Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-15
COCKERILL'S LETTER.
Dining with The Union League Club
Of Philadelphia, Pa.
MLEOD OF THE READING SYSTEM.
A Talk with james n. Young, Late Vic
tim Of the Autocratic ssnats-
His Aocuser.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Disp..ch.l

ou OcucIdl 1Idutb DlItnuhy OF ululuR Win
the Union League Club in Philadelphia.
In strictly political sense the Union
League Club Is historic organization. 1t
was begotten in the spirit OF the war, and
was one of the first of the organizations in
the North which combined social inter-
course with the development of loyalty
and steadfast support of the Union cause.
After IL came the Union League Club
of New York city. which also rendered most
valuable service to the government and
the armies. The clubhouse Of the Phila-
dolphin League is beautifully situated
on Broad street. and is fine. old. capa-
cious structure. but already there is
movement on foot in the club to sell and
build elsewhere or enlarge. It would be
pity to disturb the present building be
cause of it's history and tradition. All the
great generals Of the Union from General
Grant down have received ovatioDs with
in its walls, and it's pictures and his
torical works pertaining to the var
are not only valuable Of themselves,
but greatly so by reason OF association.
At this dinner to which l have referred
/ met number o. conspicuous and dis
tingulshed men, among them Mr.. A. A.
Mcleod, the giant president of the Read
ing railroad system. who is mainly respon-
sible for the marvellous advancement Of
that vast corporation which has come up
through so much tribulation. Mr.. Mcleod
looks to be about 40 years of age and Is
certainly not over II. He shows his
sturdy. Scotch lineage IN every aspect OF
form and figure. He is man built for
work and endurance. l had expected to
see O raw-boned Scott with visage as
stern as the storm-end of one of
the Hebrides; but instead found very
pleasant, affable gentleman who Is ill.,
clined to listen az well as talk. Certainly
1T the dinner-table no is anything but an
absorbed magnate. He seemed to be
rather pleased when / suggested that IN
all my travels throughout the world had
come In contact with the fact that Sandy
McPherson," or rather the Scotchman,
was the great fnancier, ok-keeper, and
general manager of everybodv's bust
ness. / said that wherever i had found an
English commercial house of any distinc-
ton there was always a Scotchman i'll the
firm, or Gaelic boss IN the back room
keeping books. / had also discovered that
on all the railways in remote sections
of Europe and Asia the Scotchman was
nearly always found at the throttle of the
locomotive and close to the head OF every
enterprise. The shrewdness, persistency,
long medicines, and -bloodedness
which had enabled the Gael to build cities
and argoses in the bleak sections of Scot
land had made him the master of finance
and mechanics all .over, the world, and
tribute TO Mr.. McLeod's ancestors
brought out this story from Henry
Watterson. who was of our table
group: "A daughter of Lord Dundas
one day fell into the Serpentine IN HYDE
Park. London. A rosy.cheeked Irish lad
who happened to be near by jumped into
the water and rescued the damsel. Next
day Lord Dundas sent tor HIM to thank
him, and, being pleased with his appear
ance. inquired of the lad what favor he
could do him. With instructive humor
the boy said i wish your Lordship would
make me Scotchman.' His Lordshlp,
not in the least questioning his proves IN
the matter. replied with great gravity L
Gamma. my lad. l Gamma gle ye the pru-
dence.'
PUsHER.
Mcleod. who seems to be be veritable
Mcleod of MISUNDERSTANDING. Is, be-
lieve. a native of Pennsylvania. tie was
originally associated with Mr.. Austin Cor
BIN in the construction of his great Rock
away Beach Hotel. He was afterward
associated with the Long Island Railway
system, and still later with railroad inter-
esfe at Elmira, n. Y. He is a practical,
mechanical, business railroad man. While
Franklin Gowen, the great legal theorist
and philosopher, was wrestling with
the Reading system and plunging 1t
Ieod was looking after the everyday
ends of things. studying road-beds,. trac
ton subjects, the weight of rails. frogs,
and couplings and brakes. He slowly rose
from place TO place until all OF sudden
the country heard of him as the head and
front of this gigantic corporation, whose
system and methods of .agerandizementt
have at last attracted the attention OF
Congress. To-day the Reading system en-
braces fully 4 900 miles of railways. 1t has
a splendid and magnificentiy-equippe line
out of New York TO Philadelphia, Wash
ington. and the West. and with its new
leases IL will soon be connecting with Bos-
ton by way of the great Poughkeepsle
bridge. Controlling as II does the hard coal
output of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1t has
now reinvited the hostile rivalry OF the
great Pennsylvania company, ana a ngnt
of much importance and great magnitude
is imminent. MIR. Mcleod seems TO com
bine all the managerial qualities OF the
late Tom Scott with the reserve strength
of General Grant. He moves on their
works as the General did, and his motto Is
evidently Push things" He Is either
going to live IN our history as one OF the
greatest railway Napoleons of the. times
or he will score monumental failure.
There will be no middle ground with him;
hut with such an organization behind him
as he has there is no likelihood Of failure.
At this same dinner l saw for the first
time in ten years ex-senator Edmunds. OF
Vermont. The retired statesman shows
his age in the most marked manner lie
was highly flattered when the chairman.
Mr.. John Russell Young. presented MN TO
the company as the ablest and closest
counsellor that General Grant had during
his OCCUPANCY or the White House. The
speech of the old gentleman, which was
heartfelt tribute to General Grant, could
not be heard by one third OF the company
present, and was very little above medi-
ocrity IN character.
sTAR-CHAMBER METHODS.
During this visit to Philadelphia had q
chat with Mr.. James II. Young, late execu-
tive clerk of the United States Senate and
latest victim of that autocratic and some
what irresponsible body. For fifteen years
MIR. Young was connected with the Senate
IN clerical capacity. great portion OF
that time he had charge of the documents
and affairs of the executive session. most
responsible function. The doings OF these
secret sessions of the Senate have always
found their way into print whenever the
subject was of sufficient consequence
to excite public curiosity. The news
paper men recognized tne iact tuat WHICH,
ever they wanted to know OF the trans
actions of an executive session there were
certain senators who could be depended
mon to furnish the required information.
Recently it popped into the head OF Sena-
tor Hale, of Maine. to fasten the RESPONSE
bjlity of certain leak upon MIR. Young,
the clerk. without giving the accused
the slightest hearing or investigation he
was dismissed from his place and branded
as a discarded and untrustworthy en-
pIoyee. The proceedings were as arbitrary
and as brutal as though the United
States Senate were a "yehm-G ericht
or branch of the Carbonari. AIR.
Young is naturally smarting under
this indignity, because he knows
his absolute ability to establish
hIs innocence in the case made against
him. In fact, the newspaper correspond
emf who obtained the contraband news IN
ouestion has placed in Mr.. Young's hands
the name of the senator who furnished
HIM with his material. At the same time
Mr.. Young is unable apparently to ,exone-
rate himself. because the jury which con-
victed him without testimony refuses 10
hear him. The representatives OF the press
nj the United States in Washington have