Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-17
GARRETT'S WAE.
The Career Of q Remarkable Railway
Man-How 90 Mako Great Enter.
prises selfsSusfaining.


The Career Of a Remarkable Railway
Man-How 60 Mako Great Enter.
prises self.sustaining.
"eath,'' In the Chicago Tribune.
Writing in the library Of Congress last
week, saw portly figure at The head OF
body Of stfareef1 wslkiiig up and down
and Explaining things. / recognized that
rabicund face, blush gray eye, and solid,
unanxious tread and pace the Baltimore
and Ohio railway magnate, John w. Gar
rett. he has been in Europe foF more tEan
two years. In tfe iiitcriin ms felIow-capi-
talist and friend, John Hopkins, has passed
to the grave. During his absence, although
forbidden to attend TO business, Garrett
wrote by every mail, and had tae cpl
tomized work sent out to him. His kins-
folks-John King and Mr.. keyser-have
been at the quarters Of the presidency in
his absence, King exercising viceroyalty
and Keyser moving up and down the line
and through the commercial centres.
Whatever the reasons or philosophy, this
management Of this rsilSay is vindicated
above svetytaing OF the kind in the West
efn World. The great panic swept over
the country year ago, and drove Wander
bilt to Wall street and Seott to protest,
while these Scotch-lrish-Du tchmen of Bal
timore were as obliyious of the panic as
that Frederick county man who, having
ploughed all day, said, as he came home:
81 dinks feels some little beebles In my
boots" and forthwith hauls out pair Of
shutters and -wreneh.
There was no scrip nor water in CARROTS
boots. AL the stock there was old dry.
"TGat is the only railroad in America"
said Shanly, the Canadian who butt the
Hoosae Tunnel, sable in any CONTINGENCY
to take care Of it-elf"
TIE Bower of this railroad is no secret.
II consists in learning whatever is good
from the present age, and forgetting moth
ing that was good in the former ones. Once
or twice there has been q stockholder'
movement to divide more earnings or split
the stock little thinner; but the absolute
ism and the old-fashioned sagacity Of Gar
rett have prevented this from going through.
His motto has been. ECONOMY in every
detail, from pound OF nails up" "Time,n
says Garrett, " is longer than speculation.
Sell nothing; restrict dividends for the sake
of the long credit of the stock; all wait to-
gether, stockholders and ofEcersi Invest
the surplus in the system. Let politics
rice It. Particularly do not corrupt it, or
you will get its appetite on edge, and it will
gnaw you all your days. Responsibility IN
the working force; conservatism in the
management; patience In the stock list. Do
net fC0i With localisms. Side branches
must construct themselves. Push for large
terminal points, and the side places must
build toward the stem we extend in their
general direction"
Mr.. Garrett took this road short time
before the war. He was provisiOn-dealef,
the son of a banker-Scotch-Iris Presby-
terrain on one side, Pennsylvsnia-Geunan
Onithe other. He had a hard, round head,
a slow and gracious manner, large, roll
ing, acute FEASIBILITY, which reminded
people of Holland burgomaster. He was
never in hurry, but always very prompt;
five minutes of reflection he gave 10 every
second of speech, except when be had
great occasion, and then he had done the
thinking for weeks before. He was never
deficient in confidence, but it was diplO-
matte and graduated, and it embraced peo-
pie Urctrously, instead Of carrying them
by storm. His pertinacity was indescriba-
bic. BE returned and returned again to
the same point, and by weight and the
leaning power, not attritlOn nor intrigue,
carried the position, or persisted until it
was lost. He had large Baltimore ape
titles for food, and his steady animal heat
counteracted any intellectual relapse
or melancholy, if he could be capa-
bic of it. Between work and eating, they
say, his organism for a time grew unstrung.
He worked on a full stomach for fifteen
years around this railroad, and th,n ten
dency 10 vertigo became so manifest that
he had to give over and 60 to Europe. He
told me that he had perfectly capable as
siStants, and should not resume his labor
with so much wilfulness.
Garrett is essentially a merchant. he
has led his railroad from 81 cents on the
stock up to Sl.35 and more, where it stands,
like Mohammed's coffin, against the cell
ing. From a road, badly off, between Bal
timore and Wheeling, it is now a road to
Staunton, to Danville, to Cincinnati, to
Pittsburg, to Sandusky, TO Chicago 1t
may yet be a road to Omaha and New Or
leans. It's ambition stops at Baltimore.
In that city there is an undertOne of feel
No that John W. Garrett may become a
candidate for the Presidency of the United
States.