Imperial Valley press., 1913-03-10
'EL PASO AND SOUTHWESTERN
MAY BUILD TO SAN DIEGO

-
san Diego Union: 1.-THE Ell paso and
Southwestern railroad may be forced
to build to the coast" said Henry u
Nudge. president of the Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific, who has been on q
trip to the coast ana was a visitor in
San Diego this week.
"If the agreement between the Union
Pacific and Southern Pacific is broken,
il will be natural for the Southern
Pacific to seek the long haul and light
grades Of its southern route for its
freight traflc. in which case we will
handle it from Ell Paso east II, how
ever. the Southern Pacific fayors the
Union Pacific and the shorter haul. the
El Paso and Southwestern may be
forced to build to the coast"
1t is generally understood that Mr.
Nudge was in San Diego in the inter-
esi Of making San Diego the western
terminus Of the road, He is now In
Los Angeles.
Rock Island stockholders, it is un
derstood, are heavily interested in the
FL Paso and Southwestern. The Ell
Paso route depends for it's through
traffic on the Rock Island. The Rock
island stockholders practically control
the smaller road.
Tracks of the Rock Island end at
santa Rosa, n. NJ, and from there to
Ell Paso, 80 miles, the Rock Island
uses the trackage of the Ell Paso line
THE FL Paso and Southwestern has
y" desire to build 600 miles across the
desert" said Nudge. at would be an
expensive venture and the operating
expenses would be heavy.
There are plenty of railroads 1T
present to handle California traffic, but
If The Southern Pacific favors The
northern route, there will be nothing
for the Ell Paso and Southwestern to
do but to build to Southern Califor-
Lila point on the Pacific coast. Without
such an extension, the El Paso would
be left without share in transcon-
tincntal traffic.
We are getting and. will continue to
expect lots OF business, but with rates
onstantly decreasing, the cost Of labor
and materials constantly going up, we
are taking but slim profit from the
operation Of the lines. We are doing
business on narrow margin, and de,
spite the heavy traffic. profits are net
Wlai they used to be-"
Nudge said that he was on the
California coast purely for rest and
recreation. II have no engagement with
Ripley or any other railroad officials
l. ere" he added.
He is at the head of railroad which
has 5000 miles of roadbed and employs
about $4,000 people. He began his
railroad career forty years ago as a
wafer carrier for the Santa Fe con-
struction gang.
At night he studied telegraphy, be-
came an operator and steadily increased
his value to the corporation until he
eventually became general manager.
Eight years ago he went to the Rock
Island as vice president and three years
ago he became president.
There is as much chance, and more.
today than there was then for a young
man to work himself into position
Of trust and confidence" says Nudge.
Positions are continually looking for
men. There are plenty Of half compe-
tent and half ambitious men, but few
who show that they are destined for
hi2 things and by that mean big sal
aries-high positions.
I've been railroading since | was
10. I've always been a plodder. Nv
work has always been a pleasure to
me and that is the reason | have sue
ceeded. advise the young man to get
inb a line Of work for which he feels
adapted, that he likes, and then work.
Il know personally nearly all of the
railroad presidents, vice presidents and
general managers Of the country, and
nearly all Of them have come up from
IN" humblest positions. Operators and
station agents probably have furnished
more Of them than any other lines.
Daniel Willard, president of the
Baltimore and Ohio, and L. E. Johnson,
president Of the Norfolk and Western,
We're locomotive engineers. President
A. j. Earling of the Chicago, Milwau-
kee and st. Paul was an operator, as
was Carl Gray, president of the Great
Northern, and A. L. Mohler, president
Of The Union Pacific, and w. A.