Thomas Toliver

Hello, Nelson Olstead here. Today I want a Chronicle of Career which started in a railroad check and ended in a mansion. First let me introduce Clint Reiber who in turn will introduce Pacific Power. Welcome once again to stories of Pacific Power Land, a presentation of Pacific Power and Life, the company that has been

serving the electric needs of the region's homes, farms and industries through more than half a century of progress and growth. Now here's Nelson with his book open to a chapter from Wyoming. When Thomas Seton Tolliver was just 18, he arrived in Green River in southwestern Wyoming and that was in 1883. With a population of about 2000, the town was our

rough and ready railroad center. The young Virginian was not long finding work as a day laborer for the Union Pacific Railroad and as boss told him, you don't strike me as a working stiff type young feller but this job will keep you in coffee and donuts if you don't my getting your hands dirty now and then.

Oh, I don't mind. Anyway, I probably won't be here too long. I'm going to be a lawyer one of these days. A lawyer, isn't it? Well, shoot yourself, kid. But this ain't exactly a university, you know?

Before long, Tolliver moved out of the realm of day laborer into a position as a foreman, then expressed messenger, then chief clerk, and finally, station agent. This last was a good job, and Benny a lesser man would have been content to stop right there, but not Thomas Tolliver. He never lost sight of his star. While he worked, he

studied not only law, but also literature, history and the classics. Then in 1900, he took the Wyoming State Bar Examination with such success that one of his examiners was prompted to remark. Well, sir, I knew Thomas was a talented young man. But after seeing his work, I'm going to say I believe he's