The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 17, 1904
Promotion for M & St. L. Man
J.W. Bell Gets Agentship at Winthrop, Minn.
Is an Important Junction of the Railway – Mark of Esteem for Faithful Employe (sic)
J.W. Beck, who has been bell (sic) clerk in the Minneapolis & St. Louis freight office in Fort Dodge for the past eighteen months, has been given a promotion. He has been offered and has accepted the agency of the Winthrop, Minn., office for the same road. This office is an important one, as it is the junction point of the Estherville, Watertown, South Dakota lines. His promotion is significant of the approval of the officials, as very few ever become agents who are not operators. Mr. Beck is not an operator, but as there is both a day and night operator at Winthrop, it is not necessary that the agent be an operator. However, it shows that his ability is depreciated.
Mr. Beck was a Fort Dodge boy, having graduated at the Fort Dodge high school. Later he moved from here and studied to be an operator, but did not continue that work. He enlisted in a South Dakota regiment at the outbreak of the Spanish-American war and served until his regiment was mustered out.
Later he accepted a position in the Minneapolis & St. Louis offices at the Minneapolis Transfer, and was promoted to a position in the general offices. Later he was transferred here as bill clerk. He will leave to take up his new duties as soon as his successor arrives.
Mr. Beck is well known in Fort Dodge, having practically lived here all his life. His many friends here will be glad to hear of his promotion.
