The change was hailed with joy, for although our residence in Altoona had many advantages, especially as we had a large house with some ground about it in a pleasant part of the suburbs and therefore many of the pleasures of country life, all these did not weigh as a feather in the scale as against the return to old friends and associations in dirty, smoky Pittsburgh.

My brother Tom had learned telegraphy during his residence in Altoona and he returned with me and became my secretary.
The winter following my appointment was one of the most severe ever known.

The line was poorly constructed, the equipment inefficient and totally inadequate for the business that was crowding upon it.

The rails were laid upon huge blocks of stone, cast-iron chairs for holding the rails were used, and I have known as many as forty-seven of these to break in one night.

No wonder the wrecks were frequent.
The superintendent of a division in those days was expected to run trains by telegraph at night, to go out and remove all wrecks, and indeed to do everything.