ANDREW E. KERR, vice president and general manager of the Dayton and Goose Creek Railroad Company, with general offices in the Humble Building at Houston, is one of the best known men in South Texas. For many years he was engaged in the lumber business in close association with R. S. Sterling, president of the Dayton and Goose Creek road, and when construction of the short line was begun, he took charge of the building operations and superintended the construction of the entire road. Since its completion, he has been in entire charge of the road's operation. The Dayton and Goose Creek Railroad runs to Baytown, a distance of twenty-five miles, and a double daily passenger service is maintained between terminals and round trips are made daily by the freight trains with extra trains when traffic demands justify. The road employs about 75 men, most of whom have been in service with Mr. Kerr for many years, some of them for as long as twenty years. No labor troubles have ever occurred on the road and no complaint or dissatisfaction has ever been received from the employees.

Construction of the Dayton and Goose Creek Railroad was begun in 1917, the first rails being laid in September of that year. The road was completed in March, 1918, and both freight and passenger service inaugurated on April 1, 1918. The road bed is of standard construction, shell ballasted and laid with sixty pound rails. The rolling stock includes two super heated Baldwin locomotives and one older engine for extra freight service and standard passenger coaches are provided.

A native of Texas, Mr. Kerr was born in Johnson County on January 31, 1876, a son of B. B. Kerr, Johnson County farmer who came to Texas after the close of the Civil War and died when his son was five years of age. Mr. Kerr studied in the public schools of Johnson County and later taught school for a time before going into the lumber and sawmill business. He began with the Dayton Lumber Company as timekeeper and in 1910 was made secretary of the company. He remained with this firm until Mr. Sterling sold it in 1920. He is still associated closely with Mr. Sterling in various activities apart from the operation of the railroad. A significant feature of the road's operation is that not a single employee has ever been killed or hurt and the road has never had a serious accident.

Besides managing the affairs of the railroad company, Mr. Kerr is president of the Goose Creek Realty Company, a townsite company organized to develop Goose Creek when the road was built; is president of the Goose Creek Power and Light Company, president and treasurer of the Markham Irrigation Company, and the Gulf Coast Irrigation Company at Bay City.

In 1902, Mr. Kerr was married at Grandview, Texas, to Miss Leonora Pitts. They have four children, Jennie Katherine, A. E., Jr., Robert and Oma Beth. The family home is at 600 Avondale Avenue. Mr. Kerr is a Mason, a member of the new Houston Blue Lodge, a member of the chapter at Dayton and the Commandery at Houston and of Arabia Temple Shrine at Houston. His church affiliation is with the Baptist denomination.