little
known away down in my town, and
when | walked home at night | re-
member the nelghbors saying: There
he goes. He can use that darn thing
that you can talk through with your
fingers l tried to explain 1t to my
friends, but they looked upon 1t as
something very mysterious. One day
1 was showing friend how 1t worked |
and he got shock. OF course 1t did |
not hurt him, but he never touched |
another telegraph instrument as long
as he lived. He said the devil was In 1
It. was then operating in Navasota,
and from there ] went to Waco as
manager Of the office, and soon after
that-to be exact. in 1881 was mar
ried. Then / went TO Eel Paso. thence
to Galveston and finally to Denver,
where l was made a general manager |
Of the western district until 1890, |
when was transferred to New York, I
and on May !. 1902, / was made gen
eral superintendent Of the eastern di-
vision, and today the board of direct
'ors named me general manager. l
am very proud Of it. and | owe most
of my success to Colonel Robert c. j
Clowry, our president. whom | have
known almost since | 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. | had TO do it, and
did it well. From the first day l
felt a 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. have been a
hard worker, and my new responsible
ity. though far greater than any |
have previously assumed. seems no
greater than when | first went to
work as messenger boy. / am re-
minded of those days every day l go
home, for the first one to greet me Is
my mother. She is now eighty--hree
years of age, and we often speak OF
those days down In Navasota."
Mr. Brooks has four sons-Gerald.
Belvidere junior. Bruce and Joseph.
Mr.. Brooks Is n member of the New
York Athletic. the Lawyers. Railroad.
Columbia Yacht and the Lotos clubs.
He lives at 125 Riverside drive. New
York.