The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-30
aAaRErr OF THE CENTRAL.
Something About HIS Brilliant Career

ECulSLulQR ADOub III CCA-
A Story of Rom ancs and Interest
From the Atiaata Constitution Of Sunday.
Mr. Cecil GabDett will leave Atlanta 10
night for Savannah, but will not assume
charge Of the Ce4tral until Tuesday.
His family viii remain here for the
present.
While every friend Mr. Gabbett has is re-
/ jOiced at his promotion il life, all his At
lanta friends regret tn see him move a'aY.
| 81 &c be came to Atlanta in February last
he and his delightful family have male many
| warm friends
Cecil Gabbett is too good citizen for any
/ place TO lus q, and especially Atlanta.
But while Mr.. Gabbett will make Savan-
| nah his homo, Atlanta will be MS head
| quarters to a great extent. His manage
ment Of the Atlanta and West Point and
Atlanta and Fl rida will remain IN this
| city, and every week he will pass one or
| two days here.
M. Gabbett will not relinquish for the
present the management Of any OF the
TO ds ne had when be accepted the position
| wi the Central
| And this will be gratifying information to
| the friends of the Atlanta and Florida,
! which mas taken new life since Mr.. Cab
! belt assumed control of it.
| 'No. shall not give up the Atlanta and
| Florida" he said yesterday in response to
| gu stinn. NET e. will aband N any OF
Of the others r the present | hope 70 be
| allowed to continue to handle them WI n the
Centralf FIR he present Every week l will
be in Atlanta ami give eacI road such at
ten on as IL may ueel."
you'll have your hands full
sit only me ms more work. But | have
plenty Of health "a will find time for the
ork. l hope TO he lie make the Cen
lral what it has always tesn-one Of the
best roads in the south. No oue knows
bette than l that l must have the hearty
C operation of every man in my service to
d this, and l feel as ured that it viii be
given me. The road has a fine class
of employees. and if they help me as | will
he p them we will keep the Central moving.
Tuel, too, | am no stranger in the territory
penetrated by the Central At all p ints
have my acquaintance and friends, and |
know that | will find them quite valuable
to me in this work"
WHO MR. GABBETT is.
No one in the entire country has made a
more brilliant record in railroad work than
Mr. Gabbett
He is yet young man. and within twelve
years has advanced from al entire Stra ger
in strange land TO the general manage
ment of one Of the largest, most p werful
and lucrative railroad systems in the whole
south.
his fame as a manager was not suddenly
acquired, but came gradually, each step OF
his progress demonstrating his competency
to assume tho more responsible and compli-
Gated work rendered him by those W no we're
watching his career.
His work AID his life, says one of his
warmest admirers, reads more like a sto.y
OF romance than one of solid truth.
HE A WARN HEARTED FRESHMAN.
Mr.. Gabbett was born in IipDerarv.
Ireland, Aug. 10, 1S49, and his reg stry Of
baptism, which ne has / asted on the first
page of his scrap book, shows that he was
cnrlstened Edward Cecil Madden Gabbett.
Tint scrap-book, by the way, contains
many interesting stories about Mr.. Ga ~
belts life, some of them having been in
prlnt, others having been torn from diary
which no kept, and Others being in the
shape OF flattering letters received from
prominent railroad magnateS and govern
melt officials.
When he began his education, Mr.. Cab
bett was destined By his father to enter the
crps OF royal engineers, but the son soon
took a fancy to railroad work, and was
given his choice. Up to the age Of 10 be re-
manned at home studying under a private
tutor, preparing himself for college.
HIS FIRST STEP IN THE WORLD.
Soon after he had passed his ten th birth
day Mr. Gabbett's fail or placed him upon
a train and st Irted him alone to the Mar
burg University Germany. The trip was
a long one, but he made il with ut trouble,
and for the next six years he remained in
Germany tendi & school at Ma 'Uurg,
Hambu & AID Milan. Then at The ags of
II ne returned to Ireland and entered tho
Quee IS University. A four years
course gave him bachelor of
engineers diploma, and then he
beg n active work. After his graduation
he accepted position ON the civil engineer
corps Of the Midland Great Western rail-
way Of Ireland. For ono year he remained
wi n that road and then resis ed. During
that ii @ he haI been looking toward
South Ameria as an inviting field, and after
severing his connection with tle road
started for Bue los Ayres, but when no
reached Liverpool found shat big insnr-
rectlon was in progress in Brazil Not
wishing to become party tusthe conf ct.
Mr.. Gabbett decided to remain IN England
until the trouble was over.
HOW HE CAME TO GEORGIA.
During his sojourn in Liverpool, Mr. Cab
bett met Capt. William Gabbett, a cousin,
who had served through the war in the con-
federate army and who had weddod a
daughter of DR.. Richardson, of Savannah.
pictures of the south, that Mr.. Gahbett
decided to take n rth America instead OF
South America. From his cousin Mr.. Cab
bstt secured two letters of IN reduction. and
in August, 1870, landed in Savannah, know
ing no one nearer tnan England.
HE SECURES POSITION.
The letters of Introduction MIR. Gabbett
carried we're addressed to Col. John Screyen.
president of the Alta tic and Gulf railroad,
now the Sava nah, Florida and Western,
and to Col l.. P. Grant, of the Atlanta and
West Point railway. A few DAYS after
reaching Savannah Mr.. Gabbett pre-
Sc tied his letter to Col. Screven. The
colonel "A as pleased with Mr.. Gabbett. and
rendered him a position Ion the engineer
corps, then under command of ORDERLY
Maxwell, chief engineer of tue Clayton ex-
tension OF the Southwestern railway, then
known as the Vicksburg and Bru swick.
That road was then being built from Eu-
faula to Clayton, and Mr.. Gabbett went
upon tn survey. Six mott later the
COMPANY FAILED, AND MR. GABBETT,
with other members of the corps, went to
Savannah TO make some maps aud SURVEYS
of rice plantations belonging to Mr.. Papot.
one of the largest owners of the Vicksburg
and Brunswick railr Jad A few months
later he was rendered a position with the
Atlantic and Gulf railway, now the Savan.
nah, Florida and Western, as civil engineer.
and remained win that compa ~ six
mouths. The Wick burg and Brunswick
was revived and Mr.. Gabbett returned to