Prominent Railroad Officials -- Bryan Snyder

THERE are few men in the railroad business in the United States who can boast of a more rapid rise in the profession than can Bryan Snyder, who is now the passenger traffic manager of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Company, with headquarters in St. Louis.

Mr. Snyder is particularly well known in Texas. His parents reside in Dallas and it may be said that he practically got his start here, inasmuch as his experience in the business was not great when he came to this State.

Born in 1866, he became a railroad employee in 1882 with the old Louisville and St. Louis Air Line, which is now a portion of the Southern system. He served that company in the capacity of office boy, ticket stock clerk and passenger rate and division clerk, giving unusual satisfaction in each position.

Coming to Texas, he became connected with the Gould lines in this State as rate and division clerk in the general freight department and served in that position for about a year. Afterward he went with the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company in the general freight department. With this road his rise was rapid. Beginning as chief claim clerk in the general freight department, he became, successively, traveling freight agent at Houston, commercial agent at San Antonio, division freight agent at Dallas and then assistant general freight agent.

In November, 1896, Mr. Snyder came with the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad (Frisco system) as general Eastern agent at New York City. In April, 1897, he was made assistant general freight agent, at St. Louis, and in December, 1898, became general passenger agent. His appointment to the position of passenger traffic manager took place on Sep. 1, 1901.

Mr. Snyder's railroad experience is out of the ordinary in this: That he started in as a member of the freight department, and yet has become such a first-class all-around man that he is placed at the head of the passenger department of one of the most important systems in the country. Ordinary transfers from one department to another are not made after valuable experience has been acquired in one. Mr. Snyder has long made a careful study of every branch of the railway service. He can write almost as well as he can manage a railway department. Not long ago he wrote a vigorous article for Eastern publications, in which he called attention to the prosperity of the Southwest and declared that success in agriculture was making investors of the farmers and increasing the working capital of those who were already investors. Mr. Snyder is a great believer in the future of this country and particularly of Texas.