The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-07
UNDERWOOD, If HE LIKES,
VIII Have the Refusal of the N. p
Presidency.

VIII Have the Refusal of the N. p.
Presidency.
NEW YORK, Aug. 6.-It is true that
General Manager Fred Underwood, of
the 500 Line, is not in a position TO
discuss the presidency of the Northern
Pacific. He has not been offered the
position, nor has any official intima-
ton been made to him that he would
have opportunity to refuse if he chose
to do so All this came from a prom
iEent railroad man today, who is in
touch with every feature Of the stu
alton.
He said: 'Underwood's name has
been mentioned in connection with the
office, and not without good reason.
He has been in the minds of several
of the directors, and he has friends
here who would like to see him pro
NOTED. Some of them are very high
i'll financial circles, and they have
written to him that he was to be the
choice of the board when it held it's
| next meeting. But as to that no one
can say. The directors, as a body.
| nave not yet made UP their minds.
| don't think anything certain can be
| expected before the next meeting, and
| that is a little indefinite just at pres
! ent. The Adams Winter party is in
| the West. and J. Pierpont Morgan is
| busying himself with yachting affairs
I There can be no meeting without
| Adams and Morgan, and when those
| two NapoleonS get good and ready,
you can look for something to drop,
| not before.
Underwood is. however, regarded
as a very likely choice when the meet
| ing does occur. And if the place is
offered him. it will be for term Of
years. The directors do not care to
repeat the experiment with Winter
| ciU hrs
railway system to change presidents
| every six months. They had expect
| ed, and Mr. Winter had expected, that
| the relations he assumed would be of
a permanent character. That they
were not was no fault of his, but that
makes little matter. The directors
are just at present looking for a man
| they can all agree on, and when they
get him he will be expected to sign a
ten-year contract at least.
| MI. Winters brief career was less
| than six months. The directors will
be disappointed if the next president
| leaves them in less than six years
! They are going to try and get a man
| who will remain with them three times
that long or longer, if need be-a man
who will crown his railroad experience
| with his long. service for their road
| Il don't think at present that Mr..
| Underwood knows whether he will re-
| fuse or accept the position, if it is Of
| fered him. He is very independent It
| is matter of railroad history that
within the year two places have been
| offered him, one a chance with a great
| transcontinental system, and the other
| a station which would have brought
| him into contact with the most promi-
nent railroad men in Chicago. He re-
] fused both. One of them he would
| not even consider while the condi-
tons were being defined to him. His
| independence of action was limited in
! the berth offered, and his answer was
Immediately and Internationally NO.
Il think it will be so in the present
case. If he is left free to exercise his
| judgment, he will accept; If he is to
be subordinated to any other influence,
he will say NO. very decidedly"
The story is current here in New
York that President Thomas Lowry,
| of the 500, is looking for a successor
to Underwood. This would seem to
argue that the big street car man is
confident of Underwoods promotion
on such terms that the latter will ac-
| cept. 1t is said that the affairs of
the 500 are being put in such shape
that the general managers office can
| be turned over to a new man instantly.