The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-06-10

but possessed of amarveously acute intel
lect lie wasted but little time in talking.
lie would listen patiently to what people
had to say to him, rarely making an in
terruotion. Scott on the other hand
was quick and impulsive and inclined to
brilliant moves. Here was u dual men
tai equipoise that was productive of great
results. Thomsons great brain planned
and SCOTS quick intellect executed
The latter had scarcely got comfortably
seated in the Nicc-Presdential chair
when he began carrying out Mr.. Thom.
sons idea of the extension of the Penn
sylyania Railroad TO day its lines
traverse seven states, reaching all their
principal cities, and il controls almost
absolutely the railroad systems of three
states.
Ills matchloss success as n railroad
manager was demonstrated in the late
war in the movement of troops,to which
position he was called by the Secretary
of War-Simon Cameron--and to Col.
Scott, in addition was entrusted the duty
OF keeping open and working the \. G.
railroad from Harrisburg to Baltimore,
for the purpose of bringing and am-
munitlon TO that point, as well as for the
transportation of troops ria Annapo-
lis TO Washington. Gen. Cameron's order
(Which followcD placing Mr.. Scott in
charge of all railroad lines and the move
mcnt of troops. was very broad and ar
bitary. 1t was that "iuformation and in
structions in relation to extending roads
or telegraph lines, or operating them on
government account,m must cmanatc from
Col. SCOTS department." lie fulfilled
his trust with great ability, and after
wards became Assistant Secretary of
War. Here he also distinguished him
self. With the Cabinet he was a great
favoritc, Gen. Cameron, then the Secrc-
tary of War, and who is still living,says:
81 remember going into Mr.. Lincolns
apartments about Il month after Col.
Scott had been appointed Assistant
/ Secretary and finding him, with his coat
off and sleeves rolled ap, pointing out to
Lincoln his lines of communication with
the army, his general plans of manage
ment, and then writing, ut Mr.. Lncoln's
diciation, the Presidents approval of
them. lie was retained when Mr.
Stanton succeeded Gen. Cameron, but
resigned his position as Assistant Secre-
tary of War in June 1862. Secretary
stanton wrote him II very complimentary
letter in acknowledgement of his public
service.
Colonel Scott on retirement from pub
lie office rcsumed his duties rs Nice-Pres-
dent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Still,
he was within call when needed by the
country to forward ammunition to the
troops at Antietam. lie took charge of
and himself accompanied train loaded
with powder While kilograms from
the front were depicting in vivid Ian
guage the necessity of despatch and the
train was being urged forward as rapidly
as possible, hot boxes were noticed on
some of the cars, but as the destination
was nearly reached, halt which might
have proved fatal to important army op
erations, was forbidden despite the formid-
| able danger to the train which had been
veloped, and the powder cars arrived at
the point where they were needed, amid
the commngled amazement, consterna-
ton and qualification of the spectators,
with blazing wheels
Again. when it was necessary, after the
battle of Gettysburg, to transport two
entire army corps from the seaboard to
Tennessee, President Lincoln placed him
in charge of the task. In less than ten
days twenty thousand men, with bag
gage supplies and material, were trans
ported one thousand miles and reinfor-
ced the Army of the Cumberland. This
is regarded as one of the most remarka-
bic feats OF any war With this brilliant
achievement his connection with public
administration ceased.
In 1873 the Texas and Pacific railroad
in which he had abiding faith, made him
bankrupt; in 1881 it enabled him to foot
up his assets with the neat little sum OF
I Sl7,000,O0O. The failure of Jay Cook,
IL Co., which created the panic of rs
came upon the country just at the time
Col Scott was concluding arrangement,
with the English capitalists. The moni
ed men of England naturally refused to
carry out their almost completed bar
gain, and he FASTENED back to Philadel
phia to endeavor to rescue the new cor
poration from irrotrievable disaster
Through the assistance of several friends
(thc government refusing to come to til,
rcscue) and his individual pledges to tn,
amount OF S7,O0O,0O0, he was enabled
to do so. President Thomson was OF
one note for Sl,5OO,0O0. 1t was thi
latter that caused the first and only en-
strangement between these men. Col
Scott wanted to resign all his positions
but the offer was not given moment
thought, Thomson, although aggrieved
still believing in this eventual success.
On May ~, 1874, John Edgar Thom
son died, and rs we meet, Thomas A
Scott was chosen as his successor How
well he performed the trust is best tolC
by the condition of the road today 1t
mileage is almost onctenth of the entir
railroad mileage of the United States
The aggregate length of these lines i
nearly eight thousand miles; the earning
are almost 100000 for every day in tn
year, and the net profit is almost 500
600 for every secular day in the yeal
The capital invested is more than S35C
100000, and the united pay-rolls carr
on them the names of an army of 10000
men. Such is the system which Co
Scott perfected and harmonized. 1t
now beyond the fear of rivalry. Ne,
enterprises in the west only add its te
rife, competition in the east can onl
result in loss to those who attempt it.
- -
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