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
It is estimated by financiers that $500,000,000 were to be spent in
Canada during 1910 to meet proposed expansion by the Government, great
corporations and railways. Expectations did not bulk so large when W.
D. Carrick, who is Genl. Baggage Agent, St. Paul Road, resigned from
the Great Western Railroad in 1879 to obey Horace Greely’s command.
Excepting five years in “G.W.R.” service, where was laid the foundation
of practical knowledge, his career has been one of continuous devotion
to a single company. You will observe, if you have seen him, that the
cares of state make scant impress on the features of this wholesome
looking gentleman who considers riches but the baggage of fortune.
Mr. Carrick came from Galt, Ont., and the brothers Albert and Thomas
H. MacRae who manage and edit the popular employees magazine of the
Santa Fe Railway also originated there. From prosaic Guelph, where
bare-footed boys duck in the deep holes of the Riverlet Speed,
came C. E. Dutton, former Genl. Agent at Helena, Mont., for Great
Northern Railway. Eugene Duval, Omaha, A.G.W.A., of C.M. & St.P.R.,
years ago thrived lustily on the ozone of Quebec and Colonel W. J.
Boyle, G.A.P.D., Milwaukee, now and then harks back to former days
in Chatham, where also Charley McPherson and Geo. J. Ryan--recently
Genl. Industrial Commissioner of “Great Northern”, now with the Soo
Line--learned their P’s and Q’s. To this incomplete catalogue of
aspirants to stellar honors who investigate balances, tariffs and
interlocking switches, as bees do the flowers, may be included J.
H. Ellis, from Belleville beside the placid “Quinte”, Secretary
of “L. & N.”, Louisville, F. W. Main, Toronto, Auditor “C.R.I. &
P.”, Kincardine’s standard bearer, W. Hogarth, Auditor El Paso &
Southwestern, and Charles A. Gormally so capably representing the
“G.T.R.” in the heart of things at Chicago. Affable Alex. Macdougall,
D.P.A., I.C.R., St. Paul, John W. Kearns, D.P.A., P.M.R., Detroit,
and C. R. Graves, C.P.A., Salt Lake Route, Los Angeles, when punching
the time limit at the ticket window in days gone by, may remember the
colloquy--“Can you direct me to the best hotel in this town?” asked an
unacquainted railway man of another as he stepped off a train. “I can
brother,” said he going away, “but I hate to do it.” “Why?” “Because
you will think after you have seen it that I’m a liar”.
[Illustration:
1. CHARLES A. GORMALY, Commercial Agent, G.T.R., Chicago, Ill.
2. JOHN W. KEARNS, District Passenger Agent, Pere Marquette
Railway, Detroit, Mich.
3. GEO. O. SOMERS, Secretary, “U.S.A.” Government Northern
Railway Committee, St. Paul, Ex-General Freight Agent, G.N.
Railway, Ex-Traffic Manager, United Fruit Co.
4. The Late ALEX. MCINTOSH, of McIntosh Brothers, Milwaukee,
Railway Contractors.
5. JOHN MCCRAW, Traffic Manager, Groton Iron Works, Groton,
Conn., builders for United States Shipping Board,
Ex-Superintendent Central Vermont Railway, New London.
]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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