The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-01-03
FROM THE WEST TO THE SOUTH.
Surely the Star of Empire Has Changed
Its Course,
PINE BLUFF, \. c., Dec. 30, 1894.

PINE BLUFF, \. c., Dec 30, 1894.
Correspondence of the GOLD LEAF
The fact that on the first OF the New
Year Mr.. E. st. John comes from the
great city OF Chicago, laying aside the
position of General Manager of the Chi
cago, Rock Island 4 Pacific Railroad.
and takes up his position in Norfolk and
Portsmouth (no mean cities of the
South) as Vice President OF the great
Seaboard Air Line system of railways,
| indicates that in one notable instance, at
least, the course of empire has changed,
| leaving the prairies of the West for
the pine forests and cotton fields of the
South.
While the people of the South sorrow
fully shake the hand of whole-souled
Major Winder as he gracefully lays aside
the responsibilities of active business life
and retlres from official position to a
well-earned rest from its cares and per-
pleNities, they welcome to their midst
Mr.. st. John, whose name and the name
OF the road he was SO lately associated
with, are known from one end OF the
United States to the other
The Seaboard Air Line, as everybody
knows in the South, is a wonderful sys-
TEN OF railroads, which has been success
!ully operated from the first Starting
at tidewater, at Portsmouth, it sweeps
through a rich part of the Old Dominion.
1t swings West and South through North
carolina, reaching out great iron arms
at Its junction with the Carolina Central.
one grasplnS the minerals of the Blue
Ridge mountains and the other taking
hold OF the great fishing and rice indus
tries OF Wilmington, near the pillows of
the ocean.
South Carolina is cleft in twain, an I'd
the State OF Georgia is pierced until the
SeabOard's engines sacken their speed
and come finally to full stop in the
broad gates of the great city of Atlanta
There is much to say about this rail-
| road and the countries it traverses, and
any one who has noted the persistent
way in which Mr.. st. John for years has
presented the merits of the Rock Island
railroad to the public will for a moment
doubt that he will be equally as persist
| ent in presenting the many attractions
OF the SeabOard Air Line to those who
travel.
The coming of Mr.. ST. John means q
glance at business from a new stand
point. 1t means to set new ideas in mo-
ton; (and if you don't get an idea in
1t means a reaching out on all lines,
broadening of plans and policies. 1t
means that the local interests of the
| road will be pushed vigorously. His
coming means the South will be added
to, and not taken from; that there will
be Developments building up-and that
| interests now lying dormant will be in
| fused with new life and activity.
MIR. st. John can properly be called q
self-made man as far as there is any
meaning in that expression. At an
early age he began the battle for bread
and a place in the worlds ranks, sup
porting a widowed mother when only a
| mere lad. He was caught in the Wes-
tern current OF immigration in 1862,
going from his New England home in
Connecticut to Quincy, Illinois, where he
began to work in the Offices of the
Quincy 4 Toledo Railroad at $50 u
| month. From there he was sent to
Springfield to assist in the general ticket
department of the great Western Road
of Illinois. In 1868 he entered the ser
| vice OF the railroad with which he has
been associated ever since. From one
| position to another he has advanced
until, in September, 1897, he was ap-
| pointed General Manager of the entire
| y
! AS a General Manager Mr.. ST. John
took deep interest in the patrons of his
| road. He has been a persistent adver-
tiser acting on the principle of letting
| the people know if you have q good
thing.
| To his employees he was ever kind and
considerate. They could approach him
and receive his attention. His conduct
| gave Mr.. st. John the respect of all his
| employees, even the humblest of them
| realizing that there was u bond of sym
pathy between the General Manager and
| himself
| Not only did Mr.. St John have the
! esteem and confidence of the humber OF
the railroad employees, but the General
| Managers Association of Western Rail
roads of which he was chairman, adopted
resolutions on his retirement that tell
the story OF the estimation in which he
was held by competing railroads.
One of Mr.. st. Johns strong points is
| that of taking good care of the local
interests of his road, which will be pushed
vigorously. AS developer of the great
resources of the South the new Vice
| President will be second to none. He
will be ready to cooperate with al! who
are striving to make "twO blades OF
grass grow where but one grew before"
Indeed, there is no question but that
the coming of Mr.. st. John to the South
will do much to build up, develop, and
thoroughly set before the world what
the South has to offer in the way Of
lands, timbers, water powers, minerals
climate and other blessings.
The new Vice President OF the SeaboarC
Air Line has come South to cast in his
| ho
remainder of his life will be spent here
He will devote his energies to advocating
and pushing forward on the line of devel
opment the great and diversified re
sources of the South and surely he vii
be met with a hearty welcome from ,
generous, hospitable people.
FRANK Z. WOODWARD.