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FredHarvey
18
digestivesystem.Hereturnedontheboatsandsoonafter,heacceptedanotheroffer
ofemployment;inJuly1862,hebecameamailclerkworkingonrailwaycarsof
theHannibal&St.Josephcompany.Histaskwastosortmailonthego.OnOctober6,
1862,hisanothersonCharleswasborn.Sadly,duetolaboranddeliverycomplications,
hiswifeAnnpassedaway.
Fourmonthslater,onFebruary20,1863,Harveyremarried.Hisnewwifewas
BarbaraSarah“Sally”Mattas,nineteen-year-olddaughterofimmigrantsfromCzech.
Apparently,itwasmoreofabusinessdealinthebeginning,andnotarelationshipbased
onlove.Shewasinfinancialdistress,heneededawifeandanannyforhischildren.
OnceFredhadmadehisprivatelifestable,hegaveupworkonsteamboatstobecome
anagentsellingtraintickets.Forayear,hewasactingasanagentfortheHannibal&
St.JosephRailroad,andin1865,hewasalsoofferedworkasanagentfortheNorth
Kansas,wherehesituatedhisticketsalesstandinthePlanter’sHousehotel.Inthat
period,theCivilWarcametoanend,andtherailroadexpansionstarted.Atthattime,
thegrowthofAmericancitieswascontingentonwhetheratrainwaspassingthough.
Nonetheless,railroadtrackswentaroundLeavenworthuntil1866.
Sadly,Fredwashitbyyetanothertragedy;apandemicofscarletfeverledto
thedeathofhisbothsons(CharlespassedawayonMarch2,1865,whereasEddiedied
ninedayslater).Oneyearlater(1866),anewmemberofhisfamily,FordFerguson
Harvey“Fordie”wasborn,andFredfoundasidegigatTheLeavenworthConservative
newspapersellingsubscriptionandadvertisements.Hesuccessfullycombinedthese
twooccupationsandcontinuedtogrowthroughoutthattime.Herenamedhisstand
inthehoteltheCentralRailroadTicketOfficeandstartedofferingticketsofvarious
railroadcompanies.Hehiredcustomerservicestaff,whilehehimselfbecameamobile
clerk.Rightafterthat,healsoemployedmoremobileclerks.In1868,inrecognitionof
hisresults,hisbossesatTheLeavenworthConservativesignedwithhimanewlucra-
tivecontractforthreethousanddollars(fifteentimestheaveragesalary).Furthermore,
Harveyestablishedcooperationwithothernewspapers,suchastheSt.JosephHerald
ortheKansasFarmer,forwhichhesoldadvertisements,too.Heinvestedthemoney
heearnedinrealestateandgrantedloans.Healsosilentlyenteredtherestaurantbusi-
nessbyacquiringsharesintheAmericanHouseinEllsworth,Kansas,whichwas
apopularhotelwitharestaurant.WhenhiswifeSallygavebirthtotheirsecondchild,
daughterMinnie,FredstartedprovidingservicestotheChicago,Burlington&Quincy,
abigrailroadcompanythatorganizedrailfreighttransportforfarmers,minersand
industrialists.6
Inthespringof1869,UnionPacificopenedthefirsttranscontinentalrailroad,
whichbackthenwasthegreatestaccomplishmentinAmerica’shistory.However,
thecomfortoftraveldidnotimprovewiththegrowthofthecountry’srailwayinfras-
tructure.Asavvypassengerhimself,FredHarveypersonallyexperiencedthis.Trains
