Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-12

round. the very apex in the railroad
world.
Among the big men developed by
the Burlington was Tom Potter. who
climbed from freight brakeman to
general manager and vice president
Of the Burlington. but resigning he
went to the Union Pacific a short
time before his death some 20 years
ago. He was succeeded by Henry
Stone, made famous in the press by
the memorable engineman's strike
throughout the system.
For a quarter century the president
Of the system was Charles +. Perkins.
who married into the Forbes family,
and who continued all that time to
reside in his Old home town of Bur
lingtOn, Iowa, in a large, old-fash-
Toned residence surrounded by a large
lawn not unlike a college campus.
While Mr.. Perkins as president had
an Office in the c., b & Q building on
Adams street in Chicago. and made
frequent trips to Boston, where many
OF the directors of the company lived,
Burlington was good enough for him.
that he conceived christening the
great system Of 5000 miles the
burlington Route"
Others of the odd guard" who
were made on the Burlington. were
w. c. Brown now president of the
New York Central, and Howard Ell
lott. now president Of the Northern
Pacific and both we'll known and ad-
mired by not 4 few Brookfelders.
Others We're John d. BesSIer, s. Z.
GRANGE, +. G. Rice. who were general
supeTintendents and strong and in
tereStiug men, while still others
were =. IT. Houlihan and J. w Null
hern. Bessler started as a track
laborer, section hand, and gradually
rose to general superintendent In
recent years he has been on the ad-
yisCry of the highest official in the
operating department. which is sec
ond vice president. the place held by
Willard. Since the latter'S change
to the Baltimore * Ohio, as its pres
ident, the Office filed by Bessler has
been annulled and the duties dis
tributed among other high officials.
50 it is not known what Office Bess-
y.
too. may retire. Bessler, however. .
like George +. Harris. is well fixed
financially. and can get along very
comfortably without a job.
6. +. Crane who rose to general
superintendent of the Missouri lines. /.
now sleeps in the cemetery at Aurora. /
having died in Brookfeld some five
years ago. At the time of his death he
was in an advisory capacity. having
been succeeded as general superin-
tendent by Henry Miller. now vice .
president and general manager of the |
Wabash with headquarters at St. |
Louis, having resigned from the Bur |
lingtOn to- so with Frederick DeIano.
president of the Wabash. also a for
mer Burlington system man, who re-
signed as general manager because |
ne was not in harmony with the Hill
Delano did not need the
job. because he was worth a million
dollars made on a patent in railway
mechanism. He was a mechanic of
the most technical skill in his young
er day..
Career Of T.. c. Rice.
F. c. Rice served through the civil
war. After his discharge he entered
the employ of the c. B. & O.. at the
very bottom, and rose to superintend-
ent, and on up the line. until he is
now supervisor of transportation at
Chicago. along with General Traffic /
Manager p. S. Eustis, the patriarch in
that position, and acknowledged by
all traffic men to stand at the very
head. He is tall and not much better
looking than Dave BAH, Missouri's
erstwhile democratic candidate for
governor. EUstis would pass for a
kentuckian were he to be met in
Missouri instead of in Chicago, where
most men wear the pToverbial derby Ii