From the May, 1913 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
Mr. J.W. Foote is engineer of the Allegheny Division at Salamanca, N.Y. And he is a very active individual when it comes to fighting floods and other trouble on the road.

Printing this brief sketch of his life -- his railroad life -- is in line with a policy established some time ago of presenting these sketches, together with pictures, so that the boys on the line may get an idea of those with whom they are associated.

Superintendent M.E. Johns of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Division, was very anxious to see Mr. Foote get into the limelight, because they were associated very closely on the NYS&W, when Mr. Foote was division engineer. When Mr. Foote heard that his old friend, M.E.J., had gone on a western trip, that was to wind up in Florida, he became envious and wished he was picking oranges, too, instead of fighting floods. And when he saw the photograph of M.E.J. posed in his bathing suit on the white sand of a beach at New Smyrna, Fla., he said: "Oh, how I wish I were there, if only to show Johns how to swim overhanded, for I never yet saw a man who loved the water and was a chronic fisherman, who knew even the rudiments of swimming." And this feeling of friendship will be appreciated by M.E.J.

Following is Mr. Foote's professional record:
Was graduated from St. Thomas College, Scranton, Pa., in 1901, and entered service of the Erie as rodman, Wyoming and Jefferson divisions, at Dunmore, Pa., during December of the same year. Later was acting assistant engineer of same divisions and in February, 1906, was appointed assistant engineer of the New York Division, and was successively chief clerk to division engineer, New York Division; supervisor of NYS&W RR at Blairstown, N.J.; assistant supervisor of terminal divisions, supervisor of terminal division. On January 1st, 1910, was appointed division engineer of the NYS&W RR and on November 1st., 1912, was transferred to Salamanca, N.Y., as division engineer of the Allegheny and Bradford divisions.