The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-12
GENERAL GEORGE W. C4SS.
Ills Early Lie aud Education.


George W. Cass was born in 1910, in Muskingum
county, Ohio his father being farmer OF New Eng
land birth, as was also his mother There being
nothing more than elementary schools in the neigh
borhood he was, in 1924 sent to Detroit, where he
remained until 1921, as a pupil Of the Rev. Ashbel
Wells, and member OF the family of the late Gene
raj Lewis Cass, at that time Governor Of the Terri
tory OF Michigan. He then obtained an appointment
as a cadet to the United States Military Academy at
West Point, from which institution he graduated in
1892 standing at the head of his class In some of the
principal studies, and among the distinguished five
IN the general Academic studies His mathematical
attainments were so thorough that he was immed
ately, on graduating, rendered a position i'm the
Academy as an assistant professor in that de-
rsrtment; but this honor he declined to enter
upon a more active field.
His Brief Military Career.
He ordered to report for duty to General Scott
and, although not yet regularly commissioned, was
by him placed in command of newly recruited
infantry company At their head he started for the
army Of General Twiggs, on the Northwestern from
tier to engage in the warfare against the Indians
under Black Hawk But before reaching the field,
he was thrown out Of his command by the consoli-
dation of several companies whose ranks were
decimated by the Asatic cholera He was then
transferred TO the Typographical Engineers, and
after six months OF service with 1t, to that OF Mill
tary Engineers, in which he remained until October,
1886, when he resigned his commission and retired
from lne army. Ills pIebcuL JlllC VI 'NtucId Is
entirely ornamental.
His Business Career.
At the same time he was appointed by PresidenC
Jackson Of the Civil Engineers on the great Ma
tiOnal Road, continuing to serve as such until its
completion through the States Of Maryland Pennsyl
vana, and Virginia. While engaged in this service
he constructed cast-iron bridge over Dunlap's
creek tributary of the Monongahela river the first
of the kind ever built in the United States Through
his nstrumentality company was organized for the
Improvement Of the navigation of the Monongahea,
he serving as engineer of the company, and subse-
quently one Of the Board of Managers, UNTIL after
many financial vicisstudes, he witnessed, in 1sI4
| the aCcOmpshu ent Of its objects
on the completion of the MOnongahela improve
ment TO Brownsville, he organized the first steam
boat line that river, and also the first fast trans
pOrtation line across the mountains, by relays OF
| teams similar to stage lines thus building up large
| carrying trade between the East and the West via
| the Monongahea river and Pittsburg. In 1919 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 follow
ing was elected President Of the consolidated COM
| pany.
| In January, 1885, he was elected President OF the
! Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad Company, then
! completed to Crestne. Two different corporations
! were engaged in constructing the roads between
! CTestne and Chicago, but they had exhausted all
their resources, and the work had come to a stand.
| still. To avert the misfortune of seeing the control
OF the line between these two points pass into the
hands of Cleveland and Buffalo capitalists, which
was imminent, grand consolidation scheme was
conceived and accomplished within three months
in spite of decided opposition in the boards of man.
ayers and among the stockholders. He became the
President of the consolidated organization, known
as the Pittsburg Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway
Company, and remained at its head until it recently
passed under the control of the Pennsylvania Cen
tra Company, with the exception OF short interval
about ten years ago. when he voluntarily withdrew.
While engaged in this extensive railway enterprise
he has, Of course amassed large fortune, and IN
addition to that has achieved high reputation
railroad manager.
His Political Career.
We believe that General Cass has never held any
public position or aspired TO any until within the
past few years. when his name has been frequently
as at present associated with the GOvernorship o
the State Bnt for a long time he has been quite
prominent as a Democratic politician, participating
in their state and National Conventions, and welding
considerable influence over the rank and file OF the
party in the western part OF the State, iron
which section principally will come the
delegates who VIII press his name for the
nomination in the approaching convention. He still
| acts as President of the Pttsburg, Fort Wayne
| and Chicago Railway Company although the duties
| and responsibilities OF the position have been mate
rally decreased by its recent lease to the Pennsy
yania Central His present residence is on the line
Of the road, about eleven miles below the city OF