The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-06-13
FROM MESSENGER
TO VICE PRESIDENT
Rise of w. I. Capen, a Brattleboro
Boy, to High Position in Postal
Telegraph Gable Company.

The Postal Telegraph, the official
publication of the Postal Telegraph |
company, in its June issue contains a |
Capen, vice president in charge of
construction, under the heading "Our
Construction Men" Mr.. Capen is al
native of this town and a cousin of
Mrs. E. E. Flagg, ST., of Prospect
street. The sketch is as follows:
''lt should be of interest to the CON
structlon and line men of the company
to read something about their CO.
workers IN different parts of the coun-
try, and we propose in these columns
from month to month to sketch briefly
the careers of those who help build
our lines and keep them in repair.
1t Is fitting, therefore, that such
series should commence with the
general who directs the forces that
are stretched from the Atlantic to the
Pacific and from the Gulf to the Ca
madam border, building new lines,
stringing wires and making repairs.
| MIR. w. |. Capen, vice president in
charge of construction of the Postal
| Ielegraph-Cable company, like most
telegraph officials, began his tele-
graphic career as a messenger boy in
his native town, Brattleboro, Yer
mont, with the Vermont. Boston and
Montreal Telegraph company, later
becoming an operator with that com
pany. He subsequently, served as man
ager and wire chief with several of
the many telegraph companies which
were in existence in the early 80 s.
When the present Postal Telegraph
| n
1850, Mr.. Capen was appointed mana
ger of the Cincinnati Office where he
remained until he was made superin-
tendent in 1890, being the first super.
lntendent appointed in the western
division. In 1906 he was promoted to
the general superintendency of the
western division, with HEADQUARTERS
III Chicago. The East reclaimed hin
as its own in 1909. and the young
operator who went out into the West
many years before now returned a.
the general superintendent of plant
for the entire system. In 1912 he wa,
Iappointed vice president in charge OF
construction, which is his present pc
sition.
"Mr. Capcn is New EneIande
and comes from Vermont. where the,
produce lumber. maple sugar an,
thflItE AankceS-the latter being tn
principal output. 1t is proverbial tina
Il Vermont Yankee in busincs
, ! transaction resembles the marble flo
which Vermont is so famous. w
would not say exactly that of MI
Capen, but there is no doubt that hi
early association with these hard
, | headed Vermont Yankees stands hin
, IN good stead in his present position
where he has under his control til
a purchasing of thousands of dollars O
line material annually, and YOU couI
] | no more sell him n load of imperfcc
poles than Won could sell a spavine
y horse TO David Harum.
/. cit has been said that A thing O
f beauty is a joy forever There is notl
/. ing which appeals more to Mr. Capen
n sense of the beautiful and henc
II gives him more JOY, than to ride alon
+ Il country road ana see q straigl
II standing up telegraph line wit
7 wires taut and poles erect. Such
h. telegraph line make the same appe;
to him as a Rembrandt or a Rapha
c does TO an art lover. No highway
S. complete without a telegraph lin
t. says Mr.. Capen. and he is constant
e signing for new highways to decorat
with poles, crossarms and wires