Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-02
SEVEN RAILROAD MONARCHS
Men Who Have Risen from the Rank
Through Individuality.
HEADS OF THE GREAT UNION PACIFIC
sketches of the Lives of the ROADS
Presidents, beginning with
General John Adams
Din, the First.

tcrYdl Oh time OF over tnirty years. As tue
construction OF this road and its growth
Is so closely connected with the history OF
Omaha, and since many OF the pioneer citi- !
zens of this city have had more or less ind
mate connection with all OF these presidents, |
brief sketches OF their lives will be Of in
terest and very appropriate on the eve OF
the coming Of President Burt,
The first president of the Union Pacific
was bred a soldier. General John Adams
Dix was born in Boscawen, n. H., on July
"a, 1898, and after a collegiate education was
appointed cadet and aidod his father, Major
Timothy Dix He remained in the army
until July 29 1898, when he was compelled
by ill-hoalth to resign, with the rank OF
captain, He studied law, and was admitted
TO the bar. In 1880 he was appointed adiu-
tant general of the state of New York.
In later life when the civil war broke out, he
returned to the army again. On President
LincOlns S frat call for troops he organized
seventeen regiments and was appointed one
OF the four major generals to command he
New YORK forces. During the he was
in command of the Department of Mary
land, and was later sent 10 New York as
commander Of the Department of the East
until the end of the war.
During his lifetime General Dix was the
recipient Of many public honors. In 1893 he
was appointed secretary of state and super
intendeat of schools Of New York as dem
ocrat From 1Sl5 to lS4g he served as a
United states senator. In 1913 he was nom
mated by tRe free soil democratic party as
governor, but was defeated President Pierce
appointed him assistant treasurer at New
York and in 1861 he was appointed pOstmas-
ter OF New York. On January 10, 1861 he
was appointed secretary of the treasury by
President buchanan. At the conclusion of
the civil war in 1866, he was appointed
naval officer of the port of New York and
later was made minister to France In 1872
he was elected governor of New York as a
republican, by majority OF $4,000, but was
defeated for a second term.
General DNs railroad career began in 1853
when he became president OF the Mississippi
& Missouri Railroad company. On October
80, 1863, he became the first president of the
Union Pacific and held that Office until 1865.
For few months he held the position of
president with the Erie Railroad company.
He died in New York on April 81, 1879.
"1UM' SCOTS TERM.
Thomas Alexander Scott the "Pennsyl-
vana Railroad King who sue
ceeded General Dix, was a railroad man
almost from the time that railroads existed
He was born in London, Pa. on December
2S, 1924. His father died when he was q
boy. In his youth he worked on farms ana
served in country stores until in 1S4l Re be-
came clerk to collector of tolls on a state
highway. In 1S47 he was made chief clerk
to the collector of tolls at Phila-
dephia, and in 1850 he became connected
with the partially constructed Pennsylvania
railroad. In 1858 he became it's general su-
pcrintendent and in 1859 was chosen vice
president. He was instrumental in further
ing the policy by which the road gained con-
troll of its western lines. In 1871, when a
separate company was formed to operate
them, he became it's president. He was
elected president of the Union Pacific in
March, 1871, and served one year. In 1874 he
succeeded to the presidency of the Pennsyl-
varia road, and resigned on account of Ill
health. He was the protector of the Texas K
Pacific road and was its president for many
years. He died on May q, 1881, at Farley,
Pa.
Scott was prominent in the civil war. AT
its beginling he was appo,nted en- the staff
of Governor Andrew G. Curtin and was en-
ergotic in equipplng volunteers and forward
ing them to Washington. Cn April 27, 1861
at the request of the secretary of war, he
opened a new road from Washington to Phila-
delpha with surprising quickness On May
3 he was commissioned colonel Of volunteers
and on May % was gven charge of all gov
erumetls railways and telegraphs. On August
l he appointed assistant secretary Of
war, which Office he was the first to hold.
On September "a, 1863 he superintended the
transportation of two army corps to relieve
General Rosecrans at Chattanooga, and did
this with remarkable speed.
HORACE T.. CLARK'S CAREER.
The next president, Horace f. Clark, was
the son of a clergyman and was born in
Southbury, Conn, Gu November 20, 1915. He
was educated at Williams college, whence
he graduated Ia 1888 and took up the profess
sion of law, being admitted to the bar in
New York in 1897. He was engaged in active
practice for nineteen years. In 1856 he was
elected to congress els a "hardshell' democrat,
but later became Douglas supporter, Al. the
close of his term he was reelected as an
independent candidate. In 1857 Mr.. Clark be-
came a railroad man by becoming a director
of tle New York & Harlem railroad. He
afterw1rd became president of the Lake
Shore Michigan Southern a. Northern In
diana railroad In 1872 he Was elected preSi-
dent of the Unon Pacific railroad, but his
term was brief as he died ca June l3 of the
following year. He represented he Wander
bt interests, being Il son-ln-law Of Com
mcdoro Vanderbilt
Besides these railway positions Mr.. Clark
wleJ director in the New York Central &
Hudscn River, tho New York & Harlem, the
New Haven, Hartford & Springfield, the
Shore Line, the Chicago q Northwestern and
held valuable interests in cher lines. He
was also president of The Union Trust com
pany of New York and cn active manager OF
the Western Union Telegraph company. He
was also AN openitor in Wall street.
SIDNEY DILLON'S SERVICE.
Sidney Dillon, the succeeding president
was born in Nor hampton, n. Y. May I, 1872
Chicago as the chief engineer of the road
unOtntf OF IllOSe VINO were reared III tn'
on a farm. His family was of revolutionary
ancestry, He entered railroad life, when
mere lad. being first employed as an errand
hoy on the Mohawk & Hudson railroad, the
first read built In his native state, He mex
entered the service of the Renssel ellaer Sar
atogl- In a few years he became oyerseel
of contracts on the Boston & Proviienc,
and other lines. In 1888 he took Ihs frs
contract and completed 1t with profit in 1910
from which time his contracts became Yer!
numerous. During this period Of his life h'
engaged In the construction of the Hartford
d Springfield. Vermont a. Massachus It's
Rutland n burlington, Central of New Jer
sey, Morris canal, Boston New York Cen
tral Philadelphia 4 Erie, Erie & Cleveland
Morris 4 Essex, Boston, Hartford Erie
the Iowa, the New Orleans, Mobile & Chat
tauoOga, the Canada Southern, the UnioI
Pacific and many others. Altogether he wa
engaged in over forty of the leading publ
works of the United States. and the con
tracts amounted TO over 800, 900, 900, At ia!
Goulds suggestion he was made presiden
OF the Union Pacific in 1874, which position
he held until 1884. During these ten year
the company paid dividends to the stock
holders in the sum of S2S, $50 600, and tn
stock advanced from IA to 1914, In 1888
Dillon retired from the presidency and wa
succeeded by Charles Francis Adams bu