The record-union., 1897-05-07
c. P. HUNTINGTON.
Address Of the President Of the Southern
Pacific System
In Responding to Toast at Banquet
Given the Officers and EN-
ployes of the Company.

At banquet given by President e.
P. Huntington to officers and employees
of the Southern Pacific system at ms
residence at San Francisco Wednesday
evening, Mr. Huntington in responding
to toast, spoke as follows:
Gentlemen: Again l have the SIN
cere qualification of welcoming you TO
my home and again | anticipate the
enjoyment of listening to the kindly
and fraternal words which have always
marked, and 1 hope may ever dlstln-
guiSh our social reunions, although L
confess that l am selfish in this antici-
patton, for l am sure the pleasure is
more mine than yours.
Il have added to the number of our
friends this evening some representa-
tives of a class without which our voca-
tons would be gone, and the feet of our
idol, the railroad, would be as of clay;
for what could the railroad do without
the men who run the engine and the
train? They have done me the honor to
accept my invitation, and on behalf OF
all of YOU as well as myself, l extend
to these gentlemen who come to us
from the engineers and conductors of
the Southern Pacific Company our cor
dial greetings.
I'VE all serve the same master-the
public. l think indeed, that of all the
classes of labor in the world from the
highest to the lowest, there is no body
of men who are more Immediately the
servants of the people than we. We
exist for their convenience, and we can
not live without them.
AT the same time, it may as justly
be said, that without railroad men the
world to-day might be living in huts,
and California herself would have lit
| tie to recommend her except a glorious
climate and the illusions of a pastoral
| life Since we are, then, at once the
servants and the civilizers of mankind,
| it would seem to be a plain duty, in the
| interest of ourselves as of the public,
| that we get closer to the people, &C
| quaint ourselves with their situation
and their needs, and, as far as posi-
| BILE within the lines of our duty to the
| company meet their requirements.
The gentlemen who represent the
| conductors and engineers this evening
come closer to the people than some of
| the rest of us. Their responsibilities
are of the highest order, because they
concern the lives and the safety of
the travelling public There is no high
er type of hero than the man at the
lever, who at the supreme moment of
peril, faces a dreadful alternative and
stands fast at his post No blare of
trumpet, no roll of drum, no encourage
ing shout of comrades, no passion and
excitement Of battle, stimulate his
| courage. With his engine plunging in
IN ia fire of bJIrninp bridge or into
an abyss which yawns at his feet, or
into the wreck of other engines and
trains like his own, he holds on because
his duty bids him stay.
1T Is not the fortune of most of you,
| gentlemen. who are the administrative
officers of the railway company, to ever
attain saintship by this heroic method,
and / presume I could count on the fin
| gers Of at least both hands the number
/ of you present here tonight who hon
estly regret it. At the same time the
| duty rests upon us as officers, to do
our part in minimizing the risk sustain
ed by the travelling public, so far as it
| can be done through a perfect roadbed
and equipment, and intelligent man
agement of the properties, and in elm
| mating as far-a possible the danger
| 10 our tralnmen.
I have many times expressed my
pride in the personnel of the Southern
Pacific Company, and it has been JUS
titled by the letters l have received
| from travellers over our lines, who have
! praised in the highest terms the uni
| form courtesy of our railway employees
| 1t is only fair to say to you, gentlemen
| who are the officers and heads of de-
partments of the respective companies
| that l have no doubt the same thing
has been written about yourselves, only
| the letters were probably written to
some other person. or else 1 have for
| the moment forgotten them.
Since our last reunion the nation
has elected new President For his
predecessor l have always had the
| greatest respect because / have felt
that While he was in the chair the coun-
try was safe. He was strong man. be-
lieving firmly in his own theories, but
confronted by conditions which pre-
vented him from carrying out those
theories. Mr.. Mckinley is likewise
strong man, and under his patriotic
guidance we have no fears for the ship
| Of state His administration com
mences under encouraging auspices and
promises. and we all look forward to
the fulfillment of the latter. which
means so much of substantial pros
perity for the whole country.
| Already we hear of mills and fac
tories starting up all over the East, in
anticipation of the good times coming
Whether realization or disappointment
| is in store for them no one can tell;
| but after all it must be remembered
that it is true in a large degree that
the restoration of business confidence
means the actual revival of business
itself, for business is simply the ex-
preston of peoples confidence in each
| other, and when that is lost business
llanguishes. l wish that the capitalists
large and small of California would
respond freely to the countrys call for
confidence. for upon the utilization of
capital depend the progress and pros
perity of the State.
Agriculture may be the basis of
nations existence. but the vigor of it's
life and of its progress lies in it's man
ufactures. Travel over the world
where you will, and you will find that
the greatest advances in those things
which make up material prosperity
have been in those countries where the
thrift of the people has been expended
in manufactures and the arts. The diff
| ference between the value of product
in its crude state and its value after
| 1T has passed through the hands of
the artisan is very great, and in some
things so prodigious as to astonish any
one who has not reflected upon it.
| I'm nv Shipyard at Newport News