Joseph Benjamin Smalley, general superintendent of the southwestern district of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad, whose office is at Topeka, Kan., was born at Muscoda, Wis., April 5, 1858. His father, John Smalley, is a native of England but came to the United States when twelve years of age with his brother and his father, Joseph Smalley, and spent the greater part of his business career as a hotel keeper in Muscoda, Wis. He died Nov. 29, 1911. The mother of Joseph B. Smalley was a Miss Mary Correll before her marriage, a native of Pennsylvania and the daughter of Benjamin Correll, whose occupation was that of a farmer. She died in 1884.

Mr. Smalley was reared in Muscoda, Wis., and though he received only a common school education, real merit, wherever found, will win out despite unpropitious conditions or disparaging environment. While yet a mere youth he mastered telegraphy and at the age of sixteen he began as an operator for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. He remained in the continuous employ of that company from 1874 until 1902, the first six years of which time was spent as an operator at different points. From 1881 to 1888 he was train dispatcher at Milwaukee and from 1888 to 1894 he was chief dispatcher at Dubuque and Marion, Iowa. He was made trainmaster at Marion, Iowa, in 1894, and remained there until 1902. From 1902 to Dec. 15, 1909, he was superintendent of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad successively at Estherville and Des Moines, Iowa, Herington, Kan., and Rock Island, Ill. On Dec. 15, 1909, he became general superintendent of the southwestern district, his present position.

On March 2, 1882, Mr. Smalley was united in marriage with Miss Jennie Blanche Jackson, of Delphi, Ind. They have two children—a son and a daughter: John Herbert, born July 1, 1884, is a graduate of the high school at Marion, Iowa; Mary Esther, born Oct. 20, 1886, is a graduate of West High School, Des Moines, Iowa. Fraternally Mr. Smalley is a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Knight Templar and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He also holds membership in the Commercial and Country clubs of Topeka.