The trail of the swinging lanterns : $b a racy, railroading review of transportation matters, methods and menCopeland, John Morison
History
The trail of the swinging lanterns : $b a racy, railroading review of transportation matters, methods and men
Copeland, John Morison
Railroads -- Canada
Responding in 1870 to the insistence of Opportunity, he transferred his
allegiance to the North Missouri Railway as General Passenger Agent,
but only until January 1st, 1871, when he assumed in his fortieth
year, the important position of General Passenger and Ticket Agent of
Chicago & Alton Railway under President Blackstone, at the time that
financier and his associates secured control of the North Missouri
Railway. This Railway shortly after became the St. Louis, Kansas City
& Northern Railway, and in the late 80’s was merged into the Wabash
System. Mr. Charlton attained a unique and deserved prominence in his
chosen sphere of progressive “American” railroading, and to these new
responsibilities he brought to bear his now well developed, zealous and
forceful business axioms, and an absolute loyalty and fidelity to the
corporation, and in particular, the officers to whom he reported.
He was naturally inclined towards high ideals in life and loved Right,
because it was right. His word was as good as his bond: his YES meant
YES and his NO meant NO, and no person was ever able to twist his
answer into any other meaning and get away with it. His associates in
business never doubted for a single moment any statement he made and
relied on his carrying out his promises and agreement to the letter.
Figuratively speaking, he was a human prototype to the sturdy oak or a
solid English bridge, speeding the multitudes safely on their journey,
indulgent to the hurricanes of youthful hastiness and impervious to
trivialities.
The first half of a popular expression, “The nineteenth century
belonged to the United States, but the twentieth will be Canada’s,”
was acknowledged after the close of the Civil War and concurrent with
the rapid expansion of American railway facilities, Canada suffered a
heavy exodus across the border of youthful brain and brawn in which Mr.
Charlton later played a part. He was the friend of young men who would
take hold and make an effort in the railroad business and he probably
brought from Canada to the United States, and started on their careers
there, a larger number than any other official engaged in traffic
affairs, who found him painstaking in his efforts to educate them in
the right way to handle their work. He was a martinet regarding that
important essential Punctuality and it is said of him that he was never
known to be late one minute beyond the hour appointed for any meeting
or business engagement. Always an early riser, he breakfasted never
later than 6.30 in the morning, sat down precisely to the minute at
12.00 o’clock for luncheon and took his dinner at 6.00 o’clock every
evening.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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