The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-01
FROM BOY ON TRAMP
TO HEAD OF SYSTEM
Railroad President Who Has
Known Pangs OF Real
Want.
COMES UP FROM RANKS
Courage, Pcrsistcncy and Brains
Responsible for Rise OF
Nixon.

Nixon. recently elected president of the
81 Louis and san Francisco Railroad
C"thc FrlscoD. IL Il very notable cx-
ample of a self-made man. for he rose
from actual povert" b. his own UNI
aided efforts.
Energy, persistence and courage were
his equipment. He was no; two years
old when his father died. leaving his
mother in almost INDECENT circum-
stances. with two young CONS to pro
vide for They lived in Earlvillc i'll
In the spring Of 1861. william, then
nine years old. was taken into It fur
nitnrc store ana set TO work painting
chairs But he got more paint on his
( clothes than on tho chairs and was
/ discharged lis next Job was dump
ing shavings in :, planning mill at So
a week. He was promoted from tim.
( 10 time. but vas unable to get more
than boys salary. 8
Hearing that there were opportuni-
ties In Nebraska he started for that
/ iar-away region IA "a prairie schooner
/ that happened along, earning his pas
sage By driving the mule team. AT
/ Grayton, Neb., lie quit the SCHOONER
ana went to work for his keep" on a
small! farm. The farmer J. c. Ed
ridge had difficulty in maintaining his
| own family, but the boys plight an
/ pealed 10 him. and he couldn't turn
him away. He told William, however.
/, that IN" must keep a lookout for an
I other place.
one day young Nixon observed ;,
railway section gang az work near the
station at GRAFTON. lie spoke TO the
foreman and was told that he could
have job at si.15 {. day If he would
report at sutton. the next station on
the line
Hut how was he to get to Suttono
The foreman said he couldn't pass
him without hc had actually begun
work Mr.. Eldridgc was consulted The
fare was only 80 cents, but the farmer
dldm't nave even that amount OF cash.
Tell you what III DO" said Ed
ridge finally Wen just drive that
big hog OF mine TO town tomorrow ana
sell him"
Hog Pays Bo.'s Car Fare.
Next morning il was done. and the
farmer handed William sf95. half the
proceeds And so young Nixon got TO
sutton and was put to work.
That was in December 1872 saws
Nixon. remained with this gang for
" month. We were employed by the
santa Re Railway. one day news
i paper came into the section-housc from
I Enporia Junction. Kan noticed ,he
station agent in that town WAS n man
WHO had formerly lived In Earlville my
nome wrote him and asked for a
"A few days later ! got telegram
from Empor!a offering me q Job as
night watchrnan at the santa IL depot.
had just drawn my months pay a
tew days before. but ! had sent most
OF II back home to mother and was
again in trouble. | know could make
TIC trip IN a ceboose without cxpensc
but did want 10 pay the two old ladies
who cooked FOR us at the section
house.
FINALLY | broke Tho news to them
( they thought T was dishonest. but |
assured them ! would send the money
BACK as soon as could collect my
salary.
That night climbed into caboose
on freight train and started for En-
poiia Junction. II was Il cold night
and WAS exposed 10 the clements
The next morning l was very ILL had
/ 70 chahse ears at a small station in
f Kansas, and when | got off ] met a
brakeman who had been WORKING on
the santa Fc He noticed that was
ILL., ana asked ii he could be- of any
assistance
When told him l had bu; one dime
nc TOOK me to drug store. where he
purchased medicine, and then took me
TO Il hotel. He also summoned a doe
tor. paying the bill himself He had
nurSed me back 10 health by the next
( day. After "a good breakfast. he put
me on The train which carried me to
/ my destination. never saw or heard
OF him again. He was what was then
/ known as Il rowing brakeman Rnt |
snail never forget him and still hope
that may meet him again.
Has stroke Of Good Luck.
w hen reached <:mporia Junction
/ had recovered from my illness. I
/ went TO work as night Waterman for
$50 month. hold this Job almost a
year before could find another omen
ing learned that the Santa Fe
Waterman at Alhuqucrkuc, y NJ. had
hecn dismissed asked for the place
and got il Ny srlary was 500
month, and was given some clerical
work in addition TO acting as watch
man
My FIRST good luck came while I
/ held Tins position. The cashier and
+ two CLERKS at the Santa l'c station
stole several thousand dollars and dis
/ appeared leaving me in charge Of tho
depot. The agent was unable to find
+ any one who could handle the cashiers
Job. and lac ordered me to take charge
/ temporarily.
81 was utterly unable to add :, col
umn OF figures. and TO hold this Job
mad TO count up the days receipts
"hich averaged about $4,000. Instead
/ OF wrestling with - column at - time
! | would set aside twn items. total Them
/ up and then take two more until
B had added. totalcd and rctotalcd my
Whilc column. worked hard 10 hide
! my ignorance, but | was discovered
Z IL was provoking TO the agent, but
II" WAS unable to find "a successor
/ FINALLY he was transferred to another
point and | got his job This paid mo
more money than my whole family had
ever had at any one time.
! II remained in this position for more
! Than . year and was able to save some
money. l.. T.. Barr. one of the officials
| OF the company. offered me the posi-
ton of chief clerk at san Marcinl. "
! NJ This paid only $3.50 month, but
the opportunities were good and I ac-
cepted. held this post ten months
when Mr.. Robinson, general manager
OF the road made me trainmaster at
! Wcllington Kan. My salary did not
increase. In 1881, or one year after
| held this job n year. tho hard times
struck us and the Santa Fc almost
went into the hands Of q receiver
Every employees salary was cut, ana
mine was Whitfield from $50 to sl35.
VIII Go Limit for Friend.
"A short time later I was transferred
TO Kansas City as superintendent Of
terminals, which paid me s16O month.
From Kansas city ( went TO Chilli
Gothic, Ill, as division superintendent
OF the Fort Madison and Chicago, and
Though was buried for all time to
III