The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-05-17
MAINE CENTRAL RAILROAD.
Franklin A. Wilson Of Bangor. Elect
ed President Yesterday.

Sketch of the Career of the New President
! Born and Educated in Maine-His Ca
| reer as Lawyer and Railroad Man.
The meeting of the Maine Central
, board of directors yesterday was fully
attended and important. George M. Pull.
man, the palace car millionaire, came on
from Chicago to attend. The others
present were President Lucius TuttIe, OF
the Boston & Maine, Henry M. Whitney
of Boston, Henry r. Reed of Boston,
Lewis c. Ledyard of Boston, William G.
! Davis, Joseph S. Kicker, Thomas W.
Hyde of Bath. John Ware of Waterville,
Francis W. Hill of Exeter, Payson Tuck
or and Franklin A. Wilson of Bangor.
The only director absent was General
Samuel G. Lr~rence of Boston.
The principal business of the board
was the election of p.-sident. Since
President Sewall's lctirenens at the an
nual meeting lest December, there has
been vacancy. Franklin A. Wilson,
Esq, one of the board of directors, was
made chairman of the board, and the
! powers of Vice President Tucker were
temporarily increased for certain pur-
poses of routine business. In this way
the business has been. carried on until
yesterdays meerihg.
At that session Mr.. Wilson was un-
animously elected president. In speaking
of the election, President Tuttle, OF .the
| Boston & Maine, and director of the
Maine Central, said to the PRESS rep
resentative, yesterday, that it had been
the intention all along to make Mr.. Will
son president, but there had been some
| delay in getting full meeting of the
board. Mr.. futile spoke very highly of
Mr.. Wilson'S abilities. and believed that
he would be popular and successful in
the new position.
Franklin Augustus Wilson has been a
prominent man in eastern Maine for
many years. He was born in Bradford,
Penobscot county, iii 1882. His ances-
tors on his fathers side came originally
from Rehoboth, Mass, and settled in
Thomaston. While young man, his
father, John H. Wilson, removed from
Thomaston to Bradford, where he was
prominent man through his long life.
For forty, years he was constantly either
sheriff or a deputy sheriff Of Penobscot
county. He died about year ago.
Franklin A. Wilson was fitted for COL
lege in the Bangor High school, and en-
tered Bowdoin in the class of 1854 which
will celebrate it's tortieth anniversary
this coming commencement. Among his
classmates were James r. Osgood, the
Boston publisher, Daniel G. Linscott,
Henry Hyde Smith, and Am brose East
man, three well known Boston lawyers,
and United States Senator William D.
Washb burn of Minnesota.
After graduating from Bowdoin, Mr..
Wilson read law with John A. Peters.
now chief justice of Maine. He was
admitted to the bar. in 1857, and at once
opened an office in Bangor. For ten
years he worked his way alone to the
front as practitioner, becoming one of
the leading young lawyers in eastern
Maine. In 1867 he formed partnership
with Mr.. Peters, which lasted through
the latter's service in Congress. and un-
til he took his seat on the bench.
Mr.. Wilson's services became gradually
in much demand in important railroad
cases. and he has for long time made
railroad law a speciality. Many years
ago he became attorney for the Maine
Central railroad, and has managed their
legal affairs in eastern Maine. 1t was
through this connection that Mr.. Wilson
came into the board of directors about
two years ago, succeeding the late Ho-
ratio N. Jose.
In the sessions of 1875 and 1876, Mr..
Wilson was one of Bangor's representa-
tives in the lower branch of the State
Legislature, serving on the judiciary
committee.
He is prominently identified with the
business and social life Of his own city,
being president Of the PenobscoG Savings
Bank, director of the Second National
and Veazie National banks, and also
OF the Union Marine Insurance Compa-
ny of Bangor and of tie European &
North American railway. He is also
tluStCo Va JIG DduSoT pubic library, ana
a member of the board of overseers of
Bowdoin College.
Mr.. Wilson is prominent socially and
member of some of the leading social
clubs in New England-the Tarratine of
Bangor, Cumberland of Portland, and
st. Botolph and University of Boston.
Mr.. Wilson is married and has family
of four children.sa daughter, Mrs. George
Coulter of Brookline Mass, and three
sons, one of whom is Harvard freshman
another student at the Hotchkiss
school at Lakeville, Conn.,, and the third
at home.
Mr.. Wilson is member of the Unita-
rian parish of Bangor. He will continue
to make his home in that city, but will
be in Portland a portion Of each week,
as heretofore.
Personally, the new president is au
active, young appearing, though digni-
fed man of business. Although his age
is really 62, his dark hair and beard,
M ark ed NV few THREADS of orav ond h;s