“Hear the Whistle” is Jack Haley’s biography, written by his daughter. It primarily covers his career in the rail industry. His first short line in Iowa and Minnesota focused on the revenue side — marketing and sales — rather than trying to reduce costs by trimming staff and deferring maintenance. The book’s most interesting portion was acquisition of the Illinois Central Iowa Division main line reborn as the Chicago Central & Pacific. Regrettably, the railroad was forced into bankruptcy and he was replaced as management. I was impressed by how, with all of the problems he experienced, he was able to maintain equilibrium in his life. Tellingly, as his tombstone says: “He Got the Big Picture.”
Hear the Whistle. By Kathy Haley Buhrman. Steinauer Publishing, 252 pages. $19.95.
