Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-18
ATTORNEY INGALLS,.
Known To-Day as One Of the Great Rail-
road MaSnateS Of the Country.
WHEN A STUDENT AT HARVARD.
An once Floor Served for a Bcd-Now
Has Abundant Wcalth-The "Chaunccy
Dcpcw. {" Of Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Commercial -Gazette)

Iaaart AHN DIX InAiT ana inc 'UtNt-
rcakc and Ohio. yet when a young man,
In attendance on the Harvard Law
school. he slept on the floor In order TO
cconomizc his money TIL he could gradu-
ate.
Few railroad maenatcs OF this land
have had the experience OF Mr.. Ingalls,.
Hc was poor. but energetic. and despite all
the impcliments that are placed in front
q such a person 10y the laws Of nature
and the rulings 81 mankind Itself. he was
triumphant To-day he whirls along in
81. private car at the rate OF a mile a
minute. lie has wealth plenty 10 satisfy
d.. tastes. and he has. moreover. that
sangulnc nature and that hearty good
VII that allows him TO enjoy the pro-
Goods a. his toll.
Nr Ingalls, was born at Harrison, Ne,
st. September. 1872. His father was a man
81 limited means. and could scarcely
spare time for his son to attend the
country schools. which kept ten weeks In
winter and six weeks I'm summer. For
tur4'c was the lover OF books II he could
prt '' attend both sessions. II happened
t,at Mr.. Ingalls, aid get 10 attend both
sessions tll he was Il years OF age. but
in.u hS father needed his help, and for
To- utNt three years the winter sessions
were lhc only ones for the future railroad
ntu.
U BIAS be.u stated that Mir. Ingalls's
father was a farmer. but to b. "a New
Ia1iaul farmer Is to have an experience
with silchills. rocky fields, stubborn clay
..i.s. and bleak and barren pastures that
tH. western farmer knows nothing about.
Tile yoaug lad thus rudely torn from his
books by necessity engaged himself 20
clear up several fields. so that better
crops might be raised. He piled up the
i.cA7 ull lis fingers were torn and fever
ish. then he loaded the stone into his
fathers wagon TIL his back was weak
.ri his fIaine trembling. but a decent
t"li was tic result. and ne experienced
considerable satisfaction tin a rain came
aud washed On one hour al the soil
away. Several times Dame Nature inter
if"i tn this manner. and at last the
outraged boy determined 10 shake the
.tl ui Harrison from his feet. lie turned
O. school teaching as the solution Of his
ii1ublts Teaching a country school he
REGARDED as "A little better than gathering
stones aud. besides, there were leisure
moments 10 bc had. and then all the
boys that iclve the farm teach school,
they can got a Certificate"
~EEAHDLESS YOUTH.
oa- morning MIR. ingalls,. a beardless
youth OF h.. presented himself for ex-
animation. IL had been a reader Of
books, ~ besides was a tolcrable
-,noi1r. so that his summation did not
a~t very long. lie secured Ia" coveted
scrap OF paper, adorned with the names
al the committeeman and forthwith
-'iniNl a horse 90 work up the %neighbor-
hooi Tor a school. IL had had one term
f hriigton Academy. and was confident
If success. At last De Was employed, and
Hn salary Was fixed. He was 10 get t1
d month and board. and his position was
good for two months ana a halt.
At this time MI. Ingalls, had an expert
'n'' That ia VIII never forget. When il
"a~ announced that school was e. keep
tl" neishuDrhood was aroused. and the
t~frii,>t interest WIS taken in the custom
Hf} hIidlnS Off Of tn, teacher. I'm other
words. the beard Of trustee pot Mr.. In
eeiiss appetite up al auction. and a man
hI ~ in Tor the muniIcrut sum Of Sl.25 a
"''k. This man-fortundte these things
won't among d." honest Maine farmers
ti.reIiDu escorted tn young teacher t.
h- boarding house. ANA everybody was
happy.
1ho school term ended. Mr.. ingalls, |
went o. lis home. lie had every cent Of
mis- 7l-"-. i.r ouc simple reason at least,
There N'e no place 10 spend any Of il.
That rIum"f was spent on the farm, |
i.rl 40 work. Int in the fail n second
rod term opened. This time Nh. In
-ai. was paid 81 per month and he
boarded aro-ud. The boarding around"
WAS quite common In those days. y
teacher spent his time with the families
lp proportion as these We're represented
f il' schools. Then. as now. the poorest
nr"rl" hdi the biggest families, and the
consequence Was that the teacher spent /
n. nf nls Z me with tho poorest families. |
iIe daily fare was clean and wholesome. |
-r especial care was taken of the table
ui'u the master was around. and no se-
fI.a- mi-lap hefcil the boarler. though |
. discussed the various menus If the
..l- hu0lhooi with considerable interest.
TEACHER AND FARMER.
For siN winters Mr.. Ingalls, taught
ana worked ou the farm. The third win |
f.r hc made MP his mind that he would
.fudv law. ana forthwith ne invaded the
aed ot Blackstone and Kent. In the
i.Il of 1885, hc determined to 30 to Har-
,o.i Law college. lie did enter. but his
money ran short almost Immediately. and
De- -iW trouble ahead. one DAY while
vtni. ring aimlcssly about Boston. he !
met "a friend. a practicing attorney. HIS
tri,uI wanted to know what was the |
matter. aud Mr.. Ingalls, explained the
situation. He sail he ala not have money
rpurh 10 get along on. and would be
reed o. quit school. Ills friend studied
B. while. ami at last said: II have my own
hcc. and YOU can sleep there if that
wdl Do YOU any good"
The 0f"r was gratefully accented. and
though the room was scantly furnished, |
ST. there the student remained until
a- received his diploma. His meals he
tNk 40 cheap cating-houses about town.
lnl his bed at night was the floor Of the
'ie". In the end Il was the Did. Old
sorry. Hard work dil wonders. ana on
" 'r" If graduation, in June. 1868, Mr..
lralIs Was Informed that he had taken
pr" prize for an essay on "I'ndcrground
lir ia"uts.' The reward was $50 in gold.
arl with that small fortune the Young
graduate started out 10 make his way in
iA- Worli lie had not a cent besides.
4ni lai % not been for the $50 would have
80 "n,- found himself in the prcdicament
"'n} a young l~awyer-withOut the
means 81 support.
FLUSHED with his success az college. Mr..
li nlH opened an office at Gray. Me. He
.ttcticei as much IA his clientace would
I'" ANA at the same time taught a
"luirF school. Fortune smiled upon
'h, and from that time on he made his
sss wlth ease.
MAINE TOO SMALL.
Th.rc came a day, however. when the
YOUNG attorney thought the State OF
Maine was not large enough for him.
ilc hai been absent from Boston for a
p and be had ever longed for his old
a-s. .ituons. At last. securing a position
clerk Cor a Boston law firm, he packed
DIS holdings, gave up his school and
practice. ana went 10 the Hub. Half his
Income OF 80 d week ne spent for board.
Nlf every day he gained in power and
"t-ttc. TIA he became connected with
tae nrm OF Woodbury. & Andres. The
death OF Mir. Andres gave Mr.. Ingalls, an
interest in the business lie thus Sc
cured a practice that would have brought
him In large pay. had II not been that
al the critical moment OF his career his
health failed. lie was attorney for sew
eral railroads. and the intricacies into
which he was plunged were too much
Tor hun. and his physician recommended
a rest.
Though to-day a man OF very vigorous
frame. Sir. Ingalls, had seen such severe
service as "A student that his health was
gradually undermined. and so his physi-