The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-10-24
closed so there is ample opportunity
for all to get into the running.
THE OBSERVATORY.

THE OBSERVATORY.
Some months ago l wrote about
a young railroad friend of mine who
had recently been promoted from be-
| ing a Division Superintendent to the
responsible position of General Sup
| erintendent of the whole Boston and
Maine system; it was William F. Ray,
who has just suddenly died, to the
| great sorrow OF all his subordinates
and the travelling public; his genuine
ability gave him fast promotion; some
may have wondered why his rise was
so rapid for he began his railroading
in the locomotive round-house; there
was an element besides railroad knowl-
edge which largely contributed to his
success; he set no bounds to his par
ticular job, and would lay his hands
to anything that needed doing, even
if not paid for doing it, or if never
thanked for the doing: it was enough
for him if it was something that ought
to be done. He also possessed anoth-
err quality which helped him to no
small degree, and that was his kindly
courtesy, which was never falling to
young and old, rich or poor. When
writing of him before | gave the in
cident of his holding the fast express
train after it had started that he
might put some plain people with
little children aboard, who otherwise
would have had to wait several hours
and not arrive at their destination
till midnight; even he himself taking
child in each arm and running down
the trainshed; it was wholly character
stic of the man.
On one occasion happened to see
two Polish girls, who could not speak
word of English. get off the train
| at the wrong station. They seemed
| to be in trouble, and showing some
note written in English telling who
they were and the station to which
they should have gone. | went to the
station master who paid no attention
to the case, and laughed it off; but
soon hackman took them away up
into the city did not like the out
come: hunted up a policeman in a
neighboring saloon, who was indiffer-
ent, till told him would wire Mr..
Ray, when he suddenly got busy, and
caused the girls to be brought back
and sent on to their destination; and
they had been in danger of being
feeced if not worse. | wrote the
I1CtS 10 tHc superintendent, wiz iii
mediately thanked me for what | had
done, and inclosed a copy regarding
the treatment of such passengers
he learned that it was possible for
officials on his line to be careless in
such an important matter. l had
almost feared a rebuff, but was as
sured that my information was highly
,,ol,,oL IL o,ro <o1d -, that he xuos
constantly observing his men, par
one of them would get promotion
without ever knowing why it came.
l have often wondered at the SEEM
ing indifference of young railroad
operatives in their treatment of the
travelling public, particularly if the
public happen to be old, fussy or
bothersome; thy should remember
that that class is the very one they
are expected to specially care for.
During the past year there has Deen
| an employee on our railroad that
have gone out of my way to commend
because of his courtesy, while there
have been others who vexed me SO
much that l was tempted to do the
opposite for them, and may yet do so.
Speaking of railroad men reminds
me of an incident of another nature,
given me by the superintendent of an
eastern railroad, He said a party of
| railroad detectives from New York
had been upstate working certain
line, and on their way home asked
him to allow them to work portion
of his road. He said his company had
never set a watch on their men, who
had grown up on the line, and he did
not care to do it; but after persuasion
me allowed them to try one division,
When their report came in it showed
the account of the conductor of the
train on which they had travelled to be
short ten dollars; the conductors re-
port tailed with that of the detectives
in all except his cash was ten dollars
short. The superintendent was amaz-
ed, consulted his superior. and the
two talked it over; either of them
other as they would have doubted
was called in and the report shown
explanation but acknowledged the
facts seemed against him. The matter
was allowed to rest. the superinten-
dent constantly telling his superior
that he would as soon distrust him
self as this conductor. Then one day
months afterwards the general freight
agent of the railroad came to the
conductor and said. "I,'s about time
paid you back that ten dollars"
What ten dollarss" ''Why don't you
remember that morning got into the
station just as you were pulling out
and when on the train discovered
that had left my money at home, and
asked you for ten dollars?" Then it
all came back to the conductor, who
had not thought OF it from that early
L 49, -.