Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1921-06-17
Half Century With t he Southern

Loyalty worthy of emulation is illus.
trated in the career Of Freight Traffic
Representative C. NJ. Borum, of Stras
burg, Virginia, who this year celebrates
his fiftieth anniversary in the service
of the Southern Railway and its prede
cessor lines.
"Major" Borum, as he is known in
the Valley of Virginia, has established
an enviable reputation as a successful
traffic man through his handling of the
lapple movement on the Harrisonburg-
Manassas branch of the Southern.
This traffic is his special pride and
the development of this industry is i'll
no small way due to his careful atten-
ton to the various features connected
with the transportation Of the crop an
nually to the market centers.
Major Borum is Confederate Vet
eran, having joined the Southern army
on the day after the withdrawal Of
Virginia from the union and was four
Iyears in active service. He began his
railway career in 1871 on the then
newly constructed Winchester & Stras
burg Railroad at Capon Road. His Of
| flee consisted of an old box car shunt-
led on side track. A vacancy soon
occurred at Strasburg on the Orange,
Alexandra G. Manassas Railroad by the
resignation of the bill clerk and he ac-
cepted the job. Two years later he
Twas made joint agent at Strasburg for
the B. &, 0. and the o. 4. & NJ. and
served in this capacity until 1878 when
he was transferred to Lynchburg as
freight and passenger agent. He re-
mained at Lynchburg in this capacity
for thirteen years and then became
Idivison freight agent of the Richmond
& Danville. In 1896, two years after
1.-THE organization of the Southern Rail-
Iway Company, he was made travelling
freight agent, covering the Harrison.
Iburg-Manassas branch, the Washing.
ton &: Ohio branch, the cities of Wash
lington and Alexandria, together with
the certain other territory. AS freight
traffic representative he is today
Towering practically this same territory
with the exception of the cities named
| Il believe as look back over the
lpast half century," says Major Borum
I"l am safe in saying that no compan,
Ihas ever had such a splendid line o
| officials in all departments as thu
lSouthern Railway do not recall il
lall my years of service single re
lprimand or discourtesy from any SUI
iperior officer. What splendid ex
lample they have set for our brigh
iyoung men-and the Southern Rail
way has many such-upon who's
! shoulders the great Southern System
Twill rest some day, a system that al
, will agree has done more to build VI
: our beloved Southland than all othe
Iagencies combined. For this reason
l if there was no other, am proud t
have been one of the pioneers.
''To the young men in the servic
my advice is: Feel towards our grea
Southern System just as have feI
for years past; that is, that every en-
gine, car, tie and rail belongs to 20
and this without owning dollar c
stock in the system. Then no matte
! what comes, be loyal to your own"
:. Southern News Bulletin.
II Major Borum and Mrs. Borum ar
now living at his handsome old estat
"Matin Hill'' on the suburbs of Stra
burg, and hosts of friends turnout til
Estate, are pleased to read the abov
IL expression of appreciation by the off
lcials of the Southern Railway.