The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-29

the Pennsylvania Central After q very few
years OF personal management, it continued
10 be the model road OF the South until the
destructive era Of The rebellion. II got into
financial embarrassment and finally into the
hands of carpet-baggsrs,
After the Philadelphians had performed
the herculean task OF obtaining a charter 20
build 8 road from thsir city to PIttsburg by
such route IS might be found best. ii hap
pened that each one of their many really
brilliant engineers bad committed himself
ID favor OF one Of three or four possible lines
across the mountains. The topography of
the FOUNTAINS was then but little under
stood. They raj the inclined planes between
JohnstowD and Hollidsysbarg-a railway
with steep grades up which cars were
hauled By wire ropes operated by stationary
engines at the summits-snd tais was be-
heved by most people TO De as good a route
as could be found.
But an exhaustive search fJr the best pos
sible route must be made. IL would not be
considered impartial IL the surveyor was
known to favor any one roats. Tnus Phila-
deiphla engineers were debsrred
from this andertskiDg-W. Miner Roberts,
Edward Miller. Herman Haupt. Solomon ".
Roberts, John c. Trantwioe-all were thus
counted out" and city pride, nowhere
stronger than in Philadelphia, must be ap-
peased, and a search was instituted. 1t was
thus developed that ]. Edgar Thompson, the
cuCCccciQ1 OUtlOt( III tue O6OTRtd TACTIC.
was born in Philadelphia, and had once
been in the City Civil Engineer Corps as a
rodmaD.
Thus far in
Mr.. THoNPsoN's CAREER
circumstances did very much in opening up
the way, nor I'D they stop here. By 4 CON.
bination OF events. this plebeian, u~Rostents-
tieus boy rose to the head OF the Pennsyi-
vania Central Railroad Company. aud ea-
joyed the appreciation OF all the business
community while he lived.
The popularity ia Mr.. ~Thompson's meth
DDS in railway operations which won sue
cess, and which especially contrasts most
strongly with other great magnates. ives in
his name OF keeping his construction &C.
counts. No stock was issued except for cash
at par; no bonds sold for less than par; thus
the company has not entailed upon il, for
all time, any "hxed charges" having their
origin in an inflated construction account.
Interest upon an enormous bonded debt
must De hrss paid or the property Will be
sold from the stockholders, and after paying
this they would be short in paying their en-
ployes. Scaling down wages, strikes, vlo.
leDce and costly armed interference of our
sherifts and marshals come in the train orig.
mating directly from inflated construction
accounts.
Controlling q railroad property for its per-
manent prosperity was Mr.. Thompson's only
thought; the game in a general sense may be
said OF Mr.. Garrett. But with the other
railway kings tue method was antipodean.
With the latte. the m~anipulatloRs upon the
stock. board were their intense study, and all
the movements upon their own and rival
lines were viewed from a Wall street stand
point.
They had no affection for nor pride In any
read other then that which is felt for his
football by the player. Give them the means
to secure q controlling interest and a plan
for booming the securities In any lice, they
will buy, boom and unload as they would
cssi away an old garment.
As the human body is reached In all its
parts by blood vessels carrying substance 81
everv nerve and fibre, so Ia this country now
ramihed by lines Of railways, ss necessary TO
the tody polite as are the blood vessels To
the human sy,tem. They perform fupotiobs
quite ~ necessary, and from their nature
they are n monopoly-a monopoly in the
Carrying trade.
The future will determine whether this
vital element shall remain M IL has been
and allow such methods to prevail, until by
their " corruption left 10 tester and work
out their " cure, or be laid out upon the
Congregational disseotipg board aud the Gov.
eminent scslpel employed 10 trim away the
ganErene.
Az . talker or writer Mr.. Thompson was
~eingulsriy deficient He owed nothing what.
ever 10 either, and II may teem a parodox In
America for any mar 30 constituted to rise
10 success, But slowly aud 10y imperceptl-
be degrees u wes found that his Judgment
OF men and measures was infalllble.
he had risen 10 the Presidency OF the Pan.
sylvania Central and wassnjoping this conf.
dence In bis Judgment when tho writer frat
knew him.. and began to study his character
and the source of his strength. Ii could all
be traced 10 bis sound Judgment love OF sys.
tenn and his plain. unaffected common
sense.
These were his e%minently, aud the only
qualities necessary 10 perform the task OF
building n great road without a dollar of
dead weight upon IL, and no doubt he was
the only man who could have built Il at all
In those times. His methods were the old
fashioned methods, and like the fashions,
they may return some day, when the paral-
leling The best of orr trunk lines with az