The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-01

suiting physicians, but DR.. Lodge was the
only physician present when he died The
immediate members of Mr.. Roberts fam.
lily were the only Others who saw him
breathe his last.
Mr.. Roberts leaves wife, who was
formerly Miss Miriam L, Williams, and
five children-Miss Elizabeth Williams
Roberts, George Brinton Roberts, who is
connected with the Pennsylvania COM
pany Algernon Brooke Roberts, n men,
ber of the class of 80 law department Of
the University of Pennsylvania; T. Will
iams Roberts, student Of Yale, and a
married daughter
Some little gossip is floating about con-
cornlng President Roberts successor. AL
though high officials of the Pennsylvania
system were seen with regard to the sue
cession, they declined from u sense of
delicacy to discuss that matter. The i'm
preston is current in authoritative circles
that First Vice President Thomson will
succeed to the position.
George Brooke Roberts was born on
Jan. Is, 1888, In Lower Merton township,
Montgomery county, Pa His early edu-
cation was obtained in the public schools
and rounded ND by o course atthe Rcns-
selaer Polytechnic institute at Troy, N. Y.
Soon after leaving school, in 1851, he OBJ
taincd a position as rodman on an engl-
neering corps of the PENNSYLVANIA Rail-
road company, whose main limo to Pitts
burg was not then completed. consid-
erable portion of the mountain division
was yet to be constructed, and it was on
this division that tho corps was engaged
= oh
wero recognized by his promotion to tho
position of assistant engineer of the AL
legheny division, which included the great
tunnel. In the following year he was Of
ferod the position of assistant engineer Of
TIE Philadelphia and Erie railroad, then
under construction, and accepted it. For
the succeeding ten years, during which
many railroads were projected and built,
he was engaged in thoir location and con-
struction.
Mr. Roberts diligence and ability had
not passed unnoticed by that great rail
road engineer j. Edgar Thomson, who
had located tho main line Of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, and in 1862 he induced
Mr. Roberts TO return to the service of the
company in which he began his career,
making him his principal assistant. In
1869 he was promoted TO the fourth vico
presidency of the company, and was soon
afterwards advanced to the second vice
presidency, and on the death of Mr. Thorn
son, in 1874, and the advancement of Col
onel Thomas A. Scott to the presidency,
Mr.. Roberts was made first vice president.
During the last two years of Colonel
Scott's administration Mr., Roberts per-
q. Ill a . h., Il
dency, and upon his death, in 1880 Mr.
Roberts was chosen his successor.
The cardinal principle of his policy was
that the business of a corporation should
be carried on by those methods which have
been most successful in the lives of indi-
viduals; that there should be integrity in
all things; economy, not parslmony, in
expenditures; provision for the future in
prosperous times; ownership of what it is
wise to control, and keeping up with the
general progress of the times. Under this
wise financial policy Its credit rose as high
as TINT of the United States during tho
period of the greatest business depression
the country has ever known.
/ One Of the most important purchases
made during his term of Office was that of
the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Balti-
more railroad. The announcement of this
fact by Mr.. Roberts ut the annual meet
ing, which occurred on the day the trans
action was consummated, created an in
describablo enthusiasm in the great body
of stockholders assembled in Musical
Fund Hall. In line with this purchase
was tho acquisition of the Northern Gem
tral railway by purchase of the majority
Of its stock, of the Philadelphia and Eric
railroad, the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and
Chicago railroad, and other integral por-
tions Of the company's western system of
roads which 1t was essential to own, not
only as matter of protection, but of eoon-