From 1878 to 1882, he was with the Southern railway on location of line through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

From 1882 to 1886, he was in private practice, engaged in general engineering work in Boston and vicinity.

He re-entered railway service in 1886, serving as assistant engineer from April, 1886, to February, 1887; he was in charge of constructing a portion of the Oregon & California railroad.

He became chief assistance engineer of the San Francisco & San Joaquin Valley in 1896, and in 1901 re-entered the service of the Southern Pacific as assistant engineer, where he was engaged in locating new lines and supervising the reconstruction of other lines, including the Central Pacific from Rocklin, California, to Truckee, California until 1905, when he became district engineer maintenance of way, with headquarters at San Francisco.

In 1914, he was appointed chairman of the Alaskan Engineering Commission by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.