Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-04
SIDNEY DILLON's CASH.
His Career from Water Boy to None.
King-Gigantic Enterprises and Rail
road Projects.

His Career from Water Boy to Money
King-Gigantic Enterprises and Rail
road Projects.
81 wonder if Mr.. Sidney Dillon, Gould's
right bower, ever recalled the days when
he was water boy on the Mohawk and
Hudson road"
This was a startling statement, says the
New York Journal, to make regarding the
possessOr of So, 00O, 900 in railroad stocks
and bonds and few stray millions in
government securities. 1t was none the
less true.
Few of Mr.. Dillon's friends are aware
of the early struggles and the severe
deprivations through which he passed to
attain his present financial eminence. He
now ranks with the money kings of the
country. He is President of the gigantic
Union Pacific and its connecting railroads
and a powerful director in the Pacific
Mail and Steamship Company, the st.
Louis and Wabash, Missouri, Kansas and
Texas, Texas and Pacific, Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western, Metropolitan
and Manhattan elevated corporations, the
Mercantile Trust Company, and the
Western Union Telegraph, in addition to
being one of the executive committee of
about score of other financial organiZa-
tiOns.
Mr.. Dillon was born seventy.one years
ago in little village in the northern part
of this State. His parents, who belonged
to the poorer class of Irish peasantry, emil
grated to this country many years pre-
Yious to his birth. His father was small
farmer, who had more than enough to do
''to make both ends meet,' and out of his
scanty earnings he found it no easy task
to give his children the advantage OF even
a cOuntry-school education.
Recognizing the almost destitute cOndi-
Il
at the immature age of determined that
he would be burden to his progenitOrs no
longer; as he has since expressed it: 81
wanted to strike out Tor myself"
Leaving the paternal roof he sought and
obtained work on an eastern railroad then
being built on the Mohawk and Hudson
Road, between Albany and Schenectady
(this road is now known as the New York
Central).
His first duties were : to carry water to
the laborers building the road, and for his
services received the munificent sum of 81
a week and his meals. Frugality being
his chief Inheritance, he managed to lay
by the greater part of his earnings in order
to carry out the compact made with him.
self that "one day l will start for myself
and then l will become richer than any
squire l know"
After few years he had managed to
accumulate sufficient funds to buy a
horse and cart. Then he bethOught him.
self of taking contracts to carry sand and
water on a larger scale for the corporal on
which he had previously served as a day
labOrer, Having successfully carried out
his contracts, and finding himself the
possessor of a few hundred dollars, he
hired number of horses and carts and
undertook heavier tasks, all of which, by
indomitable energy, he completed to the
CaficfanfiOy1 of nd 70 h
own pecuniary benefit.
About forty years ago he determined to
marry, and on visit to Amherst, Mass,
he met young and brilliant lady, mem
Der of one of the villages most respected
families, and who was described by
everyone as ga most charming lady, of
great culture, uneXcelled strength of
character, aud wide beneYolence."
To his wife Mr.. Dillon owes the greater
part OF his success. She did not tonne to
him with any large dOwery, but brought
him fond wife's love and encourage
ment. Their relations throughout their
welded life were of the most beautiful
character, and the heaviest loss which
Mr.. Dillon ever sustained was in Decem-
Der last when he buried her who had been
his life's fondest and dearest companion
and friend.
When quite young man Mr.. Dillon
came to this city. He still devoted his
time to carrying out railroad contracts.
1t can be safely said that few men in the
country have undertaken larger con-
tracts. 1t was he who built the Fourth
avenue improvement tunnel from the
Grand Central depot to Harlem. This
enterprise was completed at a cost of
$7,000,0 600.
When the Union Pacific Railroad was
contemplated, some twenty years ago, he
gave the greater part of his time to the
personal superintendent of the work.
tie hurried on to Omaha and was con-
tinually travelling between that city and
Ogden.
At the small village of Promontory,
Dillon, in 1865, assisted in lay the last railing
seyenty-tive miles west of Ogden, Mr..
OF the road. From its incipiency down to
the present day he has been prominently
connected with the company, and he is
now its President. When Horace +.
Clark died, Mr.. Dillon was unanimously
elected the executive chief of the road
which he was instrumental in building.
In appearance Mr.. Dillon is a finely
built man, standing 6 feet inches in
height and weighing about 800 pounds.
His hair and side-whiskers are snow-white,
his complexion is ruddy, and, although a
man of over three score years and ten, he
is still energetic and cheerful.
Every day when in town he is at his office
in the Western Union building. His
family consists of two married daughters
and number of grandchildren. His
nephew is the well-knOwn jurist, eX-
Judge Dillon. Mr.. Sidney Dillon has the
reputation of being of truly sympathetic
temperament. He gives largely of his
means for all deserving charities, and he
counts among his friends some of the most
illustrious men and women in America.
He is a self-taught, and also a self-made
man.
1t would be almost impossible to briefly
enumerate his possessions, but besides
valuable real estate he has registered in
his name $4,000 shares of Union Pacific,
$4,000 shares of Western Union, 1900
shares of Missouri Pacific 1000 shares of
Missouri, Kansas and Texas, 1000 shares
of Pacific Mail, 800 shares each of Wabash
common and preferred and Texas Pacific,
10000 shares of Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western, and blocks of Manhattan,
Metropolitan, and New York Elevated
Railroad securities