| JAMES W. FULTON, foreman machinists'
departments of Union Pacific Railway Shops, Armstrong, Kan., was appointed to his present
position February 1, 1882. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in March, 1839; commenced the
machinist's trade in 1854, and followed it in his native city until 1866, when he came to
the United States; of this time he was employed seven years in Nelson's Hyde Park
Locomotive Works. In 1866, he became connected with the Chicago & Northwestern
Railroad, in the shops at Chicago, Ill., where he remained until 1870, when he moved to
Kansas, and entered the employ of the Union Pacific Railroad at Wyandotte, where he has
since remained. He was married in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1882, to Miss M. MacEwan, of that
city. They have five children - Agnes, William, Elizabeth, James and Frank. Mr. F. is at
present serving his third term on the City JAMES
MACKENZIE, master mechanic Kaw Valley Division Union Pacific Railway, was
appointed to his present position in June, 1881. He was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
County, Scotland, June 13, 1824. He was apprenticed to the machinist's trade at the age of
seventeen years. In 1844, he came to the United States, locating in New York City, where
he followed his trade until 1847, when he moved to Schenectady, N. Y., where he worked in
the locomotive works some six years. He then moved to Susquehanna, Penn., where he was
employed in the New York & Erie Railroad shops, remaining some years. After spending
about two years in the employ of the Toronto locomotive works, he returned to New York
State; and took charge of the Eagle Foundry, at Troy. About one year later, he returned to
the Susquehanna shops. About 1857, he went South to take the position as foreman of the
Mobile & Ohio Railroad shops at Memphis, Tenn. During the war, he was in the shops at
Chattanooga, Tenn., and remained there after the town was captured by the United States
troops, and was afterward at Bowling Green, Nashville, and other points, until about 1875.
He then came north, to take the position of foreman of the shops at Jackson, Mich., of the
Lansing & Saginaw Railroad. Shortly afterward, he took the same position at Detroit,
with the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad, where he remained a number of years. From this
road, he went to the Union Pacific Railway, as foreman of the machine shops. From that was
promoted to his present position. He was married in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1844, to Miss
M. White, of that county, who died leaving six children, of whom there survive, John, now
Superintendent of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad; James, Adam, Margaret,
now Mrs. John Lindsey; Sarah, now Mrs. William White. He was married to his present wife
at Nashville, Tenn. She was Mrs. Sallie (Cook) West, of that city School Board. He is a
member of the I. O. O. F. and K. of P.
THOMAS NEWTON, foreman of the wood-working
machinery department of the Union Pacific Railroad shops, was appointed to his present
position in 1875. He was first connected with the Kansas Pacific Railway in 1872, in the
same department of which he is now foreman. He was born near Newcastle-on-Tyne, England,
September 21, 1842, of Scotch parentage. His parents moved to Roxburyshire, Scotland,
while he was an infant. He commenced as a boy in the saw-mill there, and continued until
1861, when he located in Woodstock, Canada West, where he was employed in a saw-mill about
two years; than moved to Detroit, Mich., working for a time in private mills. In 1865, he
became connected with the Detroit Car Company shops, remaining about three years; then
went to the Michigan Central Railroad shops in the same department remaining there until
he went to the Kansas Pacific Railroad. He was married in Detroit, Mich., January 2, 1873,
to Miss Josephine MacQuillin, a native of Monroe, Mich. They have three children - George
C., Thomas W. and William R. Mr. N. is a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Council,
A., F. & A. M., and also of the I. O. O. F.
THOMAS B. ROBERTS, master car builder in the Union Pacific Railroad
shops, was appointed to his present position August 18,1871, and has held it continuously
since. He began his connection with railroad work about 1858, under William Dodd,
contractor of bridges and buildings in the Great Western Railroad, of Canada, at Toronto,
and was afterward employed in the car building department of that road. He then moved to
Detroit, where he was appointed foreman of the car building department of the Detroit
& Milwaukee Railroad. Remained in the employ of this company from August 15, 1860
until August 15, 1865. He then resigned, and took the position of general foreman of the
Crogan street car shops for H. H. Leroy. He continued in this place from August 18, 1865,
to July18, 1867, when he was called by Supt. J. B. Southerland to the Michigan Central
Railroad, to take charge of the shops of the company at Detroit. He held the position of
foreman of the shops here from July 18, 1867, until August 15, 1871, when he resigned to
take his present position. He was born in Bromley, England, December 18, 1828. His parents
moved to Toronto, Canada, about 1831, where he commenced his trade at the age of fifteen
years. He spent six years at carpentering, joining, stair building, etc. He then went into
contracting and building on his own account, putting up mills, etc., until 1858. He was
married at Thornhill, near Toronto, Canada, to Miss Nancy Dunlap, a native of Edinburgh,
Scotland. They have eleven children - Thomas G., David R., Joseph, John, James, Emily A.,
Susan J. Ellen O., Margaret, Minnie and Elmira. Mr. Roberts has been a member of the City
Council two terms. He is Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Eastern Star Lodge, and also
the K. of P
WILLIAM WHITE, foreman of the copper and tin department of the Union
Pacific Railroad shops, was appointed to his present position in 1870. He was born in
Glasgow, Scotland, September 17, 1843. He began his trade at the age of twelve years, and
followed it in his native city until he came to the United States in 1868. He settled in
Chicago, where he was employed at distillery work until 1870, when he was called by George
W. Cushing, Superintendent of motive power, to take his present position. Mr. White was
married in Wyandotte, Kan., to Miss Sarah Mackenzie, daughter of James Mackenzie, Esq.
DAVID S. YOUNG, real estate agent at Argentine, and Wyandotte, also
clothing merchant, Wyandotte; came to Kansas November, 1869, and located at Argentine;
purchased 200 acres of land near Argentine, at $14.50 per acre; sold 100 acres soon
afterward for $25 per acre, and 60 acres in 1876 for $100 per acre, and the last 40 acres
for $150 per acre. He was engaged in farming for several years after coming to Kansas, and
raised the first broom corn and sorghum ever cultivated in Wyandotte County. He has served
as Township Trustee three terms, and is at present engaged in the real estate business
with an office at Argentine, and also at Wyandotte City. He is also engaged in mercantile
business in Wyandotte. He was born in Prince Edward County, Canada, August 7, 1822, son of
William and Margaret Young. He is of Scotch Irish descent, and has a remarkably active
brain with a turn for speculating, and is regarded one of the shrewdest business men in
Wyandotte County. He was educated in the public schools of Canada, and reared on a farm;
taught school one year, and at the age of nineteen years engaged in the mercantile
business as clerk in the town of Wellington for a short time; then managed a farm and at
the same time engaged in a general speculating business until he sold out and moved to
Clay County, Mo., in the year 1865. He lived in Missouri till the fall of 1869, when he
came to Kansas. He was married in Wellington, Canada, December 24, 1850, to Minerva Lane,
by whom he had two children - Anna and Emma J. Young. His first wife died in 1853, and in
1854 he was married a second time in Wellington to Mary Short, daughter of Adam and Mary
Short, by whom he has six children - Maggie, Mamie, William, John, Frankie and Edith
Young. Mr. Young is a worthy Mason, and a member of the Equitable Aid's Union.
Here are but a few Scots that molded and formed the western plains of the United
States. With the advent of the railroads to the western movement, a quality of life
was as such as never before. Hundreds of communities were formed by the
preserverance and fortitude of the zealous Scot. |
