Huntsville gazette., 1881-06-18
"reminiscences of Colonel Scott.

Colonel Thomas A. Scott died worth
about S13, ,000,000 He might have been
much richer had he cared to be So But
100000 were quite enough for any one
man to possess, and rather too much for
any one to leave to his heirs.
Colonel Scott'S administrative and
executive abilities, were of the first order.
He knew how to do everything himself,
and he inspired his subordinates with
his own energy and belief that whatever
was necessary was possible. He pos
sessed in a remarkable degree the affec-
ton of his subordinates~ and associates,
and he had a way not only of making
friends but of keeping them.
Simon Cameron early learned to ap-
preciate his abilities, as also did Presi-
dent Lincoln in the spring of 1861, when
the outbreak at Baltimore severed rail
road communication between Washing
ton and the Northern and Eastern cities.
Cameron, who was then Secretary of
War, telegraphed to Scott that ga man
of great energy and decision with ex-
perience as railway officer" was needed
to restore the broken communications,
and that he was just the man for the
place, and he fully justified Cameron's
high opinion of him, for before the Pres
dent and the country fairly realized the
nature of.the work, new railway line
between Washington and Philadelphia,
by way of Annapolis, was opened, and
troops from New England, New York,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania came
pouring in for the defense of the Capt.
tai. For this he was made Colonel of
the District of Columbia Volunteers, and
subsequently Chief Of all Government
railways and telegraphs and Assistant
Secretary of War.
Colonel Scott's personal bravery was
as great as his energy AS an illustra-
ton of this the story is frequently told
by the employees of the Pennsylvania
road how he ran a train loaded with
ammunition into Antietam just before
the battle there. He took charge of the
train himself and ran it so fast that the
wheels of both cars and locomotive began
to smoke, much to the alarm Of the
brakemen. He would not stop, how
ever, until the army was reached, despite
the danger.
was Miss Mulison, of Columbia, Pa,
and they began housekeeping when his
salary was fifty dollars month. After
her death, more than twenty years ago,
he married Miss Anna Riddle, daughter
of the editor of the Pittsburgh pa
Commercial. He had two children by
each, the elder IN each case being d bog
and the younger girl. Those by his
second wife are respectively eight and
six years old.
Colonel Scott, like many other Phila-
delphians, was never lacking in public
spirit. He was ever ready both with his
time and money to serve his fellow-citi-
zens. His connection with the public
works of the Quaker City was ever hon.
orable, and in one case at least quite re-
markable. When q new bridge was to
be built over the Schuylkill River in 1875
he undertook the contract to have it
ready at certain time and at a certain
price He turned it over to the authori-
ties month sooner than was required,
and subsequently he repaid to the city a
large percentage of the contract price,
explaining that the work had not cost
so much as he anticipated.
Colonel Scott held the following offices
during his life: Collector of Canal
Tolls at Columbia, Pa, Chief Clerk in
the office of Collector of Tolls at Phila-
delphia, General Agent of the Eastern
Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
General Superintendent Of the same
road, Vice-President of the company,
Colonel of the District of Columbia
Volunteers, Chief of Government Rail
ways and Telegraphs, Assistant Secre-
tary of War, Colonel and Assistant
Quartermaster on General Hooker's
staff, Chief of Transportation, President
of the Pennsylvania Company, President
of the Texas Pacific Railroad Company,
President Of the Union Pacific and the
Atlantic & Pacific Railroads, and Direc-
tor of the Southern Railway Security
Company.-NeU York Graphlc.