New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-13
CrNTRAL,S PRESIDENT DEAD
THE CAREER OF JAMES H. RUrTER'
a RAILROAD MAN FROM HIS YouTH-fHo" i"A
ERIE TO SUCCEED Mr.. Vanderbilt.

,.upoAD MAN FROM HIS YoUTH-FRoM inH
ERIE TO SUCCEED Mr.. Vanderbilt
The flags ON the Grand Central Depot were
,ut Mt hastaff yesterday, on account Oh .ho o,
yas Henry Rutter president of the New YORK Cenf
ond Hudson River Railroad Company VINO nau am ,
.n reputaton of being one of the bestequppea
an ayers in the country Among the Eastern truhA aeS
no was the only president whose education i,o,n -
Start was that of q practical freight man. no "'u "
o'clock in the morning, at his country ho"''' 49,
,vood ut irving ton ont the Hudson OF eoihlhic"
,.s cb,ot among them being diabetes disease that
o,acked him severely in 1881, but from which ~ We,
supposed that he had recovered. HIS lamhy "'e""o"
him I'm his last moments, and although ne was uio'.
.cous most Of the time during the previous twenty
hours there we're frequent intervals when ne was ao
=, racocnize those around him. Mr.. Rutter had pee ~
cent from his business duties for about six weeKs' pu'
Mia death was sudden unfavoratle chahge ha''"e
taken place only Thursday. He had appa'0' ~
far recovered from his sickness that ne was pA""H
VOYAGE TO Europe In a few weeks aud haa arranso "
havs IT. c. Du Val, his confidential secretary 'aAe
charge OF his Irvington home during MS aoSenoo
Iryngton MIR. Rutter had been attended oy pr ~,
=, T.rrvtown Int when his condition chahgeu hi'
family physician, DR.. @. +. Hackley ana d. 0"""'
instantly summoned in consultation.
Mr. R,itter came of Rhode Island ia'nliy, o"'
horn ON February g. 1885, at Lowell. Mass William E.'
Ms fa,her wss superntendent Of the Old Colony ran
road for many years. and the first superintendent VI
fhe susauehanna Division OF the Erie Halfway. on
James was intended by his parents to enter business
and he received his education at the senonciu I'm
mercla College in Providence, whittier MS parents n'a
removed while he was an infant The railroad ihs'iao'
IN him however, could not be annuiied. anu "s ~, ~.
,,hr,s Wishes he accepted clerkshp In the Efie 'o
Yapv,s Office at EhDra in 1854. lie hau pie'i'
worked as train boy on the chemun hai'roa''
from watkins Glen to Elmira From April 100, ~
Soyember, 1857, he was chief clerk III tho 'o,s ,,
=, the wiliamsport and Elmra Railroad, at "iiraunS
he tOpk
s,,oh,ga, Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad AT
Chicago but in December 1859. be was mane tuo "So
NJ the Erie road at Elmira- In this posiuoh NE oN
ability as shown In the successful handing OF lne "
narration of the soldiers going to the Iroht outlns ~
war won him promotion to the freight agency al b'o
IN March 1854 and he became assistant genera Hcsn
cent Of the Erie In May. 1866. Here 1t was ths MI.
per frat was credited with his peculiar ability ana
oeoe I'm the conduct OF freight traffic. ana uhoer tue
Gould Fisk control 81 the hre me He was snmaoned to
testify as an expert before the Senate sv ~
,ion ana there attracted the attention OF William II:
vanderbilt who induced his father the oonoI T;St
engage his services, In June, lSlz; as eenei"' 'e"
agent OF the New York Central Road, -, .roo- rIe
Ths was the turning point i9 MI Ruers in ex
;stinc among the shippers on the Central roal an" ~ @
zeal adroiness was due the up apnoved by the
central up TO the opening OF new eohps ,7e ZION Tor
q services IN the the Ss sss rac
and he also made director oil iae and ON MAY
Mar
q 1854 when Mr. Vanderbilt laid down the pres.oiV!
OF the Central. Mr. Rutter was CHOSEN US LIS ~
In MA last noston Mr.. Rutter wrought many ahu eA
tnndsd economies i'm the management OF the road wie
Increasing its efficiency aud projecting numsIous
1r,vements some OF which he was not 10 hVe W seo
Mr Rutter has unjustly been accused OF oelng "a q
tr,,tar because of his devotion TO the interests anu
,rontnence of the road he serving out hni,e no
3vored from the beginning abtter contest WIN te
shore he acted Only In harmony with the uIlies
rnrnt az the New-YOfk Centrais drectoh; Minou VII
FORMAL expression at the meeting on Mafeh l's
ways Jealous OF the position OF lne OentIa no %, -
hard for the perfection OF the pooling schees anu o
his ideas was born the plan OF transfer OIL tohnase
matnfaned the effectiveness of the Westbonud eIgn
pool SO long even when other agreements %sre ~ NJ
10 the wind The preeminent chsracterIsc W .
Rntter WAS his remarkably thorough mastery OF intou
freight traffic problems, and IN every one OF tne
ne filled his qualities forced recognition ana reNaIu ~
bis suneriors while the least OF MS merits war
faculty of attracting to him efficient ana Ialhiu sSS
ants. -. .,o ayarasa. he was
bnt rather slightly and pOssessed hlsny nei 49,.
frnperanent His hair gray carry ne "o'o On
cOuntenance conn INC. az 1870
s,atv and acuteness. He was fond OF horses anu
nscn.e He was a friend, ana WINE uuos.en ,s
tasions In his charities he displayed many generous
traits He leaves only modest fortune. HI ..,,o s
Tie family of Mr. Rntter consists OF ms WIZ, WI" in
an invalid: two sons. Nathaniel, VINO u IN VIC si"
business In Chicago, and James H. SENIOR poy ~
,oarried danqiltcr Mrs Alfred J. Manning ana ohe
married. Harriet Funeral services VIII I've helu y. iii
Thomass Episcopal Church on Tuesday. Inc ouii"i WI"
be at WoOdlawn.