The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-20
By LEON c. BRADLEY

Iwenty-nlne years ago, two young men entered the service of what is now the Southern railway, one as telegraph op- orator in the railroad yards at Chatta- ncoga, the other as a clerk in the traffiu department at Richmond
 During all the years since that time each of these men l1as renamed con- tinuously in the service Of the road. and now both are located With the Southern in Birmingham. Both are holding inl- portant and responsible positions and to- day they will be presented by Fairfax Harrison, president of the road, with bronze medals in recognition of their loyal and efficient services. One is J. H. Stanfiel, general superintendent of the southern division of the Southern rail- way, the other R. l.. sampson, general freight agent for this territory.
 MT. Stanfiel and Mr. Simpson are both young men, yet during their service with the orad they have seen it grow from 102 weak, inefficient ana poor,y equipped short lines into the great Southern sys- tenn, the prncipal carrier of the South Atlantic seaboard and become one of the grea test factors in the development of the south.
 THINGS OF LONG AGO
 They have seen the dinky trains run
 
 give way to the present magnificent through trains with modern equipment. They have seen the old 'cut throat methods of rate making and freight so- liciting give way to the more efficient and juster system of the present, when rebates are no more and all shippers are on terms of equality.
 The growth of the nation inself dur ing the past three decades has been slow compared with the wonderful trides made in the railroad business of the country as typified by the changes wrought in the Southern system. MT. Simpson and MT. Stanfiel, like most successful business men, live in the present. They are not accustomed to spend their time in remin- iscences. It was, therefore. not little difficult to get them to tell of some of their experiences in the railroad world during their 29 years connection with the Southern and to induce them to point out the changes which had been wrought in that time.
 WHEN MIR. SIMPSON BEGAN
 'I began work with what is now the Southern railway in 1887 as a clerk in the traffic office of the old Richmond and Danville at Richmond" said MT. Simp- son, 'and since that time have been continuously in the service of this com rany. However, I had had some railroad experience prior to that time. I first be- gan as office boy with the Baltimore and Ohio in the office of Samuel Spencer, then one of the vice presidents of that company who was later to be the first president of the Southern railway when it was organized.
 Mir Simpson is a virgnian by birth, having been born at Petersburg during the time that town was besieged. He was born just a few days after the eX- plosion of the crater and only few weeks prior to the surrender of Lee at Appomatox.
 After entering the traffic office of the Richmond and Danville % years ago. held various positions with the roads now composing the Southern, being To- cated for some years in Columbus, Miss, and Chattanooga, finally coming to Bir- mingham," said MT. Simpson. T have been general freight agent with head quarters here for the past nine years.
 CHANGE IN TRAFFIC SYSTEM
 .The entire system of handling the traffic department of railroad has
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