James O. (James Octavius) Fagan

Born in Inverness, Scotland, in 1859, James O. Fagan built a career on the railroads and later wrote about the world he knew from the inside. Records for The Autobiography of an Individualist identify him as James O. (James Octavius) Fagan, and library and books-page listings connect him with a substantial body of work.

Fagan is best known for Confessions of a Railroad Signalman and The Autobiography of an Individualist, books that reflect his experience in railroad work and his interest in labor and industrial questions. He also wrote poetry, plays, and historical works, showing a range that went well beyond memoir.

What makes his writing stand out is its directness. Rather than writing from a distance, he wrote as someone who had done the job, argued with the system, and wanted ordinary working life to be taken seriously.