The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-04-20
LOST BROTHERS UNITED.
One a Railroad President, the Other
a Laborer Working for the Road.

One a Railroad President, the Other
a Laborer Working for the Road.
| When the civil war broke out
John T. Markham, of Clarksville,
Tenn, was among those who enlisted
on the side of the Confederacy. He
was born in Ireland, but in his boy
hood his parents came to this coun-
try and settled in the Sunny South"
He was 80 years old when he
marched off to the war" in 1851,
leaving behind him an invalid father
and a mother with a baby boy in her
arms. The baby was christened
Charles H. Markham, but the family
always called him "Chuck."
John Markham was captured and
brought to Chicago in September,
I1S62. For seven months he was held
prisoner of war at Camp Doug
lass. Then he was Exchanged"
Friendless and penniless, it took
him many weary weeks to work his
way back to the little home town in
Tennessee. When he did reach there
it was only to find that his father had
died during his absence and that his
mother had married again and moved
away, taking little "Chuck" with
her.
They've gone north somewhere,
but just where nobody knows" the
townspeople told John Markham.
And all his efforts to find his mother
and little brother were futile. Finally
he gave up the search for them and
went to Mississippi. He worked there
and in other Southern States as
well-digger, bricklayer, and plaster
er. For several years he has been
an employee of the Illinois Central
railroad at Hopkinsville, KY.
Such has been the life of John T.
Markham.
In 1881 a boy of 20 asked for and
got a job as section laborer on the
Santa Fe railroad in Kansas. He did
not stay long in that job, for a
chance came to do the rough work
at. a little station on the Southern
Pacific line. He had brains and am
bition, and they kept him moving
right up the railway ladder. In
1887 he became station agent him
self at Deming, N. Mex. Ten years
later he was district freight agent
and passenger agent of the South
ern Pacific at Fresno, Cal. In just
10 years more he was made general
freight and passenger agent OF that
company's lines in Oregon.
In 1901 he became vice president
of the Houston and Texas Central
railroad. Three years later he sue
ceeded Julius Kruttschnitt as vice
president and general manager Of
the Southern Pacific. Last Decem-
Der he was elected president Of the
Illinois Central railroad.
His name? Well, he was christen-
ed Charles II. Markham, but when
he was baby the family called him
Chuck"
The other day an old well-digger
and plasterer working for the Illinois
Central railroad chanced to see the
name Of Charles H. Markham on an
order issued from the Office of the
president of the company.
THAT may be my brother,
Chuck" the old man said to his
| fellow workers.
"Your brother president of the
road! You're crazy" they jeered.
But the old man clung to his idea,
and finally he mustered up courage
to go to the telephone Office in Hop
kinsville,. and over the long-distance
wire he talked with the brother from
whom he had been parted for half
century.
The other day the private car of
Charles T. Markham, president of the
Illinois Central railroad, arrived at
Hopkinsville, KY, and awaiting the
coming of Little Chuck was John
T. Markham, well-digger and plas-