The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-02-18
PIONEER RAILROAD MAN OF !
NORTHWEST TO RETIRE SOOl
Alexander TiHling. Assistant
Vice President, VIII Reach
Age of 70

"A railway traffic official, who gre
up with the pioneer Of northwest rail-
roads, whose duties began with th
actual construction OF the line, ca
ried him through the stirring "ean
days" and have made him one Of I'll
outstanding traffic authorities in Il
country, will retire under pcnsid
rules Of the Northern Pacific in /
few days, after nearly SO years d
active service. a.
Alexander Timing, assistant to II
vice-president. traffic department, 4
the age Of 70. has completed a pit !.
tureSque career which blends into tHl
active development period Of TIL
northwest. On horseback, In stage.
coach and in blackboard. he Travelled
the plains and the mountains of Da,
kota and Montana In the days of thu
Cattle ruStler, the vigilantes, the bar.
keep In his heydey and the early set.
ter.
Mr.. Timing was born at Waterloo
Ont. Canada. Jan. 81. 1861. and a,
an early age the family took up Their
lone on a farm in Winnesheik coun.
ty, Iowa. There he received his edu-
cation and his first occupation wal
as a teacher in q backwoods country
school. He also did odd jobs IL
harrisburg, Iowa, where his father
Robert Timing, in addition to bcine
q farmer, was justice of the peace
and the first station agent for the
Illinois Central Railroad.
In the spring of 1880, when the
Northern Pacific was stretching the
first northwest railway line west from
the Missouri river, Alexis elder broth.
er had gone north to become one d
the railroad builders, after q shori|
time taking a position at Glendivd
Mont, as ticket agent and cxpresj|
man.
Became Z Clerk
Alex concluded to join his brothe}
and became q clerk and later cashie1
at Glendive. His first important as!
signment was as agent at Forsyth,
Mont. in that day an important
freight division point. In 1883, the
year that the Northern Pacific's
transcontinental line from the lakes
TO the Pacific was completed, he be-
came agent at Glendive. In 1886. hei
was assigned to similar duties all
Bozeman, Mont. Between 1885 and
1888 he served as livestock agent and
his duties were to solicit for the rail-
road the shipment Of cattle. This job
entailed extensive travel through "a
sparsely settled territory. He rode
the ranges in Montana, Idaho, North
Dakota, northern Wyoming and west
ern South Dakota. In a season Of
five months he covered $500 miles
in the saddle. 1900 miles on stages
and 1000 miles on blackboard. In
the winter. while he served as live
stock agent, he filled assignments I'M
the traffic department at st. Paul,
Portland and other terminal cities.
In 1881, 1882 and 1883, buffalo.
which roa1ned in great numbers in
those days, were the principal source
Of food in many localities. He wit
messed frequently the stampeding of
buffalo. In those years, however. buff
falo were virtually extcrminated by
hunters and cattle were substituted
on the ranges.
Cattle rustlers in those years were
finding their occupations hazardous
Timing said. There had been
set before these thieves in Montana
ample warning. I doubt whether ever
a word reached the public. but Il
personally know that In 1884 vigil
lanteS assembled quietly at Miles
City, Mont, where they entrained
with their horses on a special North
ern Pacific train, the movement Of
which had been pre-arranged. This
train pulled out of Miles City in the
night and moved speedily through
Glendive, a division point, without
stopping, to Wibaux. At the latter
point this party detained before
dawn. All Of the rustlers had been
spotted and there was a speedy round
UP in Beaver Greek, Little Missouri
and Big Missouri territory. And the
ended when IL or more
lustlers were strung up. Activities
such as these gave cattle thieves very
little quarter.
MY experience was that no more
honest men than stock men ever
lived. They were rough, but their
word was law. I never knew Of one
who failed to make good on his. PROM
Use. Saloons thrived. In some COM
every other building was q
saloon, yet a man engaged in an hon
est business had nothing to fear.
Many times I was compelled to spread
my blanket and sleep in the open. and
never once was I molested."
To Missoula in 1853
In 1883 Timing became agent at
Missoula. The following year &c went
TO Helena. In that year Spokane,s dis
astrous fire had wiped out much OF
the town and I'm the rebuilding peri
cd he was assigned to the agency in
that city. On May 10. 1880, the Nor
thern Pacific established a general
agency in the traffic department at
Spokane, and he became the first gen
c-al agent there. In November, 1894.
he "a transferred to Tacoma, Wash,
as general agent. This was one Of
the most important assignments
available in the traffic department
because the railway company not only
operated rail lines but was engaged in
service to the Orient and
n the Puget Sound territory.
He was In Tacoma about nine
years. He then returned to Spo-
kane as general agent before being
assigned tc the general agency at
Seattle, Wash. After a BRIEF period
he was assigned to st. Paul as as
general freight agent with
territory on the east end and also