Charles Minot (railroad executive)

[2] Charles Minot was a large, fleshy man, very democratic in his manner with his men, always meeting them on an apparent equality.

A peculiarity of his character was that if he summoned any of the men to his office to "blow them up", he would deliver his pent-up feelings on the first person who happened to come in, although that one was in no way concerned in the trouble on hand, and perhaps knew nothing about it.

[2] The democratic manner of Superintendent Minot had made him objectionable to a number of the Directors long before he declined to enforce the McCallum rules, among them President Ramsdell, so although he had proved himself a capable railroad man, his withdrawal in favor of the strict disciplinarian, McCallum, was agreeable to that element in the Board in more ways than one – but it was costly to the Erie.

Minot went from the Erie to the Michigan Southern Railroad, as general manager, a place he held until December 1859.

For a time Mr. Minot held an office with the Company known as consulting engineer, but he retired from that and returned to his native place, where he died.

[2] The Erie, through Charles Minot, and through his successor, D. C. McCallum, attracted the eyes of the whole country to the value of the telegraph as a vital agent in the management of railroads, the running of trains, and the safety of passengers.

[6] Ezra Cornell was the projector of the line, and while he was constructing it through the southern New York counties, taking the wagon roads for his route, Charles Minot was watching him.

Minot early saw the value of the telegraph to railroads, and how it might be employed to direct the movement of trains at every point along the road.

[3] The novelty and importance of applying the telegraph to the running of its trains by the Erie did not begin to attract general attention until 1855.

In his report for that year, John T. Clark, in his function as New York State Engineer and Surveyor, referred to this innovation at length.

As his statements describe accurately the system of operation on the Erie that had gradually developed under the telegraphic adjunct, and which, modified and improved by Superintendent Minot and his successor, Daniel McCallum, eventually became the standard system on railroads everywhere, they are reproduced here as interesting and valuable historic data:[7] The blank orders that were the basis of telegraphic running of trains originated with Superintendent McCallum, in 1854.

[10] This was the second of the several "firsts" the Erie Railroad created in its time, along with the shipment of milk by rail at Chester station in 1842.

The operating rule book, later standardized for all railroads, contained the basic rules for the operation of trains, such as the meaning of the all fixed, audible and hand signals; the form, format and meaning of train orders; and the duties and obligations of each class of employee.

[9] This article incorporates public domain material from Edward Harold Mott Between the Ocean and the Lakes: The Story of Erie.