The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-14

only 60 miles of road actually built by Mr.,
Shepard as contractor and does not in
cude the stretches of road with which
he was connected as surveyor or ensi-
ueer or in any other capacity. Were the
figures representing his work as an engi-
neer added the total would be well over
5000 miles. But the total as At stands
is quite Impressive enough. With the
era of extensive steam railroad building
practically closed there is little probability
hardly a possibility that his record VIII
ever be approxmated even.
BEGINNING of the Record.
Mr.. Shepard is generally considered a
typical Westerner and properly So for
his energies have been mainly expended
and nearly all his adult life has been lived
in the West. But, like many another
prominent hgure-lke nearly every one of
the Vests great railroad creators-he is
a native Of one of the thirteen original
states, East Genesee, N. Y. being his
birthplace 1t was hardly his first inten-
ton to build railroads, or, in fact, to so
into business for himself at all. He was
educated at Mount Morris and Brockport
graduating from the Collegiate Institute at
The latter place tifty-two years ago. His
family was an important one in state pol
itics and he Immediately got job as sur
Veyor on the dong since abandoned Geneseo
Valley canal
lie remained in state employ for about
i've years ana very llkely would never
have struck out for himself had the work
inEs of the canal department been salts
factory TO him. But they were not, and so,
in 1892, he renowned state employment
forever and devoted some months to en-
Glnecrins work on 2 new railroad from
Canandagua 10 Niagara Fails, now part
of the New York Central system. Tho
next year he decided to work for nobody
but Shepard, and, at 23 took his first con-
tract, and began making his record. This
contract was for the building of 40 miles
OF track on the line Of the old Atlantic and
Great Western in Ohio,now a part of the
Erie lines between Chicago and New
York. While he was engaged thereon he
had TO spend his time in the valley of the
Muskngum and he got the ague so bad
that he pulled up stakes as soon as tho
contract was finished and struck farther
out into the West Thereafter, as the table
giving his record shows, he wrought main
ly in the Northwest, ten OF the tairteea
states in which he operated lying west Of
the Mississippi, while over 600 miles OF his
construction was in that region.
He began work in Wisconsin in 1856,
transferring his energies TO Minnesota in
1851 The Northwest was then a vast will
derness virgins, trackless ana peopled by
savage redskins only in the main. To-
day it is a great empire, oVcrsprinkled
with cities and towns, supporting a diver
sihcd population of millions, and better
ShBIflitu Win AibhcL oI AdNttil ldtliltAtS
than any existing territory of similar ex-
tent and character outside the United
States of America. TO the transforma-
ton of the Northwest from a wilderness
to a civilized land his contributions have
been extensive, aside from his railroad
building. He was the first to point out
the agricultural possibilities of the region
and Miuncsota's state records include a
report from his pen dealing with soil, ell
mate and the like, written soon after he
settled in St. Paul, which now reads like
a prophecy. For years his occupations
were diversified. He laid out some rail-
roads and built others. He engaged in
mercantile pursuits. lie was the main
spirit of the early operation of the Min
ncsOta Central now part of the Chicago.
Milwaukee and St. Paul system, and the
BRIEF and simple time tables under which
Its few trains We're run In the early six
ties are stiu carefully preserved In the
Shepard archives. 1t was not til 1887
that ne forsook everything for railroad
construction. rcnouncing therefor the pros
pectiNe presidency Of "A highly important
line connecting Chicago and ST. Paul
Building railroads was his chief occu-
patton from 1870 till 1890 however. and
from that time an his retirement twenty
four years later be laid down on an aver
nse OF almost mile ana "a half "A working
nay 10 made record Of SIS miles in the
Hiteen months following May ], 1852 but
was destined 10 do much better later.