Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-05-30
N. & Y. OFFICIALS
RECEIVE PROMOTION.
W. S. Becker Succeeds George P. Johnson
As General Superintendent of Western
Division and W. ]. jerks Is Made
Superintendent of POca Division

road, at Bluefield, were announced on
last Saturday, when it was given out
I from the general Offices in Roanoke that
W. S. Becker would succeed George P.
johnson as general superintendent of
the Western division, and w. J. jerks
would succeed Mr. Becker as superin-
tendent of the Pocahontas division.
No appointment the company could
have made to the position of general
superintendent would have been more
popular with the employees and patrons
Of the road than that of Mr.. Becker.
He deserved it from every point of
view-by ability, point of service, to
preserve the spirit of the Norfolk G.
Western that promotions must come
from the ranks-all indicated Mr.. Becker
as the logical man for the place. Firm,
yet considerable, he is the ideal of the
employees, and the same characteristics
make him equally popular with the
patrons of the road who come in contact
with him
The appointment of Mr.. jerks is of
more than local interest, as he not only
received his early training in the service
In the never-to-beforgotten days of
hardships on the old Chnch Valley div
sion, nearly a quarter of a century ago
and by the further reason that he
married Tszewell girl-a daughter of
our former townsman, Capt. d. B.
Baldwin.
The following record of the two men
as taken from the Bluefield Telegraph
will be of intetest to our readers.
w. S. Becker, who succeeds MIR. John
son as general superintendent, was born
in Selma, Ala, in 1857. After the war
he and his father started north as they
found opportunities were not very
bright, and Mr.. Becker's mother, who
was a southern woman, went with them.
When he was about twenty-one Mr.
Becker took Horace Greely's advice
and went west and became brakeman
on the Union Pacific in 1879.
In 1852 Mr.. Becker went to the YeI-
lowstOne division OF the Northern Pacific
and climbed the ladder to promotion
there until he was made assistant super
intendent in 1891 1t may be news to
some people, but Mr. Becker always
had the "knack of making friends" and
IN 1889 his popularity elected him to
/ the position of the state senator of
Montana, which position he held when
the Stub Toe State" was admitted to
the Union. Mr.. Becker came to the
Pocahontas division as assistant train
master in 1898, and after remaining
there few months, was promoted to
the position of trainmaster on the Rad
ford division, which position he left in
1901 to become private secretary to L.
E. johnson then general manager of
the Norfolk & Western. In 1903 he
was promoted 10 the superintendent of
of the Norfolk division and in August,
1905, he was make superintendent of
, the Pocahontas division, considered then
/ as the toughest proposition on any rail-
road, as millions OF tons of freight were
originated on it, although it was single
track line. Railroading in those days
was what General Sherman said of war,
but Mr.. Becker built around him an
organization which everyone admits
would 90 anything in the world for him.
1t Is doubtful if any man ever had
more loyal friends than has Mr. Beck
, er, and this became very apparent q
few weeks ago when men with millions
: of dollars ct stake urged the appoint
ment of Mr.. Becker as general super
intendent. because they believed IN the
man, his organization, and his ability,
as well as his willingness to do what he
could for them.
The influence Mr.. Becker has with the
men will undoubtedly work to the advan-
tage OF w. J. jerks, who is now MIR.
Becker's successor, as superintendent
of the Pocahontas division.
Like Messrs. JON son ard Becker Mr.
jerks got his hardest knocks a. al
under officer and worked on the Pea
hontas division of the Norfolk & West
ern.
He left the Norfolk & Western while
he was serving as chief dispatcher and
car distributor, and did his railroadipp
when overtime and hard work was the
lot of every man, especially dispatchers
and chief dispatchers. When be came
here ne left position of superintendent
of the Seaboard Air Line and had beer
promised general superintendency il
he would remain on that road, but the
call of Bluefield and the mountain coun.
try along the Norfolk & Western was
too strong and like everv othar ma,
who can he came back to Bluefeld, anc
and recognizing his ability the men have
known for years that he would be in OF
? the next list of promotions.
= Mr.. jerks record Is as follows:
] Mr.. jerks was born March 2lst 1870
j near Raleigh, N. C. He entered the
- railway service in 1886 as telegraph
e operator of the Raleigh & Augusta All
3 Line railway, since which he has con