Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-16
4 rnNrn AMONG nlILMoAD srN.


OF the renf~!ivania.
There arc good many prva, men who are
very modest, but thorc "a no man whoa
know Of to-day In public lilo who So shrinks
from no,oricty as docs the president Of tho
powerful Pennsylvania railroad system. George
u. Roberta, though the least known pcrs1n-
ally Of any Of tho great railroad inngnaiea 10
one OF tho most powerful. He controls thou
sands OF miles OF rolling stock. on army OF
employees and millions Of dollars. His pc-
sltlon In point Of power md responsibility is
second TO that OF no railroad man In the
world.
You would think therefore that whom Mr.
Roberts takes u walk through busy Wall
street and rs onylrons no would attract sou.e
attention. but ycalcrday no passed dtWn
tho tight .litle atroct. whore 10 many fortunc,
have been mado and lost, no attracted no
mora attention than the laggard messenger
boy with snail like pace delivering letter,
No ono eyon turned to look after tho quiet
figure that passed, with eyes CHANGING neither
10 the right nor TO the left.
President Roberts docs not look the no
markable man that no really is. lie IA now
about sixty years Of ageand Is tall but sparoly
built, with eofl blue cyea and roueont but
kindly manncra, A. quiet In dross as In
manners Mr. Roberts Is not ono who would
attract attention on tho streets. orc would
scarcely thlnl, in looking Mt tho man that no
waa tho ruler In u way Of 100000 mon, who
| directs the operation OF 10000 miles Of rats
ever which more than 5000 engines haul
10000 cars. The character Of the man who
directs this vast machine ought to DO intor-
eating the more so because 50 little is known
OF him.
In order to fully understand the success OF
this man Il Is necessary to refer brlony to his
he, OF Welsh extinction, he IL ponnsyl-
yanan by birth and ia TACT wns born In the
house In which no now llyps on tho line OF
tho Pennsylvania at Bala, IN Montgomery
county. Il wac after Lowing school in Troy
and when no was barely eighteen years old
that young Roberta took up milroading "a a
business and bceamoR road man on thnmoun-
tain division OF tho Pennsylvania then in
course Of construction,
This was IN 1881, or forty odd years age.
He has been railroad man ever since and
Ia still IN harness, thus In tho matter OF
seniority OF service rankins oil Of his con-
tcmporrlea.
President nohoriR has always been steady
hard workor For the nrst year OF his work
a. railroad man young Roberts had n rough
enough tlmc Of II IN tho backwnods Of Penn.
syiyania, but IN 1862 no got his FIRST subs,an.
4 tlal push upwards and was mndo nsslstant
engineer OF tho Philadelphia ind Eric rail.
road. Thcn for ton yuara he wes employed
| IN laying out lines OF road tributary to the
! Pennsylvania, many Of which he completed
aitor he had been made chief cngineer,
/ Eleven yoars after entering tho service OF
| the Pennsylvania he was made assistant to
| tho president thon Edgar Thompson. His
| abilities as an engineer won him high favor
| and In 1850 be waa mndo fourth Yce-prosl-
/ don't. A little lator he was made second vice.
president and In 1874, when Thomas scott
| hocamo president, he saw that his friend
/ Roberts became lrst vIcc.prssdent ia which
position ho had charge Of oil the accounts
| OF tho Pennsylvania and oil its engineering
achievements were under his supervision
Rarely have thore boon instances Of such
steady. sure proRrese won by quiet, unobtru-
slye merit and when In 1890 after Col. scotte
death, George d. Roberta was made the presi-
don't Of the Pennsylvania, his election met
with wide approval. Tho monled men OF tho
| aystom were satisfied rs were tie employees
and tho public found no reason TO complain
Such has boon the business career Of thiA
successful man and II Is suggestive, to say
tho least,
His homo life Mt his pretty home at Bala is
characteristic Of tho man IN that IL Ia quiet
and unostentltlous-th life Of a quiet country
/ gentleman rather than that Of railroad King
ana successful man OF niialra and Altogothci
unlike that OF Chauncey NJ. Depew whose liio
10 always In the open and who Is oil things to
oil mon,
President Roberta lIvoa IN the house In
which he was born. II has been much added 70,
however, and though tho old walls stil stand
| Mr.. nobsrts has added much TO the old man
sion improving It IN many ways, His home
| IL not far from bis oilico, being but 1--WE miles
away on the sohuylkill Valley division and
0 O'Clock In the morning nnds him going
| PhlladolphiAward Just 90 surolyas 4 $50 In the
afternoon iinds him on his way home
Whom he 10 at his ONCE his ways are demo-
| cratic In tho extreme. He sits at an old.
fashioned fat topped desk. He has no reg-
mont OF lacleys about and no gorgeous walt
ing rooms. The desk Of his assistant is near
his own and messengers are within easy call.
His ofiiee is plain, n few engraylngs along the
/ iennhylNhnlh peWk Nhp MAN hNeShlPb ~
ndommeht.
OF course the duties Of the president are
diverse ms those OF heads OF great corpora
tons always are President Roberts p0pu-
larlty with the stockholders Of his road is tho
boAt proof possible TINT he is IN no way lax In
tho performance OF the duties that depend
upon him.
President Roberto time 70 fully divided boz
tween his ofiicc and his home. He cares Tor
nothing else and at his home no ID secn at
advantage. His ono relaxation is open air
exercise His library at his homo at Balm lisa
good one, lta COLLECTION Of hooks bearing on on
glnocring being especially line. Herc he likes
now and thOn to enjoy iscuaslon on APP
piled science with some friend. Society ha
cares nothing for and be is neyar socn at any
Of the swell social functions IN Philadelphia
lie Il rarely seen at tho theatre and be Is not
an aflor dinner speaker. Even the fashion
able diyerslons Of country life do not allure
him. He knows nothing and cares nothing
/ about bloodod horses. His friend william
aihgery hns not been able to get him 70 80 In
for fancy farming. His wlioand children, bis
home, his business. these arc tho things he
cares for and rs Tor inds, such M are moro or
/ loas popular with rich men, no cares nothing