The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-04-07
Malone.
A Pen Picture of the Virginian.
louisville Courier Journal. I

louisville Courier Journal.
BolA poor man, without the advantages of
thorough Eearly education, with little or no
political influence, and with person and
temperament anything but pleasing, his in
nate spirit of conquest seemed to derive inspi-
ration from opposition, and with the clog of
a suffering, feeble body he groaned as he
pressed on, first to an education at the militia
~ academy of Virginia, then to eminent sue
cess in teaching others, then 20 the highest
hight of the profession of railroad manage
ment, then to the front rank of the army he
roes, then to the Senate of the United States
He is a man of ardent temperament and strong
affections. He is ambitious, but not selfish
with cold exterior, but with warm, loving
heart. Destiny is his guiding star, and the
mantle of expediency obscures the nobility of
his better nature. When school-boy, have
seen him tossing on his bed with his head en-
veloped in brown paper, pepper and vinegar,
and murmuring, in the bitterness of his heart.
because of some real or fancied slight from the
girl he loved. have known him to violently
strike some non-professional book from my
hand with an angry expression of condemna-
ton one moment, and in the next put his arm
around me and give expression to great ten
derness. He is just to make amends, but to
say 81 am wrong,' or 81 am sorry never
In his earlier life he suffered terribly from
dyspepsia and its accompanying ills, living
on dry toast and milk, and enduring almost
constant headaches while prosecuting his stud
les at college, and subsequently his labors as
teacher and engineer. From this cause main
ly he was led to adopt the more active profess
sion of civil engineering. and after having
served out the allotted term of two years as
instructor of mathematics and tactics at the
Rappahannock academy, he secured subord-
mate position in the corps Of engineers which
was then preparing for the construction of the
Orange and Alexandria railroad. On this
road he is said to have walked faster, worked
more, and accomplished larger results than
any young man on it. 1t was here that he
seemed first to develop his singular faculty
for antagonizng everybody but such as he
could make use of, and of exercising such
powers of discrimination as would infallibly
lead him to proper selection of his men
Mahone's friendships are Napoleonic, Joseph
inc must 60, if another leads the way to glory.
Destiny alone is his spouse For men lie as
no generation; they are esteemed by him in
no case for their individual consequence. but
he values them as he would a horse, by the
speed they can make in bearing him on to
the goal of his ambition. He looks I'm to no
man. and when the great of the country stand
in his presence in the enjoyment of inward
satisfaction of extorted admiration, he the
while is calmly taking their measure, and is
mentally httlng them In some place i'll which
he can make them best serve his purpcs-
es. From this time onward, his advancement
WIS most rapid, and for 20 years it taxed to the
utmost every energy of mind and body to keep
pace with the star of his destiny. The annual
election for chief engineer for a plank road
fror Ernd rck Shnro tn Orop
was to be held. He heard of it quietly, appear
ed on the field of contest, and was chosen over
the incumbent. Six months otter that over
heard portion of the conversation between
him and an older engineer while they stood in
the door of his Office in the village of Orange
Courthouse. The older man was telling him
of an approaching election, to be held in the
city Of Norfolk. for chief engineer of the
proposed Norfolk and Petersburg railroad, the
pioneer railroad of that city. He urged him
to go down, employ his whole influence to de-
feat the present incumbent, and get him, the
speaker, elected to the office, and said that if
ne succeeded, he, Malone, should have the
place OF principal assistant Malone answered
with a twinkle of the eye. He did go down
in the appointed time, defeated the former
engineer, and secured his own, not the other
mans election. There was jump from a SAL
airy of $1,000 year to one of $500. In year
from his entering upon the duties of his new
office his salary was advanced to $500, and
election. But his life here was not without
its traits; his contempt for the common herd
and his love of litigation arrayed against him
large majority of the citizens along the line
and at the termini of his road With him.
however, was the minority, which welded the
influence and gave direction to the affairs of
the comlL unities interested. I remember
little talk with the distinguished president of
the road, Francis Maloney of Norfolk, in the
course of which he said: -"Your chief engi
neer is very remarkable man: he is already
the factotum of the road, and it is well, for
soon must die. My heart is. wrong; and then
or before then. he will succeed to the president
cy, and will have in hand as he should have,
the entire management of the road. Yes, sir
he is great success in the face of all of the
ordinary principles of success. His love of
litigation is such that lie would rather pay
$1,000 land damages on judgment than 500
ON acompromise.'' 1t is objected to the SUBJ
iect of this sketch that he cannot be traced in
the beaten track, that his ways and positions
are in defiance of common custom. But there
in lies the power of the man. The conscious
ness of being an original, revolutionist, and
leader forced him to submission rather than
imitation. In labors he exceedingly abound
ed. He turned night into day. When other
men were retiring from the duties of the day.
he was arousing himself for his best efforts
and from 10 to- o'clock at night all his work
of diplomacy and formulating was done.