The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-25

Island. is another railroad head, who
always is on the job. Mr.. Nudge keeps
in close touch with the system at the
Chicago office and is ready at any time
to take a hike to any part OF the sS p
tenn. One day his presence may pe
needed on the FL Paso DIVISION, toIl I,,ia
row in Memphis. He manages soi ne
wav to get there. Mr.. Nudge generaiiy
Is regarded as one of the hardest "orh-
ing presidents in the country: G Al
darius Miller of the Burlington .. M
FELTON, of the Chicago Great L.. ~
IT p. Shonts of the Chicago q AltoIl'
A A Allen of the katy, ana A. D.
Darling of the Chicago, Milwaukee q
ST Paul are other railway presidents
who keep in close touch with conoltlohs
on their lines and make frequent trlps
over their entire systems MI Ear Tins
in late wears, however, has busted MINI
self with the Puget Sound extension
and has been prevented from giving the
usual amount of attention to other
lines.
Employees Helped Hartman.
The late E. H. Hartman propaDly
saw his properties as seldom as any VI
the great railway executives. Not over
once a wear did Mr.. Hartman get m
touch with the people along the Union
or Southern Pacific. But he mad the
happy faculty of perfecting MS stan
organization. His lieutenants knew Just
what he wanted. He had four suoordl-
mates in whom he placed the ut
most confidence-Lovett, Kruttschnidt,
Stubs and Mohler. These men came IN
constant touch with the public and al
though his information largely was sec
ond-hand, Mr.. Hartman was we'll IN
formed concerning his properties. judge
Lovett has been president about twenty
months. In this time he has made
three or four trips over the system.
In the modern railroad organization
the president must combine many
qualities. He must have capacity FOR
! hard work. He must possess diplomacy.
be able to establish pleasant relations
between the road and the business in.
terests it serves. He must be thor
ough railroad man, knowing the ms and
outs of transportation and traffic prob
lens. and he must have executive abil-
ity. the faculty of organizing his men
so that he can be left free from routine
and detail. and be able to give his at
tention to the bigger problems of rail-
road.
The railroad world will be watching Mr..
Bush to see if he displays all of these
requisites. In the management of coal
properties he has shown ability TO
stand lots of hard work. He establish
ed pleasant relations between the coal
operators and the Missouri Pacific, and
since going to the Western Maryland
has done even better. In the caacity Of
pIGSlQ6Hl Ol Iudl IOdus lie luCISdSSO IllE
tonnage and yet operated the road at a
minimum expense, showing both oper-
ating and traffic acumen. He also has
perfected good organization of subordi-
mates. His work thus far has been a
success. But the Missouri Pacific will
be much greater problem. 1t is so
big that others older in the game and
with better regulations have declined.
The public in general has a great
misconception of a railroad president.
The mere term railroad president" to
the average man is synonymous with
brass collar" soft carpets. highly
polished furniture with gold trimmings
and Havana cigars at 81 per. But the
fact Is that the president has the
hardest job on the railroad. AS he has
advanced through various positions his
responsibilities have kept increasing
/ with his salary, until he is responsible
for the entire road.
Between Two Fires.
| The president is between two fires
| the directors and subordinate officers
| Once year the directors outline the
| Improvement plans and expenditures of
the road, so much being allowed for
new equipment, so much for shop ex-
tensions and the like. This is all the
president has to go on. The subordi-
nate officers submit their estimates on
needed expenditures in their particular
| departments. These generally total
4 iii sc VI IOur Tunes the amount the
| president can spend. Every division
superintendent on the road imagines
| his division needs so many new bridges.
SO many new locomotives to move
| traffic, and his estimates generally in
Guide a great many items that the
presluent must prune. To keep peace
in the railway family requires a lot of
| tact.
| ana these problems will confront Mr.
BUSH only in worse form than usual,
tor on the Missouri Pacific every di-
vision needs millions. But with the
money that Is available for rehab ilitat
ing the property, there is no reason
| why. with wise management the Mis-
souri, Pacific in four or five years
snould not come into her own as one
OF the leading roads in the middle west.
me potentialities of the road warrant
digger returns for investors and the
| geographical situation would iustifv its
being the leading road in the west