The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-08
.L|GHTNER TALKS OF HIS NEW WORK Will Hold Both Positions
 Temporarily MANY FRIENDS CALL Times Democrat Contains Interesting
MANY FRIENDS CALI
Times Democrat Contains Interesting Account of Mir. Lightner's Past Work for the Frisco
 System

That he would exercise the dual position of general agent in Birming ham as well as in New orleans until successor could be named to take h,s place in this city. was the state ment of A. D. Iightner. Frisco line executive agent, who has been named general agent for the company, with headquarters in New Orleans
 He returned to Birmingham yesterday after a conference lasting four days in New Orleans of R. F. Yoakum. chair man of the Frisco board President B. L. Winehell W c. Nixon, senior vIce president, and W. T Tyler, genesal manager, and MT Lghtner. It was stated that the entire situation in the south was threshed over by the off cials for the Frisco and that the de- cision to. place NIr. Lightner in New orleans only followed when the gray ity of the taske was duly pre- scented around the conference board.
 MT. Lightner will be executive agenr for every line of the Frisco system including the Texas and Brownsville. the new property, New Orleans, Mo bile and Jackson, as well as the old lines of the company and immensely valuable terminal holdings at New Or leans.
 MT. Lghtner had scarcely reached his office yesterday when the phones start -d to ring and callers came to pay their respects and congratulations to the newly promoted offical He was showered with best wishes from some of the leading citizens of Birmingham who have been thrown more or less in contact with MT. Lightner since he has been here He received the calls yes terday with his usual urbanity and composure although indicating the deep eradication that he felt on ac-
 "I regret very much to leave Bir- min gham as a matter of course" said Mir Lightner. T have been here many years; have made vast number of friends whom I appreciate. and love Birmingham. However, I have been called to duty and cannot allow any consideration interfere with that. I feel the compliment given me by the Frisco management in this work as much as any man could feel it. For a short time I shall divide by time between Birmingham and New Or leans. There will be appointed a sue cessor here to me. l have no idea at this time who that. will be. The stand ing of Birmingham, however. in the estimation of the Frisco management will naturally insure the selection of capable and well informed 'man,o
 In connection with the appointment of Mr Lightner, the following from the New orleans Times Democrat will be of interest:
 MT. Lightner is one of the old guard of the Frisco. having beeh with it and t-e santa Fe lines since 1888, when he started his railroad career An Iowan by birth, he entered the service of the santa Fe at Wellington, Kan. under w. c. Nixon, now senior vice president Of the Frisco, an agent and opera tor. In 1889 he was transferred to the traffic department of the Santa Fe, which at that time, embraced the Fris- co lines, and was appointed travelling freight agent of the system a Carthage Mo, under C. R. Gray, then division freight agent of the Santa Fe, but now the president of the Hill lines in ore gon. In 1896 when the Frisco lines were separated from the Santa Fe Mir. Light ner was appointed general agent of the Frisco traffic department at Dallas, and in 1899 he was transferred to St. Louis as general agent of the traffic depart ment In 1904 he was made general agent of the executive department of the Frisco at Birmingham, and in ad- dtion took charge of the Birmingham Belt railroad with the title of general manager. He has held that office ever since with the exception of the year 1906-07, when he was transferred to N ,mphis to assume temporarily the duties of superintendent of the Frisco at Memphis
 MT. .Lightner has the reputation of being one of the most talented combina- tion traffic operation men in America and the railroad fraternity was con graduating itself yesterday on acuuir- ing him for New orleans. He is a man of charming personality.
 "President Winchell announced last night that the appointment of Mir Lightner IS general agent of the execu- tive department of the Frisco here did not mean ,lat the office of general agent of the executive department at Birmingham would be abolished lie said that the Birmingham general agent would be appointed just as soon as the proper man could be agreed upon by the heads of the traffic and operating department o. the Frisco system"