Pacific to Ione and then switched to the tracks of the Amador Central, thus saving travelers for Martell the inconvenience of transferring. This is one of Mrs. Erickson's ideas. The Amador Central also operates two automobile stage lines out of Martell.
Mrs. Erickson loves the hills and the outdoor life of California. "When I went up into that country with Mr. Erickson it was practically inaccessible" she says, "but I became interested in the work and enjoyed every minute that I spent among the hills where the steel horse was to come."
Just at present the Amador Central president has under consideration the purchase of several additional locomotives, freight-cars and other equipment made necessary by increased business.
"I shall be at my office nearly every day" says she, "but I have no idea of neglecting my home life. Nor my clubs."
Mrs. Erickson is well known as a club woman, being active as a member of the Orpheus, the Ebell and the Eurydice clubs, the Associated Charities, and the Tax Association of Alameda county. She is a director of the West Oakland Home and attends St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
The honor of being the only woman railroad president in the world was formerly held by Mrs. S. A. Kidder, of Grass Valley, California. She resigned the presidency of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Rail road some time ago.
Mrs. Erickson's favorite recreation is reading, especially books on new thought and philosophy, and the works of some of the old masters. She believes in suffrage, but asserts most emphatically that she is not a suffragette. Despite her activities in the business world and as a club woman, she is also a "home-body." Her eldest son, who is seventeen, is taking a special course in engineering, being educated to take charge eventually of the actual operations of the Amador Central, thus relieving his mother of these duties.
Although Mrs. Erickson is a talented pianist and singer, she is no stranger in the kitchen. When the only woman railroad chief executive feels like meddling in that stronghold—where a Chinese cook holds forth—guess what she does: dons an apron and in less time than it takes to get up steam in a locomotive the table is covered with dainty tempting deliciously browned cookies.
"I am very fond of cookies" she says, "but it is for the children that I bake them."
Mrs. Erickson might talk railroad business all day, or for weeks, and would appear as an ordinary business woman—a shrewd, well educated, energetic business woman—a shrewd, well educated, energetic business woman familiar with all the details of the business of which she is the head. But when she speaks of her family—the boys and the little girl, the baby—it is then that her face lights up and her eyes glisten, and she forgets for the time that she is the world's only woman railroad president—forgets everything but that she is a mother. James P. Howe.
An image should appear at this position in the text. To use the entire page scan as a placeholder, edit this page and replace "{{missing image}}" with "{{raw image|Sunset Magazine vol. 31.pdf/535}}". Otherwise, if you are able to provide the image then please do so. For guidance, see Wikisource:Image guidelines and Help:Adding images. |  |
Chief of Police of "Spotless Town"
ACCORDING to the Board of Geographic Names, "Spotless Town" is not on the map. And yet the entire Pacific Coast is applying this pleasing nickname to the University city of California which preserves the memory of Bishop Berkeley and his prophetic line, "Westward the Star of Empire takes its way." Reference to the Berkeley census of 1910 will show that there were within its gates 40,434 rich men, some poor men, but seldom a beggar man or thief. And the reason why the latter undesirables have given Berkeley a wide berth is not due to its estimable doctors, lawyers or merchants, but to its Chief, Gus Vollmer. Through his efforts the municipality has been cleaned up until evil weeds, vegetable and human, have no place in its precincts. In 1905, when the population was 25,000, property to the value of $21,780 was stolen from the good citizens of Berkeley. Now that the population in 1912 has doubled, the average loss through theft is only about $12,000 a year, a proportion of about one fourth per capita of the former amount.
Gus Vollmer grew up with the college town. Although six feet, plus, with dignity to match his commanding stature, he still answers to his boyhood name. He is an intuitive reader of character.
Vollmer won his spurs in the quelling of the Philippine Insurrection. Early in the outbreak, the Gugu guerrillas had been having a gay bit of glory in sniping the Americanos along the Pasig river. Vollmer was detailed with a platoon of artillerymen
