The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-23
GREAT MEMS GUARDIANS.
Some of tho Obstacles You Have TO Meet
If You Call on the Great Men OF the
Coal Regions

If You Call on the Great Men Of the
Coal Regions.
From the Hazleton Sentinel.
The rich men of the coal regions are
called to see Hon. Eckley b. Coke at his
office at Drifton he was halted on the
outside by a clerk in the telegraph Of
flee. The clerk had far-off, naughty
look in his eyes and answered with
the air of man. who had been dis
turbed in some momentous plan by
common mortal, that he didn't know
whether Mr.. Coke was at home or not.
He didn't make a move for several
minutes, when he went into another
room and had consultation with an
other clerk. That clerk told him to
TASK for card" The card was taken
and Mr.. Coke came out and the agony
was over, for Mr.. Coke met the reporter
with a, hearty welcome.
E. 2. Wilbur, the president of the Le-
high Valley. is easily reached You
walk right in on him. There are not
so many calls made upon him as on
Colonel Rollin II. Wilbur, the general
superintendent, and the difficulties of
getting to see the latter are propor-
tionately greater. You go into the big
brick building, up little flight of steps,
down another, turn to your left, pass
two Pennsylvania Dutch boys with the
map of Bethlehem on their faces, wear
In, hal ha for
and thick Pennsylvania Dutch brogue.
One of them takes you into an old gen.
tleman with grey hair, eye glasses and
a freezing stare. He looks you over
with the look of man who believes
he is appointed a guardian and fears
bomb throwers He generally wants to
ask many questions concerning your
business with the great man, and If you
answe" them, your chances of seeing
the great man are slim. When you sue
ceed in getting past the old gentleman
you are certain of a most cordial recep-
ton from the superintendent. The re-
porters who call upon him say that he
is one of the most courteous men i'm
iginable.
Some Easily Accessible Men.
Hon. John Leisenring is a man you
can walk in upon at any time. There
are no clerks, no stares, no questions.
Alvan Markle is another man it is very
easy to reach, although he is very
busy man. In the bank or in the traction
office there Is no gauntlet to run. A. $.
VanWickle is rather hard to find. He
is apparently at half a dozen places
a Thpra a "a
talks with clerks. telephone calls waits,
and at last you find him. Once reached,
however, he can be depended uopn to
give a cordial welcome to the caller
who deserves it. President Harris, of
the Reading, is protected by small
boy who steps in and announces your
name. The greeting is rather cold but
still polite.
1t is harder to reach President Rob-
erts, of the Pennsylvania railroad, than
it is to reach President Cleveland. A
reporter goes to the office. If he rep
resents paper big enough to command
attention and has persistency and has
passed the row of clerks and assist
ant presidents he may wait half an
hour and be told that "Mr. Roberts has
gone W IL lie NduiS ~ out
anything about the railroad he Is re-
ferred to John p. Green, vice presi-
dent, who is the greatest man In Amer
lea for speaking to a reporter and say
ing nothing. The average reporter can
talk to Mr.. Green for an hour. go down
the elevator believing he knows every
thing about the Pennsylvania railroad
and wake up half an hour afterward
very much chagrined to find that he
has learned nothing.
j. Rogers Maxwell president Of the
Central Railroad of New Jersey, has an
office i'm big building on Liberty street,
New York. To reach him requires great
diplomacy and appointments. He is
very pleasant man with the special
faculty of being able to turn a clever
reporter from the discussion of railroad
subject to that of yachting. The general
superintendent, j. II. Olhausen, Is
very bluff man and a very good natured
man. Elmer laval, of the Lehigh and
Wilkes-Barre, has only one clerk be-
tween himself and the caller, and In
contrast to the general rule he Is very
suave and pleasant man.