While this panorama of promotions glides without hindrance across the page to the reader’s brain, he can only imagine but should not overlook the monotonous toil, concentration of purpose and rebuffs smiled down behind the scenes by our subject long before a recital in this form was possible.
The best opportunity to truly sound the depth of a man’s character is to work with and beside him. As you may surmise, George Charlton’s manner of speech and demeanor towards his staff of employees is not rapid, cold and repellant, but a reflection of the desire pulsating within him to interchange enthusiasm, co-operation and loyalty with others, measure for measure. Woe betide the luckless mortal, however, who rouses his ire by flagrantly violating these commandments. This gentleman of tremendous energy and democratic inclinations, always finds time to fraternize with his men, meeting them as equals and apparently enjoying their society as much as they appreciate his.
Kindliness and generosity are his cardinal virtues. They have won for him the affection and compel the highest possible respect of his confreres and those characteristics, coupled with recognized ability, loom large when one attempts an inventory of the causes underlying his success.
The far reaching effect of the recent order issued by Mr. W. G. McAdoo, Director General of Railroads in United States, necessitating the release of many employees of the “Alton” who had been loyal members of Mr. Charlton’s railway family, distressed him keenly and quickened his broad sympathies. He immediately became “a welcome pest” to his influential friends, through unremitting efforts to assist his reluctantly departing staff to other suitable employment.
George Charlton is a votary of Comus, the ancient and rotund god of Merriment and that mythological personage ranks next to his patron saints. He is a well known society and club member, identified with at least a dozen organizations including the Hoos Hoos, Elks, Yacht Club, South Shore Country Club, Union League, Chicago, Green Room Club and Lambs Club, New York; also Hamilton Old Boys’ Association.
He is immensely popular with the traveling public and “man in the street” and they, having in mind the Passenger Traffic Manager of that triangular route linking Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City, agree that the wise man was right when he said “A merry heart doeth good like medicine.”
JAMES JEROME HILL
The Late James Jerome Hill, Ex-Canadian and financier of vision and resource who built the Great Northern Railway through the “Zone of plenty.”
K. J. Burns, Assistant General Freight Agent, Vancouver, B.C.