The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-17
HI. w. Jacobs Is President of
Big Mechanical Company.
Former Topeka Santa Fe Man
Steps in New Work.
DIRECTOR OF FIREBOX WORKS
Was Assistant Superintendent
Motive Power Here.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.

It is announced in Topeka today
that II. w. Jacobs, formerly assistant
superintendent of motive power OF
the Santa Fe at this point, has ACCEPT
ed the position of president of the Ok
weld Railroad Service company, Chi
cago, and a director of mechanical
matters of the Jacobs-Shupert U. s.
Firebox company. Mr.. Jacobs re-
signed as motive power head in To-
peka early in the summer.
The Santa Fe Railway Employees
magazine of recent date devotes three
pages to the work of Mr.. Jacobs. Tho
article in part reads:
Henry w. Jacobs was born in
Atchison, Kan, September %, 1873,
his parents having emigrated from
Germany in the early sixties.
He received his early education in
the German schools of the district
and at the age of 13 began an APP
premiership as a machinist with the
Seaton foundry in Atchison. After
completing his apprenticeship ne
worked for some time IN the same
foundry, during which time he con-
tinued to educate himself by attend
ing night schools and studying tech
meal books with the aid of tutors VINO
became interested in him.
Mr.. Jacobs displayed an aptitude
for mechanical matters at an early
age, and, being of an ambitious and
energetic temperament, he realized
that he could not secure the extensive
education he desired while remain
ing in one place, so, at the age OF Is.
he secured a position as mach1n1st IN
the United States gunshop in Wash
ington, d. c., and later he passed sue
cessfully an examination permitting
him to enter the engineering depart
ment of the navy.
This permitted him to secure an ex-
tensive education in the design, con-
struction and performance of marine
engines. and for several years he was
engaged in the testing of marine me-
chinery. Leaving marine work, he
entered the service of the Sprague
Electric company, and he later was
with Crocker & Wheeler, also electri-
cal manufacturers, which service gave
him a valuable education with cleo
trical machinery.
He next secured employment as tool
designer with r. Hoe & Co., of New
York, manufacturers of printing
presses and general newspaper ma
Having thus secured mechanical
experience of an unusually wide
range, which fitted him for position
in a supervising capacity, he became
in 1899 general manager of the Vul-
can Engineering company of New
York, engaged in general repair work
and the building of stationary and
marine machinery. This position he
was forced to give UP on accout of his
wife's ill health, and he left New
York for the purpose of finding
better climate.
This change led him into railroad
work, and in. 1900 he entered the ser
vice of the Burlington railroad as u
machinist In this work his natural
talent, as well as his thorough educa-
ton in mechanical matters, made it
self evident and enabled him to adj
vance rapidly.
He successfully filed the position of
toolroom foreman at the Burlington
shops in McCook,- Neb., Sheridan Wyo.
ana Hannibal, Mo, during which time
he made g. study of railroad shop meth
DDS and practices.
In 1903 he became shop demonstrat tor
for the Union Pacific at Omaha, and
few months later he was appointed
general shop demonstration for the same
road, having supervision over all shop
methods and practices in the repair