The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-09

~ SAAS SS0eC = 4
ideas of Thomas A. Edison have
pyramided even after his death,
until today railroad men through
out the country and Champion
Mcdowell Davis, president of ACL
is nc exception - have given the
rail passenger travel comfort,
convenience and safety as they
speed to their destinations in glis-
tening coaches pulled by huge,
This man, Edison. whose Tooth
anniversary will be celebrated next
Tuesday is FAR better known as an
inventor and genius than as a rail-
roader.
This man, Davis, whose birthday
does not fall on next Tuesday. but
who is known for his interest in
railroading and the progress Of the
industry, plays a huge part in the
life of a major portion of the colrn-
try's spraying rail transportation
system.
Edison, who devoted a large part
Of his 83 years to furthering the
progress of the rail industry. had
his first real job with the railroads
in the early 1865 when he news
butchered on trains between Port
Huron and Detroit, Michigan,
bringing to the passengers the COM
forts of home. away from home,
paralleling a similar work which
Davis is rendering today, with his
company's streamlined service on
streamlined cars.
ITO mold u place in the ma
tons economy" Davis recently
told employees of the company" it
will be necessary COR the railroads
and their employees to adopt a new
resolution to exert unusual effort to
provide the public with the high
type OF transportation the future
will require, and to do so as eff
GENTLY as possible"
In addition to his duties and re-
sponsibilities in the ACL, Davis, as
president, heads six other transpcr-
tation companies. He is vice-presi-
dent of eight more and holds execu-
tive committee membership in at
least eight lines. He is a member
OF the board of directors of 80 in
dustrial and business organiza-
tons, most of which are in the rail
road industry.
Throughout the past 80 odd years,
Davis has held administrative posi-
lions with his company, and in 1912
with the retirement of George 3.
Elliott, he was appointed president
OF the company's spraying 5000
mile system.
The able 67-old bachelor, whose
only family ties are his two sisters
and a brother, has devoted his life
to the ACL.
For more than half a century
Davis has been a power in the rail
transportation set-up of the nation
until today his hand personally
guides the action Of each depart
ment head in his daily tasks at the
general offices of the ACL.
Like Edison, from the very be-
ginning of his railroad career, he
displayed a full measure of mag
ination and enterprise which have
helped him to gain national recog-
milton and international acuuaint-
ances.
Davis keeps in close touch with
his sisters here, calling them re-
llglously as soon as he returns from
a business trip, of which he makes
many, and calling on them before
ne starts out on scheduled runs.
Armed with a public school edu-
catlon and an overwhelming desire
to forge ahead with the rail indus
try, Davis has cleaned every bit of
knowledge available regarding his
work.
He remembers we'll the old wood
burners of the late 18OO's when. a
Journey was a nightmare to be look
ed forward to with awe and fear.
Inc wooden coaches, open at top
OFTEN caused terror to the passeng-
ers as falling sparks literally flew
down their collars at each stoke Of
the huge blackened furnaces.
He recalls, too. the handicap un-
der which the railroads operated
without lights, without signals or
other communications until the rail
roads friend, Tom Edison, began
feeding his new "crackpot" inven-
tons into the industry.
He felt the brunt of inefficiency
performed by men shortly before
his career began, with the early
methods of telegraphy, for in.
stance.
In the early days only one mes
> sage could be SEN over one wire a
a time, resulting in marked confu
sion and serving only emergenc.
Gauss. ~
If this were still true, and 4