It was George T. Lanigan, a New York Journalist, who some years ago wrote “The Akoond of Swat is dead—that’s what’s the matter”, which made him over night one of America’s high salaried, most talked of newspaper men, and his brother “Billy” has oratorical gifts and is lucid with tongue and pen. He is an effective and witty after dinner speaker who can be depended on to drive home facts in a pleasing manner, and in 1900 when the late Phil. Slatter, City Passenger Agent, Grand Trunk Railway, Toronto, was president of the Canadian Ticket Agents’ Association, Mr. Lanigan delivered to that organization at their annual banquet in the Walker House, Toronto, a humorous and finished address proving that Moses was the first genuine passenger emigration agent and that the very widely known and popular “C.P.R.” official, W. T. Dockrill, was the second because of his marked success in directing large parties of settlers beyond the Red River.
W. B. Lanigan has not been unmindful of former assistants and several from Old Ontario, having merited his imprimatur, followed him westward and are justifying his confidence.
The United States railway world has produced from time to time, and held up to democratic public approval, scores of men of indomitable will and working capacity who have wrested recognition and advancement “from the ground up” to the highest executive honors capital could bestow; for instance, C. W. Brown, president of the New York Central Lines, who once piled ties along the C.M. & St. P.R., for a living, or rodmen who now control the great United States Government affinity, the Pennsylvania System, as well as a few naturalized “Americans” with Canadian lines, but I do not recall a “native son”, laboring always with one company, whose record surpasses the many sided experiences—hard at the time—of the official who has been for ten years Assistant Freight Traffic Manager at Winnipeg. This golden west gateway is a strategical point to the wide-a-wake corporation employing W. B. Lanigan, he measures up to requirements.
As this article goes to press his appointment as Freight Traffic Manager, Canadian Pacific Railway, Montreal, is announced.
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JAMES CHARLTON
The Nestor and Grand Old Man among passenger agents
The Late James Charlton.
At no period in the world’s history have those fundamentals of a stable, social structure—morals, fidelity and sympathy—been burdened with more significance to humanity than at present and in alluding to the strengthening bonds which link three Anglo-Saxon nations, it would seem not inopportune to dwell on the characteristics of a gentleman, a Briton who was highly endowed with those basic virtues and who, in passing, left their indelible impress on his personal relations and throughout a long life of active railway experience in England, Canada and United States.