The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-30

! ping of NOrfolk's great harobr He
| swung slowly around at my question
massively around, as If he had run uE
| against somebody entirely irrelevant
and in quiet full deep voice he replied
Il never had any whiskers, sir"
! Under an impulse Of surprise and be
| fore | caught myself i again asked:
What not side WhiSkers, Mr.. ST
! John, l was sure you had side-whiskers.
| Pausing n moment and cycling bus viSh
| tor somewhat more suspiciOuSly, he re-
piled with worried quetneSs and more
| deeply:
mo, sir, not -whiskers."
| must have been ratified, because the
I very next question with his steady pre-
| found dark eyes upon me was this:
"Mr. st. John. did you not have blu
eyes?'
There was no reply-only more acute
look at me. / read the answer in the
eyes: they were brown.
1t was Judge Watts whom l had
seen.
And then it was that l was impressed
with the atmosphere of the man. Not
tall enough for his feet to touch the floor
as he swung back, with the short legs
and big body with its short arms and
strong fingered chubby hands. Above the
physical appearance was the head-that
is about all one remembers Of Mr.. St.
John. 1t was set easy and firm as if Oh
a pedestal, with the kind line of the lip
almost hidden by a cropped white mus
tache of stubborn, fighting sugge~tion.
The rest of his face was clean and flush
ed with health had easily, while above
the almost motionless eye Of horse
chestnut color was IA head that was fit
for the Gods, or for the late Commodore
Maury, whose head it resemble
more than any other man whom | recall
Mr. st. John, l think people would
like to know if there is anything in the
rumor that the Seaboard and the South
ern have made such terms as to destroy
| the autonomy of the Seaboard, as here
tofore understood by everybody in North
Carolina.
THE Seaboard stands as it always did
as related to the Southern, except that
the rate war has ceased at competitive
points
What is the future policy OF the
system?
LAS it has been, to do the work OF
common carrier, trying to build up the
places and please the people along its
line, leaving their political concerns
alone, knowing nothing of them. / fee
that the people Of North Carolina are
quite able to attend TO their political
business without the meddling OF a rail
road man who neither knows anything
OF it or should care. Our only policy is,
as | have said, TO accommodate those
who support the road, and to try in
doing that, of course, to keep the road
profitable That is the simple mission
or all railroads which are run ais com
mon carriers, by men bred to the business
and not to politics"
Twill the Seaboard get control of the
Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley?
THAT | can't tell-you know there are
two committees, the New York com
mittee and. the Baltimore committee.
Our proposition has been accepted by
the Baltimore Committee; as to who
will get the road will depend upon who
puts in the higher bid at the time OF
sale. OF the 100000 bonds in New
York, only 100000 OF them are owned
by the Southern, the other 100000 may
be withdrawn at pleasure by the bond
holders.
Gould the Seaboard road get control
OF the Yadkin Valley without the ac-
quiescence If the Southern? In other
words could not the Southern fustrate
such purpose by litigation that would
last at least two years, and, therefore,
would not the requirement of this road
by the Seaboard be construed as the
outcome of some friendly understanding
between the Seaboard and Southern"
II do not think any such litigation
could stand in the way; but the case
stands about as / have stated, with no
conclusion involved OF friendship be-
tween the roads that would be injurious
to the intactness of the Seaboard."
Mr.. st. John was impressive, phleg-
matte, sparing with words, but with
sort Of kindly aftermath about his whole
presence which is that Of a philosopher
rather than of the acute man Of action
that he is.
1t is certainly a fact that this man
had the bristle of the people turned
against him when he first came here,
and 1t is certainly q fact that he has
made the whole State his friend by now
The case of the Henrietta and Ellen
borO cotton mills might well give hint
OF his broad industrial policy, when FIVE
miles of branch road were built at the
behest of company who afterwards, as
consequence, erected a large factory,
now running proitably to road and
company. This enterprise was at large
expense, but it has been repeated in
many other similar instances.
| As it comes in my way ! will make
note of piece of gossip that came to
me in party OF gentlemen who were
talking around table in Nor
! folk OF the personal qualities
| of Mr.. St. John. Railroad magnates
! ike railroads are not supposed to have
any soul. but ] was told by one who
/ knew that the salary Of clergyman
who conducts a mission church on the
suburbs Of Norfolk, was paid entirely
by Mr.. st. John, who was never sup
posed to have any connection in any
way with it. He carries on many chart
i ties in the same quiet way, and in his
social life gathers about him a group
who love 10 speak Of his delightful quail.
ties when under the relaxation of his
Il