The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-09-21
A MAN WHO WON.
(Ainslee's Magazine.)

II II WSlS pOSSlDle TO give q formula
1or the preparation of a character like
that which is the subject of this sketch
perhaps the prescription would read
like this:
Take one part of old-fashioned rug
ged honesty, one part of New England
thrift, one part of unfiagging industry
one part OF keen business Sagacity. one
part OF steadfaSt devotion to the in
UereSIS OF associates, one part of JUS
tee, and one of kindness of heart
Blend these, allowing for the usual
minor blemishes which belong to all
Suckney, president of the Chicago
Great Western railway, a unique figure
among American railway presidents.
Perhaps if you throw in a spice OF
audacfty and a dash of obstinacy, you
would not be doing amiss.
Though the life work of Mr.. Stick
ney has been wholly western, he is an
eastern man by birth, coming from an
old Maine family. He was born in the
town of Wilton, Franklin county, in
lS40. After common school educa-
ton, he began teaching school at the
age OF IL. Later he entered the law
Office of a famous Maine lawyer After
admission to the bar he went west
where he soon abandoned the law for
the large and commanding field of
the railroad.
This. in a nutshell, is the biography
for details, you would probably re-
ceive the answer once given by him to
reporter who wanted some ma
terial:"
mo, sir; I haven't anything to give
you. The time to write a mans life
never comes till he is dead-and not
then unless he has done something
worthy of being written about"
But his intimate life of today he may
not easily hide, for he has written it
in the hearts of thousands of peopIe
with whom he has come in contact,
while his public life is being written
upon the activities of the country in a
clear and bold hand.
1t doesn't make any difference what
KIND OF suit of clothes a man has on,
whether it is the work of a New York
tailor and worn by the richest man in
America, or whether ii is the coarsest
hOmespun, black with the grease and
dirt of the engine. no man fails to get
an interview with Mr.. Stickney, if he
mas any sensible reason for. asking it,
This remark, made to me by a close
friend of Mr. Stickney, illustrates ad-
mirably one of his characteristics. He
is one of the most approachable men
in the world. If you were to study this
man from the short range of his rail-
road offices in the city of st. Paul you
would see that the grimiest brakeman
on his railroad meets with just as
warm a welcome, if he has business to
transact, as a man with many titles
Mr.. Stickney is essentially democratic.
What are Mr.. Stickney's amuse-
ments?' L asked of a gentleman who
knows him intimately. What does he
do for recreation?''
Works
But has he no diversions. as
athletics. music, art, travelT'
No; President Stickney's fad is
a ~
and deep student but as for recrea-
lions he has only the One-work."
In his private life Mr.. Stickney.
quite naturally, relaxes from the strain
of his official duties, and no man is
fonder OF good story or more heartily
enjoys the amenities of social inter
course His home in st. Paul is one of
the most beautiful on an avenue famed
for its handsome residences. But q
short time ago his life was saddened
by the death of his wife. The seven
children of his household are now
grown up, and all of them, excepting
two daughters, are married.
L do not know any way better to
illustrate the personal interest which
is taken by President Stickney in the
employees of his road than by refer
ence TO the plan inaugurated three
years ago by which employees may be-
come stockholders in the road. The
object was more closely to identify the
employees with the road and its inter
ests, and to give them an opportunity
to lay by something beSides-sUch an
amount as they might be able TO save
from their salaries. At the suggestion
of the president. all the employees of
the road we're invited to purchase
stock. The railroad is a well and con-
serVatively managed organization,
earning good profits.
Trfn he 10, 1T i
Mr.. SticlSney has carried his person
ality, introducing ideas of his own, no
matter how different they might be
from ideas hitherto held by railroad
managers. though. naturally, very
much OF the conduct of all large cor
porations is duplicated in the manage
ment or the affairs of this one. But
he has never hesitated to introduce in
noVations that seemed to him to be
grounded in good sense. He judged
that there should be one common
center, but one located in the geo
The road runs from the cities of St
Paul and Minneapolis to Chicago and
to Kansas City. About midway in the
line from st. Paul to Chicago, where
the road branches for Kansas City,
the town of Oelwein was established
Here is concentrated the entire me-
chanical working force of the railroad.
From this point all lines radiate. All
the freight of the road is consolidated
here, all the refrigeratorS are iced
here, and it is the largest coaling and
watering station on the system.
Carrying out the policy of the presi-
dent as To relations between the road
and the employees, a large room in one
Of the buildings Liberty Hall by
name. devoted to the interests of the
WorlSmen-contains a library and social
parfer where are to be found the best
OF newspapers, books, periodicals.
games and the like. One portion of
the ample grounds surrounding the
plant has been made into park Tor
the employees, and at one point in the
high fence which isoiates the grounds
from the outside world, there is a
lodge for the gatekeeper
and gardener.
T,hE railroad Of ,Irhich Mr. StickneY