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Muir, William Ker, Detroit, General Manager of the
Canada Southern Railway. was born at Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, on
the 20th March,1829; and is descended on his mother’s side from the Howies,
Covenanters, of Lochgoyne. When a youth, attending school, he displayed a
taste for railroad and mechanical engineering, and had also a leaning for
surgert. The latter part of each school-day was spent in an engineering
establishment, and there his genius for that profession was quickened. and
developed. There he acquired that knowledge of mechanical work which
proved of such value to him in the great under-takings which the future
had in store for him. Upon severing his connection with this
establishment, he obtained a position in the parcel and ticket office of
the Glasgow and South Western Railway, serving through all the grades of
railroad employment, in the parcel, ticket, passenger and freight offices.
Early and late he worked on and off the trains, acquiring a knowledge of
every form of railroad work. We learn that in the course of a few years he
was promoted to an important position in the engineer and manager’s
office. Here he served creditably for several years, when he accepted a
responsible position in the service of an English railway company. When
connected with this cornpany, C. .J. Brydges, then managing director of
the Great Western Railway of Canada, offered him a position on the latter
railroad which he accepted, and at once left for Canada. In October, 1852,
he assumed the duties of his new position before the first section of the
railway between Niagara Falls and Hamilton was opened. Mr. Muir assisted
in opening the line for traffic, remaining in the service of the company
until about 1857. He was then sent to Detroit to assume the management of
the Detroit and Milwaukee Railway, in the completion of which to Lake
Michigan the Great Western Company had taken a large pecuniary interest.
Under the management of Mr. Muir this railroad was completed in its entire
length; was thoroughly equipped with rolling stock; secured two
magnificent steamships to ply on Lake Michigan between the western
terminus of the road, Grand Haven and Milwaukee. For passenger and freight
accommodation the condition of the road was made the very best. In
December, 1865 Mr. Muir resigned his position to accept the office of
assistant general superintendent of the Michigan Central Railroad, under
R. N. Nice, then general superintendent. So ably did he perform the duties
of that office that, after a few years, the Great Western Railway Company
offered him the office of general superintendent. which he accepted. Under
his control this line became one of the best equipped in the country, and
.a general improvement in the management of its business soon became
conspicuous. He changed it from the Canadian broad 5 feet 6½ in. gauge to
the American narrow gauge of 4 feet 8½ inches; added new narrow-gauge
rolling stock, and equipped it thoroughly as a connecting link between the
western and eastern railway systems. This task completed, he again assumed
the superintendence of the Detroit and Milwaukee road, but immediately
afterwards retired to accept the management of the new railroad through
Canada, with its branches on the American side, known as the Canada
Southern Railway lines. He has since been general manager of this road,
and under his wisdom, the length and extent of. his experience, and his
splendid business capacity, this thoroughfare has become one of the very
best on the continent. It is a fact that the passenger trains over this
line make faster time than is accomplished upon any other road on the
American continent. |
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