St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-11
WHISPERS.

WHISPERS.
There are very few railroad men in
the country better known or better
liked than Vice President and General
Manager CAKES, of the Northern Pa
clflc. In many ways he is remarkable
man. Always faultlessly dressed, and
always having an air of ease about him,
he is yet one of the most rapid and
energetic workers in business which
is extremely eXacting. His ability as a
manager is demonstrated blythe splendid
showing his road has been making of
late, and there Is every probability that
he is worth to the company several
times more than the ZOO salary he is
supposed to get. Mr.. CAKES is essen
TALLY self-made man. A friend of his,
who has watched his career for years,
was telling the Whisperer the other
day something about the magnate'S
bOyhOOd and how he got his start.
When mere child of ten or twelve,
CAKES lived in little New England
town. His father had died short time
before, and TOMMY CAKES was the only
person his mother had upon whom to
depend. 1t was big undertaking for
the little fellow, but he never thought
of Sinking it. He laid in little
stock Of apples and by their sale turned
in many a welcome penny at home.
But during this time he also kept up
his attendance at the village school,
and whenever at exhibitions a
particularly bright lad was wanted to
do credit to the school, Tom CAKES
was always called upon. Shortly after
he was taught telegraphy by friend,
and then, the war breaking out, he was
soon employed by the government as a
military operator. HENRY WILLARD at
that time was war correspondent, and
young CAKES used to send his dis
patches for him. WILLARD took lik-
ing to the bright young man, and when
later he engaged in railroad enterprises
hunted him up. First on the Missouri
Pacific CAKES demonstrated his eXecu-
tive ability when he prevented GOULD
from buying in the road for song, and
made him, through information he pos
SeSSed, pay the owners SS,000,000 more
than he intended. When WILLARD
came to the Northern Pacific he brought
OAKEs with him, and st. Paul people
who know him we'll hope he is here to
stay.
Twas talking the other day with a
gentleman that knows as much about
the Yellowstone Park hotels and their
management as any one could know,
since he has them in charge-Col. E. c..
WATERS, of Billings, Mont.-and he told
me some interesting things. Col.
WATERS was some years ago tea
sampler in New York, and enjoyed an
enormous salary for his services. He
came to Montana for his health, and
has been identified with the territory
for five or six years. The hotel company
finally induced him to take charge of the
park hotels. He tells me that the
prospects for a prosperous sea-
certain difficulties have been dis
posed of. that steps will be taken
to give the public adequate accommOda-
ton. Two new hotels will be built, and
those now there will be furnished with
better facilities for caring for the tour
lists. From an official source / learn
that the difficulty" referred to by Col.
WATERS was the indispOStiOn of Mr.
GIBSON, the president of the company
having charge of the hotels. to move in
the matter of hotel building and the
making of improvements with the en-
ergy characteristic of Western men.
But the railroad company has now got
the upper hand in the company Oper-
ating the hotels, and will proceed to run
things in way more comfortable with
the comfort of tourists.
1t will be change that the tourist
public will appreciate.
Our energetic fellow citizen, DENNIS
RYAN, learn, is now in New York
looking after contract on an extensive
scale which he holds in relation to the
building of the CrOtOn aqueduct. For
some time there have been rumOrs that
this contract has been of such losing
nature that it was severe burden to a
man of even MIR. RYAN's great wealth.
So far from this being true, l under
with the profit of the contract, which is
now approaching completion, that his
present visit to New York is under
taken with view to gathering in an
other on larger scale still. The pipe
connection from the aQueduct to the
Central park reservoirs will cost 81 ,0OO,-
600, and the contract for laying it is
the prize for which score of men are
now contending. Mr.. RYAN thinks he
could put it down and have a
substantial margin of profit left,
and if it comes his way he in
tends to gather it in. Whether
any other st. Paul capitalists are inter-
ested with him in the venture my in
formant did not know. The aqueduct
has already made the fortunes of good
many men, and if it adds a few more
score thousands to Mr.. RYAN's accumu-
lation of wealth his many st. Paul
friends will be right glad of it.
The other night the Whisperer was
riding on one of the late cable cars, and,
handing the conductor dime, was sur
prised to see him take the coin to the
light of the lantern and examine it
closely. "What's the matter" he asked,
''isn't it good?" Perfectly" was the
answer, ''and beg your pardon, sir;
but you see so many people get on the
cars after it's dark and give us cent
piece or three-cent piece, trusting to ouI
not examining the money. Several of
us got caught for tidy amounts in this
way at first, so now we examine every
coin given to us after dark. Of course
when people are caught trying to pay
their way with penny they say
they gave the copper in mis-
take, and at once produce the
right fare. Some people who looked as
though they were able to buy out the
entire company have played this trick
on US, so now our only safety is in sus-
pecting everybody"
Which illustrates pretty small de-
gree of meanness, doesn't it?
Sometimes our little jokes don't turn
out just as we would like to have them.
For instance. " is popular
young newspaper man employed upon a
morning paper. His duties take him
regularly to the police headquarters,
and he is very much at home there. One
day " happened to be alone at
headquarters when very pretty girl
entered. N was Immediately fas-
cinated. He resolved to make an i'm
preston. The young lady approached
the desk at which the young man was
seated and timidly asked him if he
was in charge. He assured her
he was and would be GLAD To do any,