The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-12-17
-"Gatb's" Correspondence OF the Chicago
TTibune.l
Garrett, the Railway Magnate.

Writing in the library of Congress
last week, saw a pOrtly figure at the
head of a body of strangers walking up
and down and explaining things. L
recognized that rubicund face, blush
gray eye, and solid unanxious tread
and pace-the Baltimore and Ohio
Railway magnate, John w. Garrett.
He has been in Europe for more than
two years. In the interim his fellow
capitalist 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 the epitomized work
sent out to him. His skinsfolks-John
King and Mr. Keyser-have been at
the quarters of the Presidency in his
absence, King exercising viceroyal-
ty and Keyser moving up and down
the line through the commercial Gen.
ters.
Whatever the reasons Of philosophy,
this management of this railway Is
vindicated above everything of the
kind in the western world. The great
panic swept over the country a year
ago, and drove Vanderbilt to Wall
street and Scott to protest, while these
Observation-Disclosures OF Baltimore
were as oblivious of the panic as that
Frederick county man, who, having
ploughed all day, said, as he came
home:
81 dinks feels some leetle bebbles
in my boots" and forthwith hauls
out a pair of snuffers and a cart
wrench.
There was no scrip nor water in Gar
rett's boots. All the stock there was
old and dry.
''That is the only railroad in Amer
ica," said Stanley, the Canadian, who
built the HOOsac Tunnel, table in any
contingency TO take care of itself"
The power of this railroad is no Sc
cret. 1t consists in learning whatever
is good from the present age, and for
getting nothing that was good in for
mer ones. Once or twice there has
been stockholders movement to di-
vide more earnings or split the stock a
little thinner bnt the acsOlutism and
the old-fashioned sagacity of Garrett
have prevented this going through.
His motto has been: Economy in
every detail from a pound of nails up"
"Time," says Garrett, sis longer than
speculation. Sell nothing restrict
dividends for the sake of the long
credit of the stock; all wait together,
stockholders and officers Invest the
surplus in the system. Let politics
alone. Neither cOnciliate it nor an
tagonize it. Particularly do not cor
rupt it, or you will get Its appetite on
edge, and 1t will gnaw you all your
days. Responsibility in the working
force /; conservatism in the manage
meDt patience in the stock list. Do
not fool with locaIisms. 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 a short
time before the war. He was q pro-
vision dealer, the son of banker.
Irish Presbyterian on one side, Penn
sylyaRia German on the other. He
had hard, round head, a slow aud
gracious manner, large, rolling,
acute plausibility, which reminded
people of "a Holland burgomaster. He
was never in . hurry, but always
very prompt; five minutes of reflec-
ton he gave to every second of speech
except when he had a great occasion,
and then he had done the thinking
for weeks before. He was never de-
ficient in confidence, but it was di-
plOmatic and graduated, and it en-
braced people unctiOusly, instead of
carrying them by storm. His perth
nacity was indescribable. He return
ed and returned again to the same
point, and by weight and the leaning
power, not attrition nor intrigue, car
ried the position, or persisted until it
was lost. He had large Baltimore ap-
petites for food, and his steady animal
heat counteraeted any intellectual re-
lapse or melancholy, if he would be
capable of it.
Between work and eating, they say,
his organism for a time grew un-
strung. He worked on a full stom-
ach for fifteen years around this rail-
road, and then a tendency to vertigo
became so manifest that he had TO
give over and go to Europe. He told
me he had perfectly capable assistants
and should not resume his labor with
so much wiIfulness.
Garrett is essentially a merchant.
He has led this railroad from 35 cents
on the stock up to S1.35 and more,
where it stands, like MOhammeds
coffin, against the ceiling. From a
road badly of, between Baltimore an
Wheeling, it is now road to Staun-
ton, to Danville, to Cincinnati, to San
dusky, to Pittsburgh and Chicago. 1t
may yet be road to Omaha and
New Orleans. Its ambition stops at
Baltimore. In that city there is an
undertone of feeling that John w.
Garrett may become a candidate for
the Presidencu of the IIniiad Stafes