as glory enough for me.

The order appointing me superintendent of the Pittsburgh Division was
issued December 1, 1859. Preparations for removing the family were
made at once. 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. At one time for eight days I was constantly
upon the line, day and night, at one wreck or obstruction after
another. I was probably the most inconsiderate superintendent that
ever was entrusted with the management of a great property, for, never
knowing fatigue myself, being kept up by a sense of responsibility
probably, I overworked the men and was not careful enough in
considering the limits of human endurance. I have always been able to
sleep at any time. Snatches of half an hour at intervals during the
night in a dirty freight car were sufficient.

The Civil War brought such extraordinary demands on the Pennsylvania
line that I was at last compelled to organize a night force; but it
was with difficulty I obtained the consent of my superiors to entrust
the charge of the line at night to a train dispatcher. Indeed, I never
did get their unequivocal authority to do so, but upon my own
responsibility I appointed perhaps the first night train dispatcher
that ever acted in America--at least he was the first upon the
Pennsylvania system.

Upon our return to Pittsburgh in 1860 we rented a house in Hancock
Street, now Eighth Street, and resided there for a year or more. Any
accurate description of Pittsburgh at