Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-02-08
The Railroad Gazette. |


Mr.. Robert Harris, who was made
President Ut the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company last week, is, profession
ally, q pure railroad man-that is, bis
training for executive duties was not in
y bank. in mercantile business, or in q
Law Office, bot ON railroads, as an en-.
gineer, assistant superintendent, gen.
eral superintendent and president. In
his youth he served in the navy, and he
vas also an army officer for time dur
ing the war. His railroad service before
coming to the Erie was almost entirely
In the West, for little in Texas. longer
on the Western Union Railroad from
Racine southwest, and then for many
years ON the Chicago, Burlington Il
Quincy. where he first became widely
known. and where he rose by successive
steps from an assistant superintendency
to be President, but for most Of the
time was Sup rintendent, exercising
authority over all departments except
the financial, having charge of the
traffic as we'll a. the transportation de-
partments of the road, and therefore
necessarily responsible for the general
policy of the road in relation to ito pa
irons and to its competitors and CON-
neotions. He had the great advantage
of growing up under and succeeding an
unusually skillful aud successful man.
agsmeut, and therefore it would be an
sxaeeeration to say that the success and
prosperity OF the company. and the
exceptionally great satisfaction which
il gave to it's patrons and to the other
railroad companies with which it had
to deal a. partner or composition, vas
due wholly to him. Bot the property
was vastly extended during his term Of
Office a. Superintendent and President,
and its reputation was maintained and
increased. and not little of this repu-
tation, 1t is safe TO say, was due to the
skill, breadth Of view, and high sense of
Justice and honor of Mr.. Harris's ad-
No customer of rail-
road has q stronger sense Of the duties
Of railroad to the community than has
Mr.. Harris, and in relation with other
railroads he has always been quick to
see and ready to acknowledge their Just
claims, which has helped greatly in
friendly relations, the ju-
dicial quality of his mind and his natu-
raj love of justice leading all to give
great weight to his opini, ms. These
qualities of Mr.. Harris are less we'll
known in the East than in the West, be-
cause ON the Erie he did not have
charge of the traffic department, and
consequently had not the difficult and
delicate negotiations to conduct which
pertain to that department. and make
the negotiAtor widely known among
other railroad men.
Mr.. Harrls's service on the Chicago,
& Quincy gives him some
special qualifications for his new post.
The Burlington has always had large
mileage Of read IN new country, and ito
success, like that of other roads west OF
Chicago, has depended largely on its
skill In developing the traffic of this
new country. What that skill has been
may be judged from the tremendous
growth Of that new country, which has
enabled the company, under the ad-
ninistration of Mr.. Harris and his sue
oeooor, T. make magnificent returns
from q constantly increasing system
and investment. On the financial aide,
which perhaps seems now to be the diffi-
cult side, Of the Northern Pacific, Mr..
Harris brings the strength which comes
from absolute honesty and Transparent
franknsss. Tue stockholders under
his administration may expect TO know
the facts which Affect the value Of their
property, whether favorable or unfavOr-
able, and may b absolutely certain
that it will NOT b. managed for the pro-
motion Of anybody's stock speculatisns.