Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-01-14
Iifrm i|esuit NUnis
GENERAL GEORGE w, CASS,



General George W. Cass, thc prcsi.
DENT of thc consolidated chain ofrail-
way extending from this city TO Chi
caeo. known as the "pittshufg, Fort
Wayne and Chicago Railway was
born ia Muskingum county, in the
State of Ohio, 10 $50, OF New England
parents, one of whom came 10 Western
Virginia, near parkorsburg, an 1874,
and the other TO Marietta, Ohio, la
1901 finally locating on a farm, on
the Muskingum river north Of Lanos-
vile, where the subject of this sketch
was born, aud lived in his youth.
Owing to tho schools in that then new
region, being of the most elementary
character, be was sent to Detroit IN
1924, for the purpose Of being educa-
ted at the Detroit Academy, most
excellent school, then under the charge
OF Rev. Ashbel Wells. During his
residence in Detroit (1S24-5-6-7) he
was a member Of the family Of Gen.
Lewis Cass, at the time Governor OF
the Territory Of Michigan. Having
obtained an appointment from his
native State as a Cadet at the U S.
Military Academy, he entered that
institution at a period when it had
attained, under Col. S. Thayer and
Major W. j. Worth, the highest state
Of discipline and efficiency known in
its history. From this institution he
graduated in June, 1882, at the head
OF his class in the principal studies,
and among the distinguished five,* in
/ general Academic studies He was
invited TO return to the Military Acad-
envy at the commencement of the fall
Academic Session Of that year, as one
Of the professors Of mathematics, but
declined, preterring the duties Of n
more active life.
Instead Of receiving the two months
leave Of absence on graduating, he
was az once ordered to report for duty
TO. General Scott, who was then in
New York organizing an army to pro-
ceed against the Indians, who were
collected in large numbers in the
northwest, under the celebrated Chief,
"Black Hawk" Although not yet
commissioned in the Army, (having
only the rank Of Cadet, he was placed
/ in command Of a company of infantry
Jssv seVa ,stgvu tupv Tue -srrRtUu, ana
assigned TO that portion Of the Army
under General Twiggs. On the way
70 the frontier the command Of Gen.
Twiggs was so much reduced in num-
bers by the Asiatic Cholera, (the first
year that that seOurge made its ap-
| pearance on this continent,) that a
number Of companies were broken up
for the purpose Of filling others to the
| proper complement, and thus the mum.
Der Of officers was in excess Of the
demand Of the service. and Mr.. Cass
was transferred TO the Department Of
Typographical Engineers. In this de-
partment he served six months, aud
was then transferred to the Depart
ment Of Military Engineers, in which
be remained until October, 1886,
when, resigning his position, be re-
ceived from General jackson, then
President, an appointment as Civil
Engineer on the National Road, in
which capacity be continued until the
completion Of that road, in the States
Of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Vir-
giuia, and Its reception by the Gov
ernors Of those States, respectively.
During this service he erected the first
Iron Bridge Cast ever built 10 the
United States, over Dunlap's creek, a
tributary OF the Monongahela river.
He was an early and persistent ad.
vOcate Of the Improvement Of the
Monongahela river by Locks and
Dams, and by correspondence, essays,
newspaper communications and other
active efforts, contributed to the pro.
curing Of the charter aud organization
Of a company. As Engineer tor its
improvement he made the survey, and
located and superintended the con
struction Of Locks Nos. 3 and 4. AZ
ter the suspension Of the work by the
inability OF the State Of Pennsylvania
to pay its appropriation and the sale
Of the State stock to private parties,
he was a member Of the board of man
ayers, and was actively instrumental
10 organizing a company Of ample
means from the new shareholders and
the framing ofa contract which insured
the completion Of work, in 1874,
which has been of the highest import
ance 60 the manufacturing interest Of
Pittsburg
On the completion Of the Mononra.
hela Improvement to Brownsville he
organized the first steamboat line on
that river, and also the first fast trans.
portation lines across the mountains.
by relays Of teams, similar to stage
lines, thus building up large carry
ing trade between the East and the
West ria the Monongahela river and
Pitisburg
In ls49 he established the Adams
Express across the mountains from
Baltimore effected the consolidation
OF all the Adams Express lines between
Boston and St. Louis and south TO
Richmond in 1854, and the year fol- |
lowing was elected President Of the
consolidated company.
In January, 1856, be was elected
President Of the Ohio aud Pennsylva- 1
mia Railroad company, then completed /
TO Crestline and earning about one
million dollars a year At the time
there were three corporations build.
ing the three several parts Of the line
between Pittsburg and Chicago. The
two corporations west of Crestine had
exhausted all Of their resources and
were unable without assistance to
complete the work they had com
uenced, and we're seeking aid in diff
ierent quarters to that end. The men
Of enterprise and wealth at Cleveland.
backed by the railroad interest be.
tween Cleveland and Buffalo were
about obtaining possession of the road
rom Crestline TO Chicago, which, IL
would have cut off the OHIO
md Pennsylvania Railroad from Chi.
ago and placed the business interest
lf plftshuror and tho MORT d ,,.ogf t,r,l.,.I