The Knut Barth and the Brazilian Railroad Story

                                             The Knut Barth and the Brazilian Railroad Story

                                                                   Told to me in 1996                

                                                      A true story as told to me by Knut Barth

                                                     Written 11/16/2015, Re-written 1/2016

                                                                          Howard Yasgar

  

      Knut said that after world WW 2 he immigrated from Norway to the United States.

      Knut had an engineering degree and had worked for the O.S.S.  as a spy at the wars end.

      Once in the United States he applied for a job with a major U.S. locomotive manufacturer.

They not only manufactured railroad engines,  but they would build complete railroads.

      Knut had applied to enter their engineering department and he was accepted.

      After working in engineering for a year or so, an opening was available in their sales department, and Knut applied.

      At the time Knut was a bachelor at the time and the prospect of traveling around the world for the company really interested him.

      He was surprised to learn that his first assignment was to fly to Brasilia.

      The Brazilian government in their attempt to open up the Amazon had requested quotes to build a railroad along one of the rivers there.

      Knut’s predecessor had already submitted his companies bid, and it was Knut’s job to be in Brazilia for the opening of the bids by the Brazilian Minister of the Interior.

      As Knut was relatively new in sales and never had been at a bid opening before.     

      Knut arrived in Brasilia several days early, and after walking around the city for 2 days, he was at a loss as to what to do next.

      In the hotel lobby he saw a tourist brochure for a river cruise up the Sao Francisco River, so having nothing better to do for a couple of days he signed up for it.

      The next day he was taken to Sao Francisco River and then onto a tourist  boat that took him up the river for an uneventful cruise and then back to his hotel.

      When the time came for the opening of the bids, Knute was seated in the Minister of the Interiors office, along with sales representatives  from all his competitors.

      They had come from England, France and Germany.

      When the bids were opened, and the prices announced, his companies bid was several million dollars higher than all his competitors.

      It appeared that Knut had wasted his time coming to Brazil.

      That was until the Minister of the Interior said he was awarding the contract to Knut’s company.

      All of the competitors protested, some erven stood up in protest.

      So The Minister of the Interior told them why he had awarded the contract the way he did.

      He said that out of all the bidders, Knut Barth was the only person that had taken the time to travel up the river to inspect where the railroad was to be built.

      Knut returned to the United States as a hero, and his eventual rise to a vice presidency was now assured.

      It wasn’t until four years later that Knut learned that a $400,000.00 under the table payment had been made to the Minister of the interior by his company prior to the bid opening.