The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-08-08
A SELF-MADE NAN.
Brief Sketch of a Railroad King.

Colonel Thomas A. Scott was
born in Lebanon County, Penn
sylvania, less than half a century
ago, and his public career dates
from his boyhood, when he selec-
ted the railroad for his future the
alter. The State of Pennsylvania
at that time built and operated
railroads and canals, and at fifteen
he was promoted from his active
duties on the road between Phila-
delphia and Columbia which latter
place was the eastern terminus of
the canal to the responsible po-
sition of collector of tolls at Co.
lumbia. The construction of the
Pennsylvania Central over the AL
leghanies being completed, his skill
as an organizer, his knowledge of
men, by which he won their conf
dence and hearty cooperation in
his labors, led to his selection as
Superintendent of the Western
division of the Pennsylvania r. r.
While still youth his continued
success as a ruler among men
soon gave him the position of
General Superintendent of the en-
tire line, and from that hour new
duties in enlarged spheres have
been crowded upon him, until to-
day he presides oyer sixty railroad
companies, reaching south and
west from New York and Philadel-
phia over 16, 600 miles, and employ
ing over 10000 operators of vari-
GUS kinds. His wonderful admin
istrative capacity and his liberal
treatment of employees have been
such that he never had strike on
any of his lines, and probably no
set of men engaged in any work
in the country have so unbounded
confidence and respect in their
chief as have the battalions who
are proud to serve under the ban
ners of Colonel Thomas A. Scott,
In 1861, when the storm cloud
burst over the country, and the
mastering and transportation of
men and supplies became at Har-
risburg an ineXtrieable mass of
confusion that arrested the march
ing of men to the front, Col.
Scott was sent for by Governor
Curtin, and, seated in the execu-
tive chamber, his marvellous ener-
gy and skill soon brought order
out of chaos, and wrought a
change that led President Lincoln
and Secretary Cameron to send
for him, and install him at the
War Department as Assistant
Secretary of War, in charge of
transportation and supplies. Soon
the Geographic wires reached from
mis- desk to every camp, warehouse,
ane railroad station; rails went
down through the streets of Wash
ington and Baltimore, and the
armed camp in front was given
the connection with the sources of
supplies that relieved the Admins
tration from a world of care and
trouble, and enabled the great War
Secretary to devote time to impor
tant matters of Safe. This led
him, on Col. Scott being summon
ed back to his railroad duties in
Pennsylvania, SO long neglected,
to write him the folio owing merited
tribute:
WASHINGTON, D. c., AR DEPARTM'T,l
June !, 1862. !
"DEAR SIR-In taking leave of
you, in consequence of your resig-
nation of the Office of Assistant
Secretary of War, it is proper for
me to express my entire satisfac-
ton with the manner in which you
have discharged your duties du-
ring the whole period of our Off
cial relations. Those duties have
been confidential and responsible,
requiring energy, prudence, and
discretion, and it gives me pleasure
to say that to me you have proved
to be in every particular an able
and faithful assistant ii
Yours truly,
EDWIN NJ. STANTON,
Secretary of War.