Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-26
RAuLReAD MEN OF lNrEREsT.
Harris. oakes. Mair. Prescott.
iCoYrespondeuce OreConian.

Dad, receives saiarg OF fZt,up
year. II Was . surprise when he was
elected ,o the position. That ne was
candid ate" Is veil known,
and he came into the place very much
az Rutherford y. Hayes dropped into
the Cincinnati nomination IN lc'o.
After Wizards abdication. or dethrone-
Inent, as you may choose TO call II. there
vas a contest between Billings and the
Billings factions A. 10 whether
Thomas r. Oakes or Frederick Billings /
should direct the companys Affairs.
Mr. Oakes' services a. general manager |
we're too valuable 10 be lost. particu-
larly at that time when there remained |
TO be Strengthened ont series OF en- |
caused by the supercilious !
management of General Haupt. \
drawn battle vas the result, and Oakes |
was elected TO 90 TO ST. Paul. Senator
sherman was offered the position. lie
could not accept and Harris WAS chosen.
Sherman to Harris. what fail. Mr..
Harris is All honest, well educated EN-
inently respected gentleinar; indeed, he
is htsraie,Ir. but no one will say that
he IA A first class. progressive railroad
man. He graduated from the Pennsyl-
vania company, which has turned ont
railroad company IN the United , ates,
but has stood still ever since.
A few DAYS ago | had long CONVEX
sasion with gentleman well informed
on Northern Pacific and Oregon rail
road matters. OF Mr. Harris ny in
formant saws: He became prominently
known IN the West IA General Manager
of the Chicago. Burlington * Quincy
L,xt
wall by the brilliant and successful
management Of G. +. Perkins, who be
gan AS Superintendent and rapidly rose
TO the Presidency. The latter, after
vsrv short association with MIR. Harris.
learned that. while the General Man
aOer might be fine theoretical rail
rooder. be lacked the ability to apply
his theories, 80 Mr.. Perkins quietly took
the reIns in his own hands. Dir. Harris
would insist on the exercise OF his pre-
rogative as Manager, and IN every In
stance failed to get the endorsement OF
the Directory. Mr.. Perkins remained
the Il, tacto General Manager, and MIR.
Harris Was elbowed out. His connec
ton with the Erie railroad was a repe-
tition of his Chicago, Burlington
Quincy experience. He was appointed
Vie. President of the road, but not
single suggestion from Kim WAS ever
heeded Mr.. Blanchard, the Traffic
Manager. was the controlling spirit. An
issue arose between them, and MIR. Har
ri- WAS pushed to the wall. He contin-
tinued as the figurehead for two years,
and when the company parted with his
services ii was without pang Of regret.
either felt or expressed.
Mr.. Harris would any time rather dis
cuss Homer or Virgil in his office than
to hear q report of an officer under him.
HIS desk may be piled two feet deep
with matters requiring Immediate at
tention, and he will let them lie there
and discuss for half An afternoon with
friend the proposition that King Lear
il a greater production from a literary
point of view than Hamlet. ! have
heard the secretary, Mr.. Wilkeson. com-
plain that he has gone into Mr.. Harris
Office with An important matter requlr
ing an answer by telegraph, and the
President would require him to slt
down and listen to the reading of Ten
nyson's last poem, Interlarded every
line or two with the readers criticism.
And this within half an hour of Il Q
office closing hour.
Mr.. Harris is pdsSc. and be has an
army of relatives to whom the san Q
quality may be applied. They claim
that he should furnish them employ
ment, particularly rs Z ey are quite as
capable as those now filling subordinate
positions. and he il not diSinclined to
allow the claim. The Northern Pacific
at this time must have keen. aggres
sive management. Mr.. Harris il the
sort of man who will let II alters shape
their own course: hence he will be
failure as its President. His statement
! before the House committee i'll Wash
ington that he did not knew whether
there WAS compact between the north
ern and southern lines in regard TO
Pacific Coast business was ridiculous.
when the full text of the agreement had
been heralded over the country by the
Associated Press.
Ii is the impression in New York that
L. +. Oakes, vice president and general
manager of the Northern Pacific. will
| retire from its service at the end of the
fiscal year. He IL Ouly 81. and no prac-
teal railroader III this country of bis
| age has had SO brilliant n career Ger
tainly he cannot be satisfied To serve a
| a manap ement with which he Is not in
perfect harmony. Under Willard 80 far
as operating the various enterprises WAS
concerned, he was an autocrat. While
the question was under consideration AS
to whether 1t should be Billings or
| Cakes, he received two offers, either of
which L. better than the position he now
| occupies. 1t Is reported that he will be
rendered full contro Of the Chicago.
Milwaukee and st. Paul lines. His pres
| ent salary il BIS. 600 "A wear
or the old Willard CROW d. John Muir,
| formerly superintendent Of traffic of the
allied lines, is the only one whose future
in service on the Poetic coast is assur
ed. He has a three years contract with
the Oregon Improvement Company as
general manager. The position WAS
not rendered to him As balm to soothe
the pain created by having to sarrend-
or Al office which circumstances abol
ished. Management Of the business Of
every considerable coast steamer from
MaZatlau to Sitka, and large GOAL in
dustry, IL not a position to be despised.
| and Mr. Muir p.obabl takes comfort in
the knowledge thai. his sal ,ry Is $1,000
more than he received ~ superintend
ent of traffic. His contract is for flO.-
600 year.
&. ii. Prescott, manager of the Oregon
Railway and Navigation Company, Is to
remain for the present. He has the re-
| utation of being very cautious man;
and has made few. If any, mistake. /:
certainly no serious ones. His ouly
| shortooming Is an aversion to deciding
disputed questions arising among his
subordinates. Still. the very quality of
letting the kinks straigGtep Intensely yes
out has been the means of avoiding
further complications. In matters of
policy his administration has been ad.
mirable. Mr.. q u. Manchester. n man
of wide experience, is spoken of as the
future manager of the company. to re-
side in Boston-Mr. Prescott TO remain
in Portland as assistant manager. with
about the same duties As now. His sal.
AIRY is 5000 year.
NV VEGETABLES. -Ju received at
California Market, Front and Seneca
streets, rhubarb, green peas, asparagus :;