New-York tribune., 1900-03-26

quette Railroad. He is also director in the
Hooking Valley Railway Company, which has
recently absorbed the Toledo and Ohio Central.
Mr.. Ryan organized the Union Tobacco Com
pany of America, and acquired through his per-
sonal efforts the Blackwell Bull Durham Com
1any manufacturers of one of the best known
brands of smoking tobacco in America. and also
the Liggett & Myers company, of ST.. Louis,
the largest manufacturers of plug tobacco in
America. The Union Tobacco Company was alb
sorbed by the American Tobacco Company, and
Mr. Ryan is one of the directors of the latter
corporation.
Within the last year Mr.. Ryan and his asso-
ciates absorbed into the New-York Gas and
Electric Light, Heat and Power Company, a
corporation organized by themselves, all the
electric lighting plants on Manhattan Island;
and on the taking over of the Gas and Electric
Company by the Consolidated Gas Company, in
January. Mr. Ryan, Mr.. Whitney and Mr. Brady
swere elected trustees of the latter corporation
and were made members of It's Executive Com
mittee having as their associates in that body
William Rockefeller James Stillman and George
F. Baker. Ia addition TO his membership in the
boards of the corporations already referred to-
Mr. Ryan is a director or trustee of the Metro
politan Street Railway Company, the Third Ave
nue. Railroad Company, the State Trust Com
pany, the Morton Trust Company the Ameri-
can Surety Company, the Bank of New -Amster-
dam the Edison Electric Illuminating Company
the American Air Power Company, the Electric
Storage Battery Company, and many other cor
porations.
MI Ryan married on November %, 1873, Miss
Ida N. Barry, of Baltimore daughter of his
first employer. and has family of five sons.
His city home is No. 239 West Seventy-sec-
ond-st., and he has at Suffern, in Rockland
County, this State, fine farm Of four hundred
acres, at which he spends much of his time
possible. His chief diversion is the raising
Of Holstein cattle, Of whcih he has several hun
dred head; and he also takes much pride in his
kennels. which contain some Of the finest dogs
in America. Mr.. Ryan is member of the
Union Club, the Manhattan Club the New-Yorl1
Athletic Club. the Catholic Club, the Lawyers
Club, the Riding and Driving Club the South
ern Society and the American Geographical So
ciety.
FACTS ABOUT MR.. VREELAND.
About the biggest, broadest shouldered sun
niest tempered and hardest working man that
goes in and out Of the Gable Building at Hous-
ton-st and Broadway. is president II. H. Vree-
land of the Metropolitan Street Railway Com
pany. AS railroad he seems entirely
to satisfy William c. Whitney and others who
under the name of the Whitney Syndicate oc-
cupy so important place in the financial and
railroad affairs Of New York City at the present
time.
In the long list of names OF men who by in
domitable pluck and we'll directed energy have
worked from the bottom to the top Of the ladder
the career of none is more interesting than that
Of Herbert II. Vreeland. From the time he was
ten years old he always wanted to work and
he has done lot Of it. Mr.. Vreeland is a
healthy. hearty, frank of forty-three
Thirty years ago he was one of a gang Of men
His father was a poor minister-poor because
he chose the ministry rather than engage in
more lucrative calling that did not harYnonize
with his ideals. Herbert the youngest son
in a family of seven children each Of whom
helped to support the mother and younger mem
bers of the family after the death Of the father.
At ten years Of age Mr.. Vreeland determined
to earn his own living. and his first job as a
bread winner was driving grocery wagon in
Jersey City. His brother was superintendent Of
an ice company and at thirteen young Vreeand
was "h'isting ice" He longed to become rail-
road man. however. and IN 1875 his ambition
was gratifed as he got place shovellins gravel
on a night construction train on the Long ISL
and Railroad Then he inspected ties and road
bed at 81 a day and began to feel that he was
coming up"
switchman one day tried to get two trains
past each other a single track, lost his job
for it, and Vreeland took his place This was
at Bushwick the edge of a swamp. When
of duty he got acquainted with some or the
men at station headquarters. at Bushwick, and
begged the privilege of doing a part OF their
work. The clerks thought that Vreeland was
"the softest thing yet" and they loaded about
half the work done at the station on him. The
switchman's job only temporary and after
the construction work was out Of the way vree-
land was discharged He one of the Off
cias and told him he bound to stay with
the company He was sent TO another division,
where he swept out and cleaned cars Raised
TO brakeman at $40 a month he spent SlS for
board. sent $50 home TO his mother and 'squan-
dered" the other 81 a month for clothes and
luxuries.
GOT THE NICKNAME president"
An old railroad man told him one day that he
would doubtless get TO be a conductor some day.
but that he would stick there. VreeIand toio