American Smelting and Refining Co. - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by American Bank Note Company. William Sproule (1858 – January 1, 1935) was president of the Wells Fargo Express Company and later the Southern Pacific Railroad. He came to this country with an education, an affable disposition and ability that went straight to the mark. He began as a freight clerk on the Southern Pacific. In the course of 24 years of continuous service in the company he rose to the position of Traffic Manager. Then the Guggenheims, ever watchful for talent, secured him as traffic manager?member of the executive committee for the American Smelting and Refining Co. Then the Wells Fargo Express Co. got him for its President. In 1911 the Southern Pacific which had got along without Sproule for five years decided it could get along without him no longer. Sproule went back, as President of the road. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sproule