The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1888-03-30
The Career or Mr.. Potter.

AnAO va kAA OV001
Burlington Hawkeyc: Probably the
death of no man outside of the politica
arena could attract more widespread
attention and cause more general sorrow
than that Of Mi. Potter. He was emf.
ncntly q man Of the people, not only i'll
that he sprang from the ranks, but that
he never lost Ills conflict with the masses.
He seemed to be everybody's friend and
yet his own master, and with u bearing
and simple dignity that brought universal.
acknowledgement of his right TO prc-cmi-
hence as a leader in his chosen field of
labor. His was a forccful character with.
out the display of force. lie had a won
derful knowledge of human nature and
an intuition that reinforced his more
mature judgment. He was intensely prac-
tical in his methods and yet we think Mr..
Potter has given the world some new ron
ceptions of what constitutes the practic
able and the practical. He had the men,
tai discipline of business methods and We
mere routine was never permitted 10. be
an obstacle to the achievement ofshis
purposes. He would not disdain to fol
low a beaten path because others had trod
1t, but he never hesitatcd to leave it and
strike across lots if that was the quicker
and better way.
If asked what was the secret of Mr..
Pottcr's succcssY" we would be at a loss
for a comprehensive answe For it was
not due to any N predominant faculty.
He was II well balanced man, mentally
and temperamcntally. That he had or
iginality; that he had real brain force and
that he possessed a rare faculty of intui.
ton: that he read mcn us u book: that he
had indomitablc will power. untifing in
dustry and a prescicncc seldom cqtalcd is
not 10 be questioned. That he was born
to command goes without saying; not of
his own ambition, but because his fellow
men would have it SO. His composition
was good metal; there was a fibre of be-
ing that made up a fine manhood; not a
man without faults. but a man whose
stability Of character, firmncss of pur-
pose, dircctness of action, business rcla-
tions, kindness of heart, domestic habits,
and simplicity of life SO marked his vir-
tues that today his fcllow-mcn cannot re-
call TO mind his mistakes of either mind
or heart.
Burlington has had an especial pride in
Thomas j. Potter. His prominence i'll
railroadihg datcd from his appointment
rs superintendent of the iowa division
and his tctnuyal TO this city. Hsbrought
his faNily hither and has iAaNc this his
home ever since, excepting III year TEN
porarily at Chitagb: As the great G., b.
& Q. system Is. evefsNAe'c known as
the Burlington" SO. ALSO was Mr.. Pot
er's name closely, identified with the
name of the city which BECAME at once
his home and the initial point in his sub
scqucnt rapid advancement i'm railway
management. Here in the training school.
under the immediate eye of Mr.. c. Z.
Perkins, n of the ablest and most sue
cessful railway managers this country has
produced, Mr.. Pottcf iilpid,s developed
those rare .lAalilies with which nature
SO richly endowed hiHm, and his personal
history was o made. 1t VAS IA grand
an achievement in civil life as some of
the ablcst generals of the Union accom-
plished in the military field and required
as great executive ability. 1t is in this
OF his relations TO the business world that
his loss is to be dcblbrcd as GREATLY lis in
his Ncrshnal. and social relations. 1t is
the withdrawal Of d 11eal fSiceg from The
railroad service not easily rcp I,i II.
But grca. ass the loss to the business
world It is, after all, ovcrshadowed by
the atiliction it brings not only to his DIVA
family and relatives but to the thousands
of people who had come to know hin;
personally. Somehow the hearts of his
fcllow-men always warmed towards Tom
Potter" Men sincerely loved him. They
respected his exalted position but they
loved the thcp. BY reputation he was ii
railway manager; but IN life ls was "a
man among men" Men sometimes envy
| the good fortunes Of their fellows; not so
with Mr.. Potter:-thcy rcjoiccd in bis
success as they now MOURN ut his death.