The record-union., 1895-07-17

capacity of this man, resolved to secure
his services at any cost. That was in
September, 1869, and from that day Mr..
Towne remained with the California
railway system. frequently rejecting flat
tering offers to desert it and go to the
East to take the management of great
lines.
At the time Of his death be was General
Manager and Second Vice President of
the Southern Pacific Company. implicitly
trusted and esteemed among the fore
most OF the men who direct the great
work Of that industry. He had mastered
| all the intricaoies of the whole science of
railroading and transportation. He had
become an adept student of the law and
Of the relations of property and the own
ers thereof to the law and to the Govern
ment He formulated for himself code
regarding property rights, based upon
the doctrine that the right to acquire and
possess property as the reward of labor,
skill and talent moves upon lofty plane.
above and more sacred than that of the
written law; moral plane that supports
and justifies constitutions, and is above
and superior to them.
Mr.. Townes career in California is too
well known to call for even sketch in
this place. He died ripe in the enjoy
ment of reputation that might well ex-
cite the envy of any man. Upright, fair
dealing. sympathetic. kindly, firm in the
performance Of duty, clear in his percep-
tions and capable of enduring enormous
strain; self-controlled, plain in personal
habit but not insensible to the comforts
of life and the leisure that alone justities
wealth. having himself under perfect
mastery, conscious of his abilities, but
not overrating them or permitting vanity
to have any place in his triumphs, he
was altogether remarkable citizen, one
self-made man.
He was generous, kindly of nature.
never austere, but severe if need be, but
always broad-minded, charitable, hard
working man, of wonderful natural en-
dowments, and of such business capacity
as is met with only infrequently.
His loss to the Southern Pacific Com
pany is not greater than to the commu-
nifty, for A. n. Towne was one Of the
men who, having adopted this State as
his home, devoted the best efforts of his
life to it's advancement and upbuilding.
Envy and malice have not spared him.
nor has he escaped the misconception of
his motives that seem to be the fate Of
most railroad men. But when the na-
rowness and small contentious of jeal-
ousy and short-sig and littleness
of policy concerning transportation in
terests shall have passed out of memory.
time will justify A. n. Towne as citizen
who had California's best interests at
heart while serving the largest organized
industry, and between which the dema-
gogue and purblind have SO long striven
to keep alive contention.
A. n. Towne won to him host of friends
while citizen of Sacramento. His court
eous bearing, his patience and self-pos-
session. his genial nature, gentlemanly
bearing. his unpretending. his warm
sympathies. his kindness of heart, his
uprightness, manliness and unfinching
integrity, his high sense Of justice and
regard for all human rights, commanded
for him the respect of the community
and the admiration of those who were
proud to be classed among his friends.