Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-24
J. K, COWEN ELECTED
New President Of the B. and 0. Rail-.
way Chosen.
new YORK and GARRETT INTERESTS
They United and Voted SoIidly for
Him.
LAST NIGHTS CONFERENCE
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.


and Ohio Railroad Company, and Represen-
tative in Congress from the fourth Mary
land district, was today elected president
of the Baltimore and Ohio to succeed Mr..
Charles F. Mayer, who resigned in Novem-
Der.
Mr.. Cowen was decided upon as a COM
promise between the factions in the board
favorirg Maj. Alexander Shaw and Sec
ond Vice President Thomas M. King.
The meeting at which Mr.. Cowen was
selected was a special one, and was held
at II am. Mr.. Cowen was the choice of
the New York and Garrett interests and
their votes were cast solidly for him.
His election was a mere formality, as it
was decided at a conference between the
Baltimore and New York directors at the
Hotel Stafford last night to present his
name. Mr.. Cowen was present at the
conference and at first was averse to
assuming the presidency of the system but
finally yielded to the pressure brought to
bear and announced his willingness to
accept.
He was consulted again this morning
prior to the meeting of the directors. This
conference was held in his private office
and was attended by Messrs. Eugene De
lano, Rowland Davis and others of the
directory.
The election of Mr.. Cowen is looked upon
as triumph for the CARROTS. They favored
l
he could not be elected, and then they set
tied upon Mr.. Cowen, and insisted so strong
ly upon the selection that the New York
directors who favored Mr.. Thos. NJ. King
or some western railroad man, finally
yielded.
Mr.. Cowen's name was the only one placed
in nomination, and it required only a few
minutes to do the trick.
The meeting was in session about two
hours and was held behind closed DOORS
All the directors were present and the
election of Mr. Cowen was unanimous.
AS soon as Mr.. Cowen was formally ap-
prised of mis- election he left his private Of
flee, " here he had been in waiting, and pro-
ceeded to the directors room. There he re-
ceived the congratulations of all present
The announcement of Mr.. Governs election
spread rapidly and it crSkted a profound
sensation in financial and railroad circles.
because it was generally believed that the
ONCE would go to practical railroad man.
However, nothing but praise was heard Of
the choice and the consensus of opinion
was that he would soon take rank with the
best trunk line presidents
His long connection with the Baltimore
and Ohio as legal adviser it was said would
stand him in good stead. His knowledge
of the needs of the company both financial
and physical. is conceded, and it is be-
lieved that he will begin reforming them
Mr.. Cowen and Second Vice
President Thomas NJ. King are warm per-
sonal friends, and it is not unlikely that the
latter gentleman will be closely affiliated
with the new president in directing the
operating department of the system. Mr.
King is thorough railroad man and has
worked his way up from the ranks AS
second vice president of the system he has
had charge of the Pittsburg and Western
branch and connecting lines and has made
1t as perfect as the resources at his COM
mand would permit.
To Leave Congress.
Mr.. Cowen will probably resign his seat
in Congress, as that is said to be desired
by the directors.
1t was rumored on German street this
afternoon that Mr. Cowen would not re-
ceive as large a salary as was paid Pres!-
dent Mayer until he had shown his capac-
ity, and when he had done that his pay
would probably be $4,000 or $4,000 a year.
Rumors were rife that President Cowen
would make several changes in the official
staff of the company, but these could not
be traced to any reliable source
High Estimate of MIR. Cowen.
Mr.. Cowen is regarded by those who
know him best as a man of remarkable
ability, and though now serving his first
term in an elective position, being the rep
resentative from the fourth district of
Maryland in the present Congress, he is, as
has been shown in the conduct of various
campaigns in Maryland, n skillful political
manager. In all these contests Mr. Cowen
has been able to care for the B. and O. in
terests, while in matters which have
brought the company into contact with the
legislatures of the various states through
which the line passes, and which required
the exercise of C >nSumfnate skill and diplo-
macy, Mr.. Cowen has shown his ability to
cope with his opponents on every occasion,
and he has usually been able to snatch vic
tory from the jaws of defeat when defeat
was threatened
The election of Mr.. Cowen carries with it,
in addition to the matters stated in The
heads to the great railway, chairman and
president, and there are many opponents to
the plan, although a most earnest effort
will be made to carry the new arrangement
into effect.
1t is claimed by the opponents of the
scheme that there can be scarcely a doubt
that there will be numerous occasions when
differences of opinion will arise between
the president of the road and his chairman
of the finance committee, and, said lead
ing official Of the B. and o.:
Il know of contemplated improvements
which had to be abandoned because the
opinions of the president and chairman of
the finance committee were at variance on
the matter. The latter, as general thing"
he continued, knows little or nothing about
the betterments needed, or, in fact any
thing about the operating branch; and that
fact will have the tendency to prevent a
thorough understanding of imperative
needs"
The great American model on the English
plan Is the New York Central railroad.
Cornelius Vanderbilt is the chairman of the
finance board, but the operating official is
Chauncey NJ. Depew, who receives a salary
equal to that of the President of the United
States.
Mr.. Governs Career.
Mr.. John K. Cowen is a native of Cecil
county, Md, but removed with his parents
to Ohio at an early age.
After receiving his preliminary education
he was sent to Princeton College, where he
became a classnate and close friend of
Robert Garrett, the son of the then presi-
dent of the Baltimore and Ohio company,
and it was then that lifelong intimacy
sprang up between the two.
Mr.. Cowen graduated at the head of his
class and after he had completed his legal
studies at Michigan University, Ann Ar
Dor, he was upon the suggestion of Robert
Garrett appointed by President Garrett to
a position in the legal department Of the
railway company.
The early evidences of the wisdom of this
step and the subsequent constituting of Mr.
Cowen as the head of the legal department
are matters with which the public are IA
miliar.
Last Nights Conference.