The Portland daily press., 1897-05-22

| reorganization was effected one year later
ingalls, was made President. When he be-
came the executive head much of the prop
erty was a wreck-Huntingto had SEEM
ingly ruined the line, but with the abb
sorption Of the Richmond & Allegheny
line and other reaching outs, the G.
& o. doomed into prominence as new
trunk line between Cincinnati and the
sea. height to which he never dreamed
when he came West Mr.. ingalls, had
climbed in about sixteen years-the Pres
idency of two great railway systems.
Then as if by magic his brain worked.
He conferred all in his adopted home,
Cincinnati. Is it any wonder that he
was rendered a great banquet at the
Queen City Club in 1899, ID mark of APP
probation from his fellow citizens, and
that at that dinner Captain W. P. An
derson spoke thus:
"Ye know him by his works--the
Grand Central Station, the reorganized
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, the Cleve-
land, Cincinnati, St. Louis & Chicago
Railway, the Exposition Buildings, the
Art Museum and Art School, the Tech
nical School, the conception of the present
location and purchase from the United
States government of the ground on
which stands our Chamber of Commerce,
the we'll paved streets of our city, leader
in these and many other good works Mel
vile Ezra ingalls, has, by his untiring
enterprise and ability, done much for his
adopted home'
This is pretty word picture of Cincin-
MATHS foremost citizen, and drawn by
man who is critic at such matters. AS
Vanderbilt representative ingalls, has
enjoyed fattering compliments. Allied
with the Big Four is the Lake Shore be-
tween Cleveland and Buffalo, and the
New York Central from Buffalo to New
York. Hand to hand with Depew, Ingalls,
has worked with the Vanderbilts-has
when it was said that Depew would go
abroad for the government, Ingalls, was
spoken of for the presidency of the New
York Central. The present Joint Traffic
Association--the greatest railway organi-
zation ever effected-is largely due to Mr..
Ingalls,.
But I started out to picture Mr.. ingalls,
in his office, and as l find him in every
day life. Mr.. Ingalls's office is on the
fourth floor of the Big Four Building at
Third and Mill streets, at the west end
and from his window you get good
view of the G. & 0. bridge over the Ohio,
and all the extensive improvements in
| hot ioir NV. ha &c
out of the window in silence, watching
C. & o. train pull out from the Fourth
street station. Mr.. Ingalls, is not a hard
man to reach if you have any real bust
ness with him; he gets to his office about
g. 80 o'clock from his Walnut Hills home,
when in the city. In entering his office
,, you first go into the outer waiting room,
where you find Mr. Taylor Lightfoot, the
'.outer guard of the Presidents office.
In this Office is a table covered with pa
pers and magazines, and in one of the
several chairs you are seated until Mr..
Lightfoot says that Mr. ingalls, will see
you" 1t is a very plain office-one large
fiat top desk and a few
chairs In one corner is plain
clock, on one side of which is small
portrait of the late Reuben R. Springer;
while on the other is a portrait of the late
Charles West. A small framed picture of
the late Edward Lovett-these are the
only pictures; at the left of the Presi-
dents chair is mirror framed. There
are no further ornaments. Mr.. Ingalls,
usually handles his mail first upon his
arrival at his office; after that he is open
to callers and general consultation with
his subordinate officials. About o'clock
he walks over to the Queen City Club
and lunches with the members of the
Optimist Club-a body of well known
Cincinnatians, only two other railway
men, Vice President and General Mama
ger W. W. Peabody, of the B. & o. S.
W., and General Superintendent Ralph
Peters, of the Pennsylvania, being mem
bers. He gets back about 2 O'Clock and
remains until 5. He is very dignified
with his men, but pleasant; it is bust
ness with them, but socially, he has q
most pleasant side to him in his office,
even amid the cares of two great rail-
roads.
Mr.. ingalls, is great believer in phys
ical exercise. He is an embodiment of
health and vigor. This is seen in his
carriage and erect figure; he is six feet
tall, well proportioned, and walks as
though he were not afraid of the world.
One day not long since l was walking
east on Fourth street with him. Across
the street was middle-aged man going
along with his head down.
''See that man." said Mr.. Ingalls,.
"He walks as though the weight of the
world were on his shoulders. What is
the use of going along, seeing nothings
like to see a man walk erect and OBJ
serve what there is about him. y
Often in pretty summer weather Mr..
ingalls, walks down to his office from his
Jacksonville avenue walnut Hills)
home He comes down through Eden
Park, and enters the office in a good HUI
NOR
His family consists of his wife; NJ. E.
Ingalls,, Jr, who is about %, and a MEM
Der of the legal firm of Stetson, Tracey,
Jenney & Russill, New York city;
George, who is a Harvard graduate,
studied railroading with General Mama