Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-12-29
K. R. CABLES CLIMB,
ROCK Islands Great Railroad
Man.
HOW the President or n Tr.nE I,na
ac"i we'd Success = Compliment
tary sketch

Iodo, lhcluulng large two
column cut of the familiar features of
the great railroad man. Natur,llv
enough Rock Island always hears and
reads the name of the present head
OF the famous system which bears The
city name with pride and pleasure. for
TINS In reality is Mr.. Cables
home. All his younger life
was spent here. Here he began his ca
reer which has been marked with so
many triumphs Here were all his esrly
struggles and first successes. Ia fact he
did not change his residence from Rock
Island until added resp possibilities called
him TO Chicago. Hence it is that the Her.
AIDS sketch will be read with peculiar
qualification in Rock Island. II is CO.
pied in its entirety:
In So years the Chicago, Rock Island
* Pacific railroad b IS had just five presi-
dents. VIZ Henry Farnam, Charles y
Durant, John F. Tracy Hugh Riddle and
the present incumbent. Ransom r Cable,
who wss elected 10 1888. after serving as
! director, assistant 10 the president, vices
| president. vice president and general
NAM ger, and president and general man.
! ager; the latter title, however, he relin>
| pushed in 1887, when +. ST. John was
| appointed To ill that position
President Cable was % years old when
he left his native state of Ohio TO seek
! his for uue in the comparat. vely new
state of Illinois. Born IN Athens county
IN 1854, the son o. pioneer parents, his
| early life was succession of struggles
| for an education, cue 10 the incomplete
| system of common schools in vogue at
| the period. But il the trials and vicissi>
tudes he encountered were engendered
| spirit of self-relisuce and an originality
| of purpose ihst have ever been marked
! characteristics OF The man He was
trained in practical school, and one is
not surprised to learn that st ! : the lad
with his independent spirit and conf
! deuce in his own powers entered into the
| lumber business on his own account,
| experimenting the work in the woods
and actively engaging in the general
| management. SIX years passed in this
srhuOus undertaking served but to whet
bis am titiOn, ana seeing the opportuni-
ties that existed in the great west for
young man of courage and vigorous &C
livity be determined to assist in the devel>
Opment of the new country.
The mineral resources of Illinois first
engaged his attention and the coal mines
in the vicinity of Rock Island for several
| years evidenced his mastery of tceir man
| egement. l. was through his cOnneC-
ton with them that he became engaged
in railway atfsirs, being successfully SUI
pernteRdont, vice president and presi-
dent of The Rock Island & Peoria rail-
| road and general manager OF the Rlck>
ford, Rock Island d ST. Louis company.
in which posi- ions he acquired famili
arity with the details of rairoadmaa8ge
me nj and displayed that fitness for deal
ing with railroad affairs that brought him
to the notice of managers and owners
controlling large and important railway
interests.
LOVE OF TWO RIVAL MAGNATEs.
The result was that in 1877 he entered
the directory of the Chicago. Rock ISL
and s. Pacific railroad, where bis execu>
tive ability, previous experience, reten>
tive memory and broad comprehension
OF the possibilities of the property we're
| qualifications so valuable thst IN six
years they secured his election to the
presidency of the great system. 1t may
have been mere coincidence that Jay
Gould was elected a director of the Rock
Island the same year that Ransom K.
Gable succeeded | i5 incl, P. L. Gable,
in the directory OF the road, but perhaps
there WIS more significance attaching 20
the fact that the wiz lrd of Wall street
was retire when MIR. Gable was elected
president and general manager of The
Rock Island system. There doesn't ap~
pear to have been any superabundance of
love existing betwee these two railway
magnates In president Cable Jay
Gould met his match for astute phiau
deriDg in railroad diplomacy, and when
he found he could not coerce the western
man into his peculiar ways of thinking
ne ended by cordially hating the able
president of the Rock Island, to whom
the later paid the compliment of saying
that he would rather have President Ca
BILE WI rking with him than against him
in any enterprise. and his only wish was
that he was connected with his system.
Since MIR. Cables appointment as gen
eral manager of the Rock Island in 1881
the property has been exte lded until IN a
little more tn IN 10 years. the mileage
has been doubled. 1t was in the hot
rivalry for business that he came in con-
tao, with leaders OF the largest systems of
the east and in such contests he has not
failed to successful y sustain the rights OF
the Rock Island, ct the same time earn
ing the respect and confidence of his OPP
ponents. The road now embraces a
mileage OF about 500 miles. and during
the coming year will build an additional
125 miles that will give it through con-
nection with lines in Texas.
vANQUIsHED VANDERBILT.
President Cables notable encounter
with William II. Vanderbilt. of the New
York Central railroad. from which the
Chicago man emerged with flying colors,
will not be soon forgotten. In that war
of words. Millionaire Vanderbilt insin-
uated that Presto ent Cable and Il. d.
Porter were trying to make properties in
! Li...- II of