The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-07-07
COL. EDMUND W. COLE.
Head Of the New Southern Railroad
Syndicate.

Edmund w. Cole was born i'll
Giles county, Tenn, on the 10Th OF
july, 1927. His father and mother,
Willis w. and Johanna j. Cole, were
Virginians, who went first from
that state to Kentucky, and after
wards to Tennessee.
His father died when he was only
three months old, leaving his moth
er, five sons and two daughters.
with extremely limited means.
In his youth Col. Cole had little
chance for obtaining an education.
Working on the farm, he went to
s-ch schools "a the conntrv at thst
time afforded, for few months in
each year, after "the crop was LAID
by." But he educated himself.
In early life he went to Nashville
and commenced his career as clerk
in a clothing store at small salary.
By close application to business and
the interest of his employers, he
advanced rapidly in position and
salary, never being out OF employ
ment, and in few years receiving
large compensation. In alter
years, when considered very sue
cessf ful man, he was heard TO say
that no matter how commonplace
his employment he always tried as
carefully and exactly as possible 10
succeed. After several years OF
clerking in stores and the city post
office, he wss appointed in 1891
general book keeper of the Nash
vile & Chattanooga railroad, which
laborious position be filled with
great satisfaction to the company
until December, 1857, when he was
elected superintendent of the road
which position he held when the
war broke out. Fort Donelson fell,
Nashville was evacuated, and Col.
Cole having identified himself with
the fortunes of the Confederacy,
sent his family south. After the
war they returned to Tennessee,
but finding politics and society
much changed, he went to Angus
ia, Ga, in the summer of 1868. In
the fall of that year he was elected
General Superintendent OF the
Georgia Railroad and Banking
Company, filing this position with
credit to himself and profit to the
company until September, 1868,
when hs was elected President of
the Nashville d Chattanooga rail
road, and moved back to Nashville,
retaining, however, his position as
General Superintendent of the
Georgia railroad until May, 1873,
when he resigned. Having added
the Nashville & Northwestern rail
road to the Nashville G5 Chattanoo-
ga railroad, thereby extending his
line of road from Chattanooga to
the Mississippi river, the corporate
name of the company was changed
to the Nashville, Chattanooga d
St. Louis railway, OF which line he
was President nearly twelve years.
How well he succeeded may be
seen from the following resolutions
passed unanimously by the stock
holders on his rendering his reslg-
nation:
Whereas, E. w. Cole was elected
general bookkeeper of this corpo-
ration in August 1851, and con-
tinued to fill that Office until he
was elected superintendent in 1857
and was elected president of the
company IN 1868, and has been an
nually unanimously reelected to
the office until the present time,
and has this day rendered his res
ignatlon. In view of Col. Coles
long connection with this company,
the efficient and faithful service he
has rendered through his entire of
fetal life, his vigilance, and faithful
ness to every trust reposed in him,
and mis- prudence and foresight, his
wisdom and sagacity, his urbanity
and gentleness nnder trying and IT.
ritating circumstances, we, the
stock holders and directors, deem
it our duty to declare in this public
manner our entire and emphatic
confidence in him as gentleman
and faithful officer, worthy OF the
highest trust and confidence, OF
signal and marked ability as rail
road man, and assure him that he
carries with him in the future OF
his life our best wishes for his hap
piness aud success. And we hereby
tender to him and his family free
pass over this road and its connect
ing lines for life.
During his administration the
McMinAville d Manchester rail
road, Winchester & Alabama rail
road and Tennessee and Pacific
railroad were added as branches to
the main line. Col. Cole conceived
the idea OF a trunk line from the
west to the Atlantic seaboard, be
lievine such line with trans At
lantic line of steamers practicable
With this idea he went TO work IL
May, 1879, forming his combina
tions by buying the Owensboro d
: Nashville railroad, and commenc
, ing to build a road from Evansville
: Ind. via Owensboro, KY, to Nash
vile, Tenn, 155 miles. Next, h'
bought for his company, with the
, aid of his own and his friends
stock, a controlling interest in th'
/ Western & Atlantic railroad, run
2 ming from Chattanooga, Tenn, tt
Atlanta, Ga, 13S miles. His mex
I purchase was the st. Louis q
5 Southeastern railroad from ST
t Louis, Mo-, to Evansville, Ind, 16
e miles, in this way forming a trunl
e line from ST. LOUIS, Mo-, to Allan
e ia. Ca, afterwards contracting 70
his company to lease the Centra
railroad of Georgia from Atlanta t.
Savannah, Ga, together with all o
c it's branches and leased lines, abou
t 1000 miles, and its steamships
e He then had control of about 2,00'
s miles of road; but having fanke'
d his rival, the Louisville & Nash
V vile Railroad Company, in tL
/, west and in the south, that compa
0 nv bought in New York q majori
u ty of the stock In the Nashville
il Chattanooga & st. Louis railway
e thereby securing its control, AM
d Cox Cole resigned. He has beer
a Vice President and one of the les