The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-16

that has never before been in print
and it would not now have appeared
except that a. reporter for the State
Journal was able to get it from a close
personal friend who is familiar with
| his early life.
Young Hurley decided to make his
own way through college entirely I'M
aided. When he came to this con-
| clusion he didn't have the money to
pay his expenses at college the first
year, so be determined to go to Bloom
field and work during the summer and
enter school in the fall. After he de-
cided upon this action, he was con-
fronted with still more startling sit
uation: he hadn't money to pay even
his railroad fare to Bloomfield. Moth
ing daunted, he parted with his watch
for nearly enough to pay the fare 10
Bloomfield and bought the railroad
ticket as far as the money would take
him. When he got as far as his tickle.
read, he left the train and walked the
rest of the way to Bloomfield.
He might have gone to his uncle,
Judge James E. Hurley. congressman
for that district, the man after whom
Mr. Hurley was named, and asked for
railroad pass. 1t would have been n
| much easier way to have made the
trip. but it was contrary to the plan
he had formulated.
That action took pluck. and 1t mark
ed the beginning of successful career
Coming as he did of a good Family. ne
might have depended upon his rather
who by the way was surgeon In the
United States army during the civil
war, for at least his early education
and perhaps a start in business. But
he was of a different mold. He de-
cided to go out and make MS way, re-
lying solely upon his own resources
and since then his energy and de-
Termination have pulled him through
From that day to the present ne mas
secured every advancement purely
upon merit. He naturally had little
use for the man with a pull
Paid His way in School.
Bv working during the summer va
cations Mr.. Hurley earned enough 10
nav his expenses during the school
Years and the years at Bloomfield
were full of hard work and close
study. In fact, during the latter half
of the last year in school his money
gave out and together with chum ne
acted as janitor at the coiiege 70 pay
expenses till he completed his course.
He came through at the end at the
head of his class.
Mr.. Hurley's family were all pro-
fessional men, and it was his fatners
wish that he should adopt a PROBES.
siouaI career. After finishing school
he tried his hand at teaching school.
The occupation was not pleasing TO
him. and he quit At that time 1t was
the popular thing to go west II is
not surprising, therefore, That MT.
Hurley decided to go West. He decid-
ed to go to Kansas. ana not knowing n',
one town from another, ne SIMPLY
picked a town at random 1t hap
pened to be Raymond. He got on the
train at Raymond in the night, and
the next day he found 1t to be a vii
lage crossroads place with the Gus
tomary blacksmith and CROSSROADS
store.
Eventually he found himself at
Newton, Kan. He was willing to Work,
and was looking for opportunity so
long as it was honest opportunity: He
heard of a place as clerk at the hotel
at Sterling, Kan, and wrote for It.. He
was told to come at once, but, alas!
again he found himself without suf-
ficient funds to pay the price of the
railorad fare.
ton boss and applied for a job on the
track. He got the job and wrote the
hotel at Sterling he would come on a
certain day This was Mr.. Hurley's
first railroad work. He quit at the end
of five days and with the money re-
ceived from his check he went to
Sterling.
This was about the time of the IA
nous "grasshopper plague" years in
Kansas, and times were hard. About
the only place where person could
get employment and get real money
for it was with the railroad company
Hurley got job with the railroad as a
brakeman, but was afterward dis
charged because he was not of age.
Next he learned of a place at Strong
City and he went there to work at the
Park hotel Here he drove the ''bus"
to and from Cottonwood Falls from
Strong City.
One day Dug Chase. who was then
general superintendent of the Santa Fee
at Topeka, stopped off at Strong City.
TY. % NV Tons
and an ambition for a railway career,
and he unbosomed himself to Chase
and then asked him for job. Chase
took his name and address but did not
offer much encouragement.
Hurley reasoned that because he was
not promised a place at once that it
was not likely that he would get a
Job, and he decided to forget his dis
appointment. He was surprised short
time later to receive letter from
Chase telling him that he could have a
place as helper at the station at Ar
kansas City If he wanted it.
His First Job.
Did he want it? Yes. He jumped
at the job, and went to Arkansas City
at once. This was the beginning of
more than quarter of century of
continuous service with the Santa Fe.
He was always willing worker, as
Billy Morgan said about him when he
was driving the bus at Strong City,
and as he was anxious to learn, the
station agent at Arkansas City gave
every opportunity he could to help the
young fellow along. BY working after
hours and at night and by steady ap-
plication and study he soon mastered
the key" and it was not long till an
opportunity offered and he was made
operator at Augusta
He was soon made RELIEF agent I'M
der Superintendent Sands at Las We
| gas Later he cashier for II r
| Nickerson, who was agent at Hutchin-
son, and later he was called; in Topeka
to become chief clerk to Mr.. Sands,
who had in the meantime been APP
pointed superintendent at Topeka.
Mr.. Hurley's- never tagging energy
and capacity were noticeable and he
was soon made trainmaster and assist
ant superintendent at Marceline. UP
to this time he had made an excep-
tional record and for this reason he