Twentieth Century Limited
How an Immigrant’s American Dream Was Derailed by Corruption, Greed, and Politics
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"Henry had arrived on America's shores at the age of seventeen, one of 1.4 million Germans who braved the Atlantic Ocean to come here in the decade of the 1880's. Like many other immigrants he found work on America's fast-growing railroads. But the railroads made it clear that men who worked for them did so at thier own risk. It was the most dangerous industry in the nation and trainmen--engineers, firemen, brakemen and conductors--bore the brunt of the casualties."
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About the Book
Seventeen-year-old Henry Horstman was one of 1.4 million Germans who braved the Atlantic Ocean to immigrate into the United States during the 1880s with the hope of achieving a better life. Twentieth Century Limited details the compelling life story of Horstman, who pursued his boyhood dream in one of the most dangerous industries in America—only to lose it in the prime of his life.
Douglass Horstman, the grandson of Henry Horstman, draws on memories and historical accounts as he chronicles his grandfather’s fascinating lebengeschichte (life story) while also highlighting the carnage on the rails that devastated the lives of thousands of railroad workers and their families during a time when railroad corruption was rampant. As a youth in Germany, Henry was faced with the possibility of conscription into the Prussian Army but chose instead to follow the example of his uncle, a lokomotivfuhrer (engineer) in America. The author pieces together a captivating story that follows Henry from his Prussian youth to his first steps onto American soil and his fateful job on a railroad in upstate New York.
At a time when thousands of trainmen were being killed or injured, Henry Horstman displayed insurmountable determination and courage, turning his journey through life and on the rails into an inspiring biography.
About the Author
Douglass Horstman, the grandson of Henry Horstman, draws on memories and historical accounts as he chronicles his grandfather’s fascinating lebengeschichte (life story) while also exposing corruption that undercut the safety of thousands of trainmen during the early part of the twentieth century. As a youth in Germany, Henry’s ambition was to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, an earlier American immigrant who became a lokomotivfuhrer driving iron horses over the rails. The author pieces together a captivating story that follows Henry from his upbringing in Prussia to his first steps onto American soil and his fateful job on the nation’s most notorious railroad. A former government affairs executive in Washington, D.C., Douglass C. Horstman understands the inner workings of government and politics. His avid interest in United States history led him to write about his immigrant grandfather and the perilous working conditions on the nation’s corruption-ridden railroads. Now retired, the author lives in Spotsylvania, Virginia with his wife Sondra.