Tensas gazette., 1916-11-10
7 OF RAIL
Men Who Rose to Head Great
American Railroads.
Some Went Up From Ranks and Some
by Way Of Learning-More Won
derfui Than Some Arabian
Nights Tales.

passed. They are making more won
derful romances under your very eyes
than they used to make in the days OF
Bagdad and the Arabian Nights.
What son of Mustafa by rubbing a
lamp could be elevated more wonder
fully than a grimy locomotive fireman,
who opens a book, and presently finds
himself head of great railroad?
Take Daniel Willard. for instance.
He is president of the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad now. Mr.. Willard is a
great executive. He is an art con-
nOisseur, a musician and a scholar be-
sides. His collection of portraits of
Napoleon is one of the best in the
world. His interest in men of affairs
is worldwide. Some time agO,s when
he was in the midst of negotiating a
S11O,OO0,OOO expenditure for improve
ments of the Baltimore & Ohio, he be-
gan to study French.
1t is only a few years ago that Will
lard was fireman ON an old Vermont
road that is now part of the Boston &
Maine. Willard was locomotive fire.
man, that's all. But one day he found
a book that interested him, in spite OF
it's forbidding title. 1t is "Welling-
/ toms Economics of Railroad Locations.
Willard bought it. He tucked it be,
meath the cushion of his seat in the
engine cab, and when he wasn't keep
ing up steam in the boiler head he
was reading about railroad economics
1t gave him q wholly new view Of rail
roading. The rest you can read.
Erred" Underwood, now president o1
the Erie, the most jOvial railroad presi
dent of all, was the conductor of vii
lard's train. Underwood was coming
along fast then-sO fast that prett!
soon he was Wizards boss-"Mr. Un
derwood" to Willard. But they be
came close friends, and each recog
nized the others worth. Some year
later Mr.. Underwood was in line TO
the presidency of the Erie. Then tn
chance came, and almost the first mai
he called to the road was Willard a
vice president. The two men ar
closer chums than ever now.
With the exception of few every
one has climbed the ladder from th
lower rung. One could almost coun
the college-bred men on the fingers Q
his two hands. And Louis w. Hill
head of the Great Northern, is pract
cally the only one who inherited bi
railroading job to start with. Ina
was as vice president under his fathe
the late James ]. Hill.
G. P. Markham, president of the Ill
nois Central, prominent socially a
well as financially in Chicago, bega
his career as a section hand-a con
mon laborer-on the Santa Fe, in kal
sas City, then one of the toughest raj
road yards in the country. He is r.
marked today as one of the most dal
per-looking of these powerful railroa
men. No one looking at him or stud
ing him closely would say he was oth'
than the SON of q rich man who had q
the frills of course at leading un
versity.
There's E. P. Ripley, president I
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa +
Years ago a young man named Ri
ley went to work as clerk in Il
traffic Office of the Boston & Main
But his stay there was not Ion
Pretty soon someone higher up spOtt'
him as a coming railroad chief al
gave him a job as general manager
the Chicago, Burlington & QuinC
And when the Santa Fe was reorga
lied E. p. Ripley assumed the pre-
dency. His friends celebrated his sc
entieth birthday last year in Chicae
and the gathering was one of the me
| distinguished ever brought togeth'
A man is a man to Mr.. Ripley, wheth
| he is a section hand or general ma
| ager.
| Then there is Fairfax Harrist
| bearer of the proud name of Fairfax
II Virginia, president Of the SOuthe
Il railway, one of the few college men
Il the executives group. He is an er
II nent lawyer and Greek scholar,
II sides a leading railway executi
Il Some time ago he translated Cat
Il Farm Management" considered
II many scholars as literary gem.
Il But then, he isn't altogether
! blame for that. It has been traditi'
al among the first families of '
!" ginia that their sons must go to {
- lege. 1t only goes to show that it
the caliber of the man which cour
in railroading as in everything else
;. Chinese Advancement.